Bara Kaman

Bara Kaman is the incomplete mausoleum of the Adil Shahi ruler Ali Adil Shah II in Vijayapura. Begun around 1672, it was meant to enclose his grave within twelve arches and to rival the nearby Gol Gumbaz, but work stopped when the king died, leaving only the base and the lower parts of the arches.

The roofless square structure rests on a massive platform about 215 feet square, its unfinished arches built of dark basalt. On the platform lie the graves of Ali Adil Shah II and members of his family, and a door on the east side leads down to a crypt beneath. Gardens surround the site. Local stories give other reasons for the abandonment, including one that the work was halted so that it would not outshine Gol Gumbaz.