Gulbarga

Gulbarga is a city steeped in history through the ages. While ‘Gulbarga’ in Urdu means ‘garden of flowers’, its official name is the Kannada ‘Kalaburagi’ which means ‘Stone fort’. The fascinating story of this city goes back to the sixth century. Initially, under the control of Hindu empires including the Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas, Kalahari, Yadavas, Hoysalas and the Kakatiyas, the Muslim rulers of the Delhi Sultanate eventually got control of the region. Mohammed bin Tughlaq is said to have been fond of the city.

After a revolt, the Bahmanis came to power under Zafar Khan Alauddin Hasan Gangu. Under his regime, Gulbarga gained fame as the capital of the empire. This was eventually annexed by the Mughals, who undertook many architectural projects around the city. In the eighteenth century, Gulbarga was taken over by the princely state of Hyderabad. After independence, it eventually found its way to the state of Karnataka. The tumultuous history of the region lends it its unique culture and heritage – you can expect to see buildings from different parts of history and architectural styles.

The best time to visit Gulbarga is between the winter months of October and March. During this time, the average temperature is 25°C, which is cosy and comfortable. In the summer months between March and June, it gets scorchingly hot in Gulbarga – temperatures go as high as 40°C, making travel very difficult. Monsoon strikes the region at the end of June and extends till the end of September. Gulbarga sees heavy rains, which may hamper your travel plans. The rains tend to slow down as the year ends, so you can still visit the region in September.
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