Taj Bawdi

Taj Bawdi is a large stepped water tank in Vijayapura (Bijapur) that supplied the townspeople with water for centuries. It was dedicated to Taj Sultana, first wife of the Adil Shahi king Ibrahim II, which gives the reservoir a personal as well as a civic meaning.

The tank measures about 223 feet square and is 52 feet deep. It is entered through a large arch flanked by two octagonal towers, which carry fine decorative detail and were once used as rest houses. Other monuments of the Adil Shahi capital, including Gol Gumbaz, Bara Kaman and Gagan Mahal, are within easy reach.