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Serena Bowles | profile | all galleries >> Travel >> South East Asia and India 2005-06 >> India >> Karnataka >> Bijapur tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

Mysore | Madikeri & the Coorg District | Halebid | Sravanabelagola | Belur | The Train to Bangalore | Bijapur | Bidar | Badami | Hampi

Bijapur

I had been looking forward to the town of Bijapur, with it's ruins from the Moghul days. Coming from Bidar I found it a disappointingly dirty place, full of hassle. Groups of men dogged me around the sites; children nearly ripped by camera from my neck, and they all asked for pens and money. An inordinate amount of people asked me to photograph them - those shown here are just a fraction of those I took. Strangely, everywhere I looked the fronts of houses had been torn down leaving halves of rooms, or first-floor front doors with no way to gain entry. This left the town looking like a war zone, and accounted for the high levels of dust, even for India.

Some of my photos are now available to buy in a variety of sizes and finishes, or as digital files, at Serenity Photography.

You can keep abreast of my travels by visiting my website.

Barefoot Through the Rubble
Barefoot Through the Rubble		 Pretty Houses
Pretty Houses		 Dusty Town
Dusty Town
Golgumbaz
Golgumbaz		 Colourful Visitors
Colourful Visitors		 Decorative
Decorative
Looking Below
Looking Below		 House Front
House Front		 Hiding
Hiding
Knocked Off
Knocked Off		 Ibrahim Rauza
Ibrahim Rauza		 Market Colour
Market Colour
City Scene
City Scene		 From the Whispering Gallery
From the Whispering Gallery		 Girls' Talk
Girls' Talk
Prayer Niche
Prayer Niche		 Statue
Statue		 On the Roof
On the Roof
Take Our Picture One
Take Our Picture One		 Take Our Picture Two
Take Our Picture Two		 Take Our Picture Three
Take Our Picture Three
Piggy-Wigs
Piggy-Wigs		 Underneath the Arches
Underneath the Arches		 Plastic Pig
Plastic Pig
Room With a View
Room With a View		 Shack
Shack		 Tricky Access Above
Tricky Access Above
Hey, Baby
Hey, Baby		 Quick Run
Quick Run		 Watch Out Below
Watch Out Below
Stone Mason
Stone Mason		 Underneath
Underneath		 Shadow Tree.
Shadow Tree.

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Serena Bowles27-Jan-2012 17:14
Dear Ferox (just my little joke - your name is of course Feroz, and mine is Serena, not Serene),

Thanks you for your offensive comments, and your wish that I be condemned. I wholeheartedly wish the same to you.

I can assure you that in 2006 it was incredibly difficult not to take pictures of demolished buildings, as there were very many around. Perhaps you think I should not have taken these images in Delhihttp://www.pbase.com/serenab/paharganj_is_falling_down.

You may think that it is all very admirable to ignore the ugly and capture only the sublime, however I prefer to record what I see; good and bad. Rose-tinted glasses will get you only so far in life.

I'm sure you will be thrilled to read that I returned to Bijapur in 2011 - you can insult the pictures here on this pagehttp://www.pbase.com/serenab/bijapur_2011

I look forward with eager anticipation of being insulted by you again - it really has made my day. Do you have any photographs online so I may return the compliment and insult you?

May the bird of paradise fly up your nose, and may you have eleven daughters who all marry well.

Farewell.

PS My trip was actually very sucessful and acclaimed worldwide, even with the photographs of pigs.
Feroz 16-Jan-2012 07:06
Hi Serene, I am really disappointed the way you have projected Bijapur and feel sorry for people like Sohail who seems to enjoy every bit of insult thrown on their own face. Bijapur enjoys the distinction of having one of the most sophisticated monuments, even the greatest contemporary Architects cannot imagine or even dare to think of the Architectural wonders, you should have concenterated in seeking indepth knowledge for the monuments, your trip would have been very sucessful and acclaimed worldwide, instead you have chosen to photograph the Pigs and the demolished buildings.I hereby request all the readers to condemn people who are projecting rather tarnishing the sanctity of Bijapur.
Ravi 13-Apr-2011 12:53
this is ravi from Honnutagi,Bijapur Dist, presently im working in Dubai last 15 years. i realy miss my breath Bijapur and remember alys of old memory of mine spending with my frinds.
sohail 11-Feb-2011 13:25
hi miss serena i am sohail and i live in this city and in the pics u have shown the reality of bijapur i enjoyed watching them :-)
Sachin15-Jan-2011 08:40
The movement i met u,i was not knowing u..after watching ur photographs..i must say,u r a great photographer:)n i specialy liked that monkey stealing water bottle in hampi&underwater photographs..great..well done
Sachin15-Jan-2011 08:36
Guys..i am staying in bijapur since 2yrs..its not so good city as u think..i agree that its a wonderful historic place but not at all clean city...Miss SERENA I am Glad to meet u today in ibrahm roja in bijapur..thank for such nice photographs of bijapur..keep going ur work
Imtiyaz Badeghar 18-Mar-2010 16:48
Bijapur is best place to live. The people are very nice. There are several issues on which the local authorities and people of Bijapur should focus. Thay should have better roads, Hospitals and Clean water.
RAJAHMED 03-Nov-2008 07:43
RAJAHMED MAKANDAR
I MISS BIJAPUR FROM LAST ONE YEAR. THIS TOWN IS VERY PEACEFUL HEAR ALL PEOPEL R GOOD THINKING. SPECIALY I MISS GOLGUBAZ, MY FRIND CIRCAL,
VC 04-Apr-2008 21:50
As some one born and brought up in Bijapur I would say - leaving aside the glossy shopping centers and new aminities that have come up in India over last ten years or so and are accessible to only about ten percent of the population - broadly speaking, Bijapur is a reflection of development in India where cities are getting dirtier every day (dirtiest cities in Asia), population keeps on increasing at a pace much faster than the speed with which infrastructure can be adjusted etc etc (within last 40 years Bijapur's population has increase fourfold !).Sure officials need to work better but what about the people ? Are they really looking for a better life or do they just tend to accept things as they come and that's why things don't move ? Well whatever,I agree with the comments made about my city but must add - whilst leading a life in comfortable/clean surroundings in Europe, whenever I hear the word "home", immediately the images of that dirty, dusty, over crowded, "almost nothing works city" flash in my mind.....and behold I am in bliss - Home Sweet Home (so strange is the human psyche)
Fatima Ahmed 27-Mar-2008 18:38
These are excellent pictures, I miss my Bijapur very much! Yes, due to haphazard road widening by the government the front portions of many people's houses has been torn down. It is sad that Bijapur has become so dirty - I was visiting there just last month and was incredibly shocked to see the level of garbage that has accumulated in the city, with no one to do anything about it! You should also mention the incredible scarity of water and electricity, which cannot be photographed but deserves immediate attention by the state and local authorities. Increase in population and unprecedented levels of pollution - not to mention the rapid increase in the wild hog population at each street corner (that has gone unchecked for decades now, allowing the rodents to run rampant across the length and breath of the city)- is making Bijapur increasing unlivable for the average - and even the most affluent - citizen. I sincerely wish the government of Karnataka would look into the city's hygiene and sanitation situation. This is not only promote much-needed tourism, but also place Bijapur on the civilized world map. People have awareness of modern facilities, but no access to basic hygiene. What kind of progress are they heading for? At present, America still seems the best option for retirees like me, no matter how much we want to go "back home" to India. Until India is able to deliver proper infrastructure, and its rural towns become cleaner and truly greener, NRIs will continue to build housing to clog cities and then, when they actually come to live there, they will balk and pull out of India altogether. Bijapur city needs a major overhaul - one that is long overdue!
Premanand 10-Mar-2008 13:50
The rubble you find is because of the road widening process. I agree the city and the citizens need to be more proud of their city and help the civic authority to administer it better. The district administration is also responsible in not attending to beautification of the City. Over all the comments would have been more tempered.
noushad 28-Jul-2007 13:32
excellent work
click on thumbnails for full image