Bidar
Introduction
Bidar sits on the Deccan Plateau in Karnataka, a city whose draw is its archaeology and architecture rather than any single sight. It is best known for its historical, religious and heritage sites, and for a fort that has stood for more than five centuries. The sheer concentration of monuments has earned it the nickname "City of Whispering Monuments" — of the 61 monuments listed by the state Department of Archaeology, Museums and Heritage, roughly half are tombs scattered in and around the city.
That density of tombs and other heritage sites has made Bidar and its surroundings a favoured location for film shooting in recent years, drawing visits from Bollywood as well as the Kannada film industry. Come for the fort and the monuments; expect a landscape of history rather than a polished tourist trail.
Before you go
Bidar sits in the northern part of Karnataka, and its character comes as much from what surrounds it as from what stands within it. The city is known for its fort, its old tombs and mosques, and for the craft of bidriware, the metalwork that takes its name from the place. Plan your trip around those things rather than around a long list of sights.
Before you go, decide what you want from the visit. If you are coming for the monuments, give yourself time to move between them, since they are spread across the city and its edges. If you are coming for the craft, expect to spend your time in the workshops and showrooms where bidriware is made and sold. Either way, a little reading on the Bahmani and Barid Shahi periods will make the ruins far more legible once you are standing in front of them.
Getting there
Bidar has its own airport (IXX), and the city is also served by a railway station. If you are coming overland, the central bus stand is the main point of arrival, and it is easily approachable from Hyderabad, roughly 163 km away.
Getting around
Bidar is compact enough that the best way to see its attractions is a combination of walking and short auto-rickshaw rides. Several key monuments sit within a short radius of the centre, including Bidar Fort, the Mahmud Gawan Madrasa, Guru Nanak Jhira Sahib, the Narasimha Jhira Cave Temple and the Papnash Shiva Temple, so you can cover much of the city on foot. Mornings suit most sites, while the Papnash Shiva Temple is better in the evening. The rocky laterite soil and warm southern climate make comfortable footwear and the cooler hours worthwhile, and modest attire is recommended, especially at religious sites.
- Auto-rickshaws are widely available and are the workhorse of local transport; hail one on the street or book through local taxi services. Fares are inexpensive for short trips and vary with distance and time of day, so agree on the fare or confirm the meter before setting off.
- For local travel, KKRTC buses link Bidar with nearby towns such as Kalyan, Humnabad and Basavakalyan. The central bus stand is the main point of arrival by road.
- Bidar Railway Station (BIDR) connects the city with Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Mumbai, and has a Tourist Information Centre, a computerised reservation counter, a waiting room, and light refreshment and tea stalls. Useful services include the Bidar–Hyderabad Intercity Express and the daily Yesvantpur–Bidar Express from Bengaluru. There is no metro or tram network, so the railway is the main option for longer journeys.
- Taxis and car rentals are available for local sightseeing and outstation trips, and self-drive rentals can be arranged; this suits a day of monument-hopping.
- Bidar Airport (IXX) is a military airbase that also handles domestic flights, with services to Bengaluru; onward travel into the city is by road via taxi, auto-rickshaw or pre-arranged transfer.
For longer journeys, KSRTC runs services connecting Bidar with Bengaluru, Kalagurgi (Gulbarga), Hyderabad and Mumbai, and tickets can be booked online in advance. The best time to visit is October to February, when the weather is cooler.
Where to stay
Bidar is a small city, and its accommodation is limited, so it is worth arranging where you will stay before you arrive rather than assuming you can find a room on the spot.
Food & drink
Bidar has its own sweet to seek out: ghanada unde, a laddu made with sugarcane juice and jaggery along with groundnuts, cashews and almonds. It is regarded locally as a healthy sweet, so it makes a good edible souvenir or an energy-boosting snack while you explore the city.
What to see and do
Bidar rewards slow wandering, with its monuments spread between the old city and the surrounding countryside. Start at Bidar Fort, built in the 15th century when the Bahmani Sultan shifted his capital here from Gulbarga; more than thirty monuments stand within its walls, and you can trace its gateways, including the Dulhan Darwaza, Fateh Darwaza, Chanda Shah Kaman and Shah Gunj Darwaza. Nearby in the old city, the Mahmud Gawan Madrasa is a fine example of Indo-Islamic architecture, and the Choubara watch tower and the great Friday mosque are also worth seeking out. Elsewhere in the city you can visit the Guru Nanak Jhira Gurudwara, a Sikh shrine associated with a spring said to have been produced by Guru Nanak, and the Hazrath Shamsuddin Quadri Shrine, known locally as Multani Badshah. The tombs are a major part of any visit: the Barid Shahi tombs, the Bahmani tombs, and individual tombs including those of Qasim Barid, Amir Barid, Chand Sultana, Ali Barid, Ahmad Shah-al-wali and Mahmud Shah Bahmani II. You can also visit the dargah of Hazrat Khalil Ullah Kirmani and several other dargahs of local Islamic saints, the Basvesvara Temple, the Papnash Shiva Temple, and the Narasimha Zarna temple, which runs into a cave waterbody. Further out lie Kalyani Shariff with its fort and 12th-century cave, and the Manik Prabhu Temple, a spiritual centre that draws both Hindu and Muslim devotees. If you have time, the Bidri art workshops of the old city show the metalwork the city is known for.When to go
Winter, from November to the middle of February, is the most comfortable time to visit Bidar. By southern standards the city gets genuinely cold, and nights in December, the coldest month, are chilly enough to need a warm layer. From mid-February the days and nights warm up quickly, so plan your sightseeing for the cooler months if you want to spend long hours outdoors.
- November to mid-February: Cool, dry and pleasant, with crisp nights.
- Mid-February onward: A rapid spring warming; daytime heat builds steadily.
- May: The hottest month, with intense daytime heat and warm nights.
- Early October: The southwest monsoon withdraws, days warm slightly and nights cool steadily.
- After October: Both days and nights cool progressively towards winter.
Three days in Bidar
Day one: Start your time in Bidar by getting your bearings on the Deccan Plateau in Karnataka. Begin at Bidar Fort, the centrepiece of the city's heritage, and take in the monuments that give Bidar its reputation for whispering monuments. From there, move on to the Mahmud Gawan Madrasa, a landmark of the Bahmani and Barid Shahi eras. If you have time left in the day, visit the museums and archaeology collections that explain the city's past.
Day two: Give the morning to Bidar's religious sites. Visit Guru Nanak Jhira Sahib, then continue to the Narasimha Jhira Cave Temple and the Papnash Shiva Temple. Mornings are the best time to start, before the day warms up. In the afternoon, either wander the old city on foot or take an auto, checking fares before you set off.
Day three: Plan a day trip out of the city. KKRTC buses run to Kalyan, Humnabad and Basavakalyan, so pick one and spend the day there. If you would rather stay closer, return to the fort area and the heritage quarters you missed. Come evening, head back to Bidar Railway Station (BIDR) for trains towards Hyderabad or Bengaluru, or settle in for another night in the city.