Raichur District is known for its rich heritage.
Maski in Raichur district is home to an inscription dating back to the time of
Emperor Ashoka. The region has been ruled by several dynasties including
the Mauryas, Shatavahanas, Kakatiyas, the Rashtrakutas, Vijayanagar kings,
Bahmani Sultans and Nizams at different points in history. Evidence of these
glorious dynasties are present in the form of the many forts and temples that
dot the district. The Raichur fort has been standing tall ever since the time
of the Chalukyas of Badami. Later, it was during the reign of the Chalukyas of
Kalyana that the fort was renovated. The Kakatiyas of Warangal sought to
strengthen the fort further in 1294 AD. According to a Kakatiya edict, the
inner tiers of the fort were built during the administration of Vithalanatha, a
commander of the army of a prince Goregannayya Reddy who ruled under Rani
Rudramma Devi. The Vijayanagara King, Krishnadevaraya, built the north entrance
in celebration of one of his conquests, according to some historians. Another
fort that draws attention in the Raichur region is the Mudgal fort. This fort,
it is said was built in 1053, by a landlord called Muddappa Reddy. There is
mention of the same in the Nizamshahi Gazette. The Bahmani Sultans, Vijayanagar
kings and the Adil Shahis of Bijapur, all went into war with each other over
the conquest of this fort. The Mudgal fort has seen many a battle over the
centuries. After the battle of Rakkasatangadi in 1565, the
fort fell into the hands of the Adil Shahis. The Mudgal of then, ruled by many
dynasties, is now a small town in Lingasugur taluk. Talk about Lingasugur and
one has to mention ‘Jaladurga’ a historic fort in the taluk, that was ruled by
Vijayanagar kings, Bijapur’s Adilshahis and Bahmani Sultans. The fort is known
to have had a huge vault, where riches were stored. There is mention in
historical texts that those who were sentenced for life were known to have been
pushed from the top of the fort into the river Krishna flowing nearby. Ten kilometres away from
Raichur is the Maliabad fort, which was strengthened during the time of the
Kakatiyas in the 13th century. The outer layer of the fort was built in the
15th century.
A bolt from the blue in Bijapur
A
popular Adil Shahi legend has it that the kings of that dynasty had chased and
caught a “bolt of lightning and later hung it in front of the world famous Gol
Gumbaz in Bijapur.” And that ‘bolt of lightning’ can be spotted even today! Tied
in a tripod-like ring and hung through a solid rust-resistant steel chain on
the facade of the Gol Gumbaz, the ‘bolt of lightning’ that can be seen only
from a close angle, has been a subject of curious debate for people in this
part of Karnataka for centuries. Known
as sidilu among local people, this object is in reality a piece of meteorite. There
is an interesting story associated with the meteorite. A story that talks of
the Adil Shahi Sultans’ faith in astrology and how the meteorite metamorphosed
into ‘lightning’. Local legend has it that the meteorite landed in a village
where the Gol Gumbaz was being constructed.
On hearing
the news, Mohammed Ali Adil Shah, who built the Gol Gumbaz, personally went to
the site to bring the piece of rock from space in a grand procession. A strong
believer in astrology, King Mohammed Ali thought it was a good omen and would
help him expand his kingdom further if it was preserved safely. Therefore, he
brought the meteorite and hung it on the facade of the Gol Gumbaz. This
meteorite was almost forgotten after the Adil Shahi dynasty collapsed in the
late 17th century. Later, many stories were concocted around it and there was
an aura of mystery surrounding the meteorite. But it was Henry Cousens, a
British officer who served as the chief archaeology officer in Western India in
1896, who re-discovered and recorded it.
‘Rare
piece of rock’
Talking
about this artefact in his magnum opus ‘Ruins of Bijapur City,’ Cousens says,
“This is a rare piece of rock and believed to bring good luck to those who
possess it. Therefore, Mohammed Ali Adil Shah might have brought and dangled it
before the Gol Gumbaz.” H Venkateshaiah, the Regional Director of the
Archeological Survey of India (ASI), also endorses this theory. After the Adil
Shahis, only Cousens had the opportunity to touch this object during the Gol
Gumbaz renovation during his period. There were
no proper records available about this meteorite after the Adil Shahi dynasty
ended. Because it resembles lightning, a majority of people in the region still
think that it causes havoc when it strikes. They
continue to believe that it was the great Adil Shahi kings who chased and
caught ‘lightning’ and later hung it in front of the Gol Gumbaz, without
verifying the authenticity of the information.Ironically, in an era of huge
advancements in science and technology, people in the region refuse to believe
that it is a meteorite.
Article from DHNS