the light baggage

Overview: The legend is that when Baba Guru Nanak visited Bidar around 500 years ago, he was moved by the plight of the people of Bidar who didn't have proper drinking water and the rains were also scarce in this region. So he uttered the words 'Sat Kartar' and removed a stone and to the surprise of everyone, water came gushing out of earth and till this date the spring has been providing clean drinking water to the people in Bidar. This holy place is called Nanak Jhira. Food is provided as 'Langar' for lunch and dinner inside the Gurudwara for all pilgrims.      For accessibility and route details please see the main post – Bidar: An interesting place at the northern tip of Karnataka

Overview: One of Karnataka's best kept secrets is the Jharni Narasimaswamy temple in Bidar. An ancient temple dedicated to Narasimhaswamy situated around 5 kms from Bidar town, its a natural cave temple. The water flows down from Lord Narasimhaswamy's feet and joins Manjeera river and further leads to Singur dam in Andhra Pradesh. A marvel in itself, the pilgrims have to make their way through the water inside the cave to reach the deity of Narasimhaswamy. The water is around 3 feet deep and the cave is infested with Bats and insects. This temple is open from 7am to 6pm. Locker facilities are provided outside the cave for the pilgrims. This is one of its kind temple in Southern India and is a good place to visit.        For accessibility and route details please see the main post – Bidar: An interesting place at the northern tip of Karnataka

Overview: One of the most formidable forts in India, built across a huge area in the town of Bidar was built by Bahamani Sultan Ahmed Shah in 1426-32 AD. Though many of the walls are in ruins, it stands tall and still gives an idea how secure it was from inside in case of an attack. The entrance of the fort is beautifully decorated and has massive doors leading to the interior of the fort. The fort also has tunnels and underground passageways which are closed for public now. Inside the fort premises there is an office belonging to archaeological department. Outside the office, various mutilated carvings have been displayed which belong to the Rashtrakuta dynasty which flourished in these regions. Inside the fort also there is a Mosque called Solah Khambh mosque which is believed to be the oldest in Bidar. Another interesting monument in the fort is the Gagan Mahal or a heavenly place. The palace has two courts, Diwan-e Aam for the common people and the inner court, Diwan-e-Khaas for...

Overview: Living in Bangalore and belonging to Southern Karnataka, its very difficult for me to explore the far away districts of Karnataka. Luckily because of a friend’s wedding I got a chance to explore Bidar. Though there are very limited places to see in & around Bidar, the places are very interesting and worth seeing. I explored the following 3 places in Bidar during my trip. Click on each of the place to view description: 1) Bidar Fort 2) Jharni Narasimhaswamy temple 3) Gurudwara Nanak Jhira How to reach: Bus/Train: KSRTC Volvo buses ply from Bangalore to Bidar everyday. Bidar can also be reached by train by 16594 Bangalore-Nanded Link express which leaves Bangalore City at 11pm everyday and reaches Bidar at 3:10pm the following day. The return train leaves Bidar at 12:30pm everyday and reaches Bangalore City at 6:10am the following day. By Bike/Car: The best route by own vehicle can by by taking NH 7 to Hyderabad, before entering Hyderabad, turn towards Zaheerabad to re...