Vijayapura is known for the Gol Gumbaz and its premises also hosts one of the oldest museums in India.
This museum, which is located before the main entrance of the Gol Gumbaz, was actually a part of a building of the Gol Gumbaz and was later converted into a museum by British in 1892.
Naqqar Khana
According to historians, the ancient structure is known as Naqqar Khana (house of drum). “This monument was built to offer a grand royal reception to the king’s visitors by beating drums, which was part of custom for receiving royal guests,” said Abdulghani Imaratwale, historian.
The building was converted into the museum to preserve the rare objects that the British had found while shifting the district headquarters from the then Kaladagi to Bijapur (now Vijayapura).
It was in 1912 that the museum was handed over to the then district collector for maintenance, but after Independence the museum was taken over by the Archaeological Survey of India in 1962.
This museum houses some rare objects that include stone inscriptions of Arabic, Persian, Kannada and Sanskrit languages in different scripts written in beautiful calligraphy.
It has Brahmanical and Jain sculptures, hero stones, numerous manuscripts, coins, carpets, maps, miniature paintings, Bidiri ware and other house hold articles, datable from the 6th to the 18th century.
Dr. Imaratwale said that each object reflects the rich Indian culture and heritage. “The museum has preserved the artefacts in the best manner, and it is on par of with other ASI museums of the country,” he said.
Published - May 18, 2015 12:00 am IST
