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| Fine wooden work, Rangin Mahal, Bidar, KA, tripadvisor |
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Rangin Mahal, Bidar KA, nativeplanet.com
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The town of Bidar in north Karnataka is a historical place with many monuments as many as 30 plus, mostly Islamic structures as this part of India was once ruled by Bhamani dynasty and subsequently by the Barid Shahi dynasty. The other places of historical importance are the Barid Shahi tombs, Takht Mahal, Gurudwara Nanak Jhira Sahib,etc. Bidar town is on a high plateau (part of the Deccan plateau) about 2200 feet above the MSL. In view of its pleasant climate, the early rulers made Bidar the capital of their sultanate.
The Rangeen Mahal is an integral part of the popular Bidar Fort of Bidar town, north Karnataka and it was built by Ali Barid Shah of Baridshahi dynasty (1542 - 1580) as a security measure to protect him and the kingdom from enemies who had an eye on the fort and the kingdom.
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Rangin Mahal, Bidar Fort, Bidar, KA, tripadvisor.com
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The Rangin Mahal, close to the Gumbad Gate, is one of the best preserved sites in this historical fort and the striking features are the tile work, mosaics, the granite with pearl inlay works and intricately engraved outer hall wooden pillars. The palace has two floors consisting of a hall with rooms. The six-bay hall in the palace has nicely carved wooden columns that form a rectangular foyer. Inside the Mahal, the entrance to the inner rooms has a frame of multi-colored tile work. Engraved intricately above the arch are the verses from the holy Quran. The name Rangin Mahal - colored palace is based on the beautiful wall decoration with carefully chose tiles of selective and catchy colors. With the passage of time, color of the tiles became either completely faded or removed from the site and one can see only remnants or just traces of colored tiles. traces of which still exist. As for wooden columns, they enclose convoluted capitals and intricately engraved brackets,, The various decorations, engraving, tile works, etc are testimony to the extraordinary skills and innovative nature of the experienced artisans of by-gone days.
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Frescoed calligraphy Bidar fort, Bidar, India en.wikipedia.org
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It is worth noting that the design of the Rangin Mahal is a blend of both Hindu and Muslim architecture, implying the local influence. In the basement of the building are a series of rooms, apparently, they were meant for the palace guards and the servants.
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Rangin Mahal, Bidar Fort, Bidar, KA holidify.com
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Rangin Mahal, Bidar Fort, Bidar, KA,India tripadvisor
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The Rangin Mahal is one of the major attractions of the Bidar Fort for its amazing architecture and the ingenious workmanship and wooden carvings. The stone carvings, stucco work and the floral designs are unique to this mahal. .Actually the palace was built by the ruler of Bahmani dynasty and later it was redesigned by ruler Ali Barid. Shah of Barid Shahi Dynasty. He enhanced the beauty of the palace with embellishment and added the pearl work, tile work, carved wooden columns, etc.
Tit-Bits:
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Bidar Fort, Bidar, Karnataka en.wikipedia.org
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With the establishment of the Bahmani Sultanate (1347), Bidar was occupied by Sultan Ala-ud-Din Bahman Shah. Their capital was Gulburga and during the reign of Ahmad Shah I (1422–1486) Bidar was made the capital city of Bahmani Kingdom and Ahmed Shah' rebuilt the old Fort
in 1428 and beautiful buildings including madrasas, mosques, palaces and gardens. With double walled fortification, steep cliffs on the the north and east,provide natural protection to the moat and the glacis; from the south-east to the south-west, the walls are protected by a unique triple-channeled moat. The fort is built with laterite stone with lime mortar.
. Laterite rocks produced due to chemical prolonged chemical weathering contain iron oxide leached out from the source rock below the ground; hence they are excellent construction materials and are equally strong like hard rocks. The entire complex is being maintained by the ASI - Archaeological Survey of India. https://www.trawell.in/karnataka/bidar/rangin-mahal-bidar-fort
https://www.nativeplanet.com/bidar/attractions/rangin-mahal/#overview
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bidar
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