Railway
The Gol Gumbaz is situated in which state?
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Answer: Option D — Karnataka
Detailed Solution
The Gol Gumbaz is located in Vijayapura (formerly Bijapur), in the northern part of Karnataka.
About the Gol Gumbaz:
- It is the mausoleum (tomb) of Muhammad Adil Shah (ruled 1627-1656), the seventh ruler of the Adil Shahi dynasty of Bijapur, one of the five Deccan Sultanates.
- It was completed in 1656, and its architect is believed to be Yaqut of Dabul.
- "Gol Gumbaz" means "round dome".
Its great dome is one of the largest in the world, with an external diameter of about 44 metres. It is supported without pillars, using pendentives (curved supports at the corners).
The building is a cube with four seven-storeyed octagonal towers at the corners.
Whispering Gallery:
- Inside, a circular gallery runs around the base of the dome.
- Because of its acoustics, even a whisper or a clap can be heard clearly on the other side of the gallery, and sounds echo several times (often said to be seven times).
About Vijayapura (Bijapur):
It was the capital of the Adil Shahi dynasty (1489-1686), founded by Yusuf Adil Shah. It was annexed by Aurangzeb in 1686.
Other monuments include:
- Ibrahim Rauza: the tomb of Ibrahim Adil Shah II, admired for its elegant design.
- Malik-e-Maidan: one of the largest medieval cannons in the world.
- Jama Masjid and Bara Kaman (the unfinished tomb of Ali Adil Shah II).
The Deccan Sultanates:
- After the break-up of the Bahmani Sultanate, five kingdoms emerged: Bijapur (Adil Shahi), Golconda (Qutb Shahi), Ahmadnagar (Nizam Shahi), Berar (Imad Shahi) and Bidar (Barid Shahi).
- They jointly defeated the Vijayanagara Empire at the Battle of Talikota (Rakshasa-Tangadi) in 1565.
Other famous monuments of the Deccan Sultanates:
- Charminar (Hyderabad, Telangana): built by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah in 1591.
- Golconda Fort (Hyderabad).
- Bidar Fort (Karnataka).
Why not the other options?
- ✗Telangana has the Charminar and Golconda Fort.
- ✗Maharashtra has the Bibi ka Maqbara and Daulatabad Fort.
- ✗Andhra Pradesh has the Lepakshi temple and Gandikota fort.
Quick tip
Remember: Gol Gumbaz = Vijayapura (Bijapur), Karnataka (tomb of Muhammad Adil Shah, 1656; huge dome; whispering gallery); Charminar = Hyderabad (1591); five Deccan Sultanates defeated Vijayanagara at Talikota (1565).
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Monuments & Religious Places — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Monuments & Religious Places, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers India's important monuments, temples, mosques, churches, gurudwaras and pilgrimage sites, who built them and when, their architectural styles, and India's UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Questions ask who built a monument, where it is located, or which dynasty or style it belongs to. For example, the Qutub Minar was begun by Qutbuddin Aibak, and the Sun Temple at Konark was built by the Eastern Ganga king Narasimhadeva I. Revise the UNESCO World Heritage Sites as a list, noting the most recent additions. Practise the monuments and religious places questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.