These districts boast of a number of tourist attractions, including the Bahamani monuments. However, a large number of travellers have so far avoided visiting Bijapur, Bidar and Gulbarga owing to sheer distance for some, and inadequate infrastructure.
Bidar, which has a number of heritage monuments, does not even have a tourism office, and according to a Tourism Department official, the region has remained neglected so far.
Things could change with the Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC) proposing to operate package tours to this region. “The districts are all about 500 km or more from places such as Bangalore or Mysore, which acts as a deterrent,” sources in the Tourism Department told The Hindu .
If Bidar is known for the historical fort, the madrasa built by Mohammed Gawan, Ashtur tombs, a historical gurdwara and Basavakalyan; Bijapur is famous for Ibrahim Roza, Gol Gumbaz, Bara Kaman and Mulk-e-Maidan Thop (cannon), among others. In Gulbarga, the fort, Khwaja Bande Nawaz Dargah and Kali Masjid are some of the tourist attractions.
“Though these districts have a good tourism potential, they have been neglected so far. We are planning to operate package tours to these places.”
The tours are likely to be operated from Hyderabad since the city is closer to these districts.
Meanwhile, the corporation's proposal to rope in Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) to offer transport services may not materialise owing to disagreement over cost sharing, according to the sources. The corporation could deploy buses from its fleet for the package tours to these places, the sources said.
