The famous Taj Bauli of Bijapurn

The Water System of Bijapur

The wells were the main source of water during the rule of the Adil ShahiKings in Bijapur. With their unique architecture, attractive carvings andgrandeur, these enchanting wells were brimming with water till about threecenturies ago. But these heritage structures have been vandalised and fallen into disuse.

The Adil Shahis of Bijapur, well known for their able administration and love for music, were also recognised for the excellent water supply schemes that they implemented. There is much historical evidence to show that they possessed deep knowledge about water harvesting. Infact they did not look upon water as a mere daily necessity, but also as a luxury commodity to indulge in water sports. The water was collected in the hills outside Bijapur and supplied to the inner parts of the city through tunnels to wells. Historians confirm that the density of population in Bijapur was so high during the reign of Ibrahim Adil Shah II and Mohammed Adil Shah II that the city probably consumed double the quantity of
water it needed.

Bavadi or Bauly in Deccani Urdu are another term for a well. There are a number of bavadis here such as Taj bavadi, Chand bavadi, Ibrahimpur bavadi, Nagar bavadi, Mas Bavadi, Alikhan bavadi, Langar bavadi, Azgar bavadi, Daulat Koti bavadi, Basri bavadi, Sandal bavadi, Bukhari Masjid bavadi, Thaal Baudi (Thaal means plates) and Sonar bavadi etc. In fact, the list is very, very long. Of these, the Taj bavadi and the Chand bavadi are the biggest and attract tourists due to their artistic excellence. While Taj bavadi, with its size and grandeur, occupies the first place, Chand bavadi and Ibrahim bavadi occupy the second and the third places respectively. People of the city still use the 30 bavadis that exist today.

A well generally conjures a picture of a round structure with circular steps. But there is a world of difference between an ordinary well and a bavadi. The essential difference is in the style of construction. A bavadi is generally square-shaped and a passage runs along the entrance with halting rooms at its left, right and in the front. In the smaller bavadis, there is no passage and no halting rooms, though some have steps on the side. The parapet walls opposite the entrance are decorated with carved arches. In spite of these common features, each bavadi differs from the other and is architecturally significant.

Chand bavadi

Built by Ali Adil Shah in memory of his queen Chand Bibi in 1549, the Chand bavadi is at a distance of about 400 feet from the Shahapura Gateway of Bijapur city.

It measures 144 feet from the east to the west and 156 feet from the north to the south. The stone steps around the square bavadi taper down and the main door of the bigger arch adjoins the walls of the bavadi. A large arch forms the entrance and smaller arches face the bavadi. A four feet pathway runs parallel to the inner wall of the bavadi. This was probably a model for the Taj Bavadi, which was built subsequently.

Taj bavadi

Ibrahim Adil Shah, who ascended the throne after Adil Shah I, built the Taj bavadi in 1620 A.D in memory of his wife Taj Sultana. Termed as the biggest and the grandest of all, this bavadi lies to the east of the Mecca Gateway a 35-foot high magnificent entrance (behind the present bus stand) and has arch. It is 120 feet long, 100 feet wide and 53 feet deep.

There are octagonal domes on either side of the main gate with a parapet wall facing the entrance. The steps that commence from both the sides of the spacious halting rooms adjoin this wall and descend till the water level. There is a six-foot wide passage on three sides of the inner wall with resting places to the east, west and south built for the convenience of the travellers. One can have a full view of the bavadi from the gallery, which has arches engraved with motifs.

Ibrahim bavadi

Ibrahim bavadi occupies the third place in terms of its size, beauty and magnificence. Situated across the Ibrahimpur railway gate, this bavadi is hidden behind a small compound and belies the fact that such a grand structure exists within. Almost at the entrance, there are steps to go down, and a three-foot wide passage starts midway down the steps, leading to small halting places on the left and right. The city corporation has recently fitted a pump set in the right side halting room and entry is prohibited. The entire bavadi can only be viewed from the left side and presents a pleasing picture with its depth, spaciousness, and the arch wall at the front. It is an architectural marvel.

Apart from the bavadis mentioned above, there is no authentic information as to when and who built the other bavadis. The situation today

Of the three bavadis, Chand bavadi is totally dry, filled with debris and is virtually used as a public dumping place. It has thus unfortunately breathed its last. At the Taj bavadi, people wash their vessels and clothes, as a result of which its water has turned mossy. Both thepassages leading to the rear-halting place are dirty due to open defecation. Though some years ago, the City Corporation had cleaned the bavadi through dredging, it has again become dirty due to the indifference of the public. If suitable measures are taken to maintain the Taj bavadi by cleaning the surroundings, as well as the gallery, and by prohibiting washing of vessels etc., it also can be developed into a tourist attraction as well as a source of water.

The smaller bavadis

Other than the three most prominent bavadis, there are several other smaller and less famous bavadis. Some of these are privately owned. These are located within the city as well as well as at a short distance from the centre, at the outskirts.

Both the Langar bavadi and the Ajgar bavadi are situated in a field to the right of Ibrahim Rouza. Though small in size, the Langar bavadi has an attractive arch at the entrance of the well with steps leading down to the water. Ajgar bavadi is privately owned and in spite of being the larger of the two, it has no significant architectural value. However, the water in both these bavadis is in a good condition, and hence, is used for drinking as well as for agricultural purposes.

The people use the Alikhan bavadi that is enroute to Ibrahim Rouza as a garbage bin. It has a mosque next door and if the authorities of the mosque were to get it cleaned, it would be useful for those who came to worship at the mosque. Next to the Alikhan bavadi is a borewell. Latif, a rickshaw puller, who has lived here all his life, is of the opinion that the borewell is responsible for the depletion of the water level in the bavadi.

The water in the Nagar bavadi, to the right of the Bade Kaman (the big arch), is potable and can be used for household purposes and irrigating the neighbouring
fields.

There are 8-10 bavadis in the Jumma Masjid area. The Bagdadi bavadi, adjacent to a mosque, is also filled with rubbish. The Jhansa bavadi in Dr. Munir Bhangi’s compound is fairly big, has ample water, and according to the servant, the water does not dry up even in summer.

Not a drop of water can be seen in the Nalabandha bavadi and the Daulat Koti bavadi, which are used as garbage bins. Water in the bavadi behind Jumma Masjid is mossy and the place is used as a urinal. Though the condition of the Peti bavadi is similar, the city corporation has made arrangements to pump the water and has provided washing facilities next to the tank. Basri bavadi is the largest among all the bavadis surrounding Jumma Masjid. Meherunissa, who lives in the locality, states that barring the summer when the water level goes down, it is used throughout the year.

In addition to this, there are several bavadis in the market at the centre of the city. Of these, the water in the Sandal Masjid bavadi, Mantri bavadi and the Mukhari Masjid bavadi is quite good. Devotees coming to the Hanuman temple opposite the Mukhari Masjid bavadi throw coconut shells, flowers and other articles of puja in the passage of the Mukhari Masjid bavadi. The place is dirty and needs maintenance. The Barida bavadi is empty and so is the bavadi next to it on S S Road. As there are about four borewells adjacent to the bavadis, the water level has probably depleted.

The Mas bavadi behind the Gol Gumbaz is square and has a fairly large arch. As the water here is of a good quality, it is used for the gardens of the Gol Gumbaz. The Hasimpir bavadi on the Station Road, the two bavadis inside the Remand Home and the Mubarak Khan bavadi near the Mubarak Khan Mahal present yet another dismal
state of these storewells of water.

The Sandal bavadi, Mante bavadi and the Captain Syke who visited Ramabai bavadi are near the bus depot in the Bijapur in 1815 documented Nawa Bag area. The first one resembles the all the bavadis he had seen and other square bavadis. Its water has turned reported that there were 200 mossy though it continues to be used for bavadis with steps and 300 household purposes. The groundwater level draw-wells inside the Bijapur in this bavadi has receded, once again due to fort. This was after a century the presence of a borewell next to the mosque. had passed since rule of the The second one is like a large pit, while the Adil Shahis. water of the third one is used only for washing clothes etc. All these bavadis are square and have arches on their walls.

The Sonar bavadi and the Gunda bavadi in the Minakshi Chowk area are circular. As all the used materials of the Kalika temple are thrown into the Gunda bavadi, the water level is not even visible.

The architecturally significant bavadis are the Taj bavadi, Chand bavadi and Ibrahimpur bavadi. The Langar bavadi, Ajgar bavadi, Mukhari Masjid bavadi, Mas bavadi and Ibrahimpur
bavadi are slightly away from residential areas and thus the water in them is good. As aquatic life and plants can be found in these bavadis, they are in a true sense, living wells. Sonar bavadi contains good water despite being surrounded by houses. Basri bavadi is located in very dirty surroundings, yet has ample water with aquatic life.

Talabs with a difference

Another kind of water body commonly seen in Bijapur are talabs. Talab means a tank or lake, which are different from the bavadis.

Begum talab is an example of the technological excellence achieved during the Adil Shahi era in ensuring water supply to the city of Bijapur. This tank, which is two miles to the south of Bijapur was built by Mohammed Adil Shah in 1651 under the supervision of Afzal Khan. Prior to its construction, his grandfather, Ali Adil Shah I had implemented the Toravi water supply scheme. When this could not meet the demands of the city for water, Mohammed Adil Shah built the aforesaid tank by making provision for the flow from the nearby Saravad and Khwajapeer streams to flow into the tank.

On the right hand corner of the talab is a small stone window offering a glimpse of an underground room, which is presently full of mud. Historical facts dating back 350 years lie buried beneath this pile of mud. During the rule of the Adil Shahis, water collected in the tanks was supplied to the city through this underground room by using clay pipes. Once it entered the fort area, it was stored in tall four-cornered water towers called gunj.

The Purpose of the Gunj as Storage tanks and Water Filters

The intention behind the erection of these towers was to ensure that dirt and slush in the pipes would remain at the bottom of the tower thereby allowing clear and free flow of water to the top. These water towers vary in height ranging from 25-40 feet. The gunj in the vicinity of PDJ School near Bagalkot Cross was linked to an underground canal. A few years ago, a tap was fitted to this tower. As water is still available from the tower, it can be inferred that the underground canal is still in good condition. The Begum talab maintained by the Department of Minor Irrigation dries up in summer. It has a total capacity of 25-35 million cusecs and when completely full, its outflow is 1657 cusecs.

The Decay of Bijapur Baudies
The main reason for water pollution is the vessels and clothes which are washed nearby. Alongwith this, is the immersion of religious rituals items like coconuts and flower garlands that are thrown into the bavadis. Gutter water is also allowed to flow into the bavadi. Instead of getting the bavadis cleaned when they are dry, the sites are used as dumping places. In addition, the negligence of the City Corporation, the Archaeological Department and the Tourism Department has resulted in encroachments and construction of buildings next to the wall of the wells. Many such factors have spelt the death knell for these traditional water-harvesting systems.

According to the locals , a significant feature of all these bavadis is that they had sufficient levels of water even in summer. The bavadis which have withstood the test of time for over three centuries have fallen to ruin only since the past 8-10 years. The negligence and carelessness of both the authorities and community have resulted in reducing these enchanting, living wells to garbage bins! Sincere efforts must be taken to revert to this situation and bring the bavadis back to life once again.

Notes Sources:
With Courtesy: Sumangala Article on Bijapur Water Systems
Bijapur and Its Architectural Remains : With an Historical Outline of the Adil Shahi
Dynasty/Henry Cousens. Reprint. 1996, 132 p., plates, plans.

Archeological Survey of India, Vol. XXXVIII, Imperial Series.