Belagavi: Taj Bawdi, an Adilshahi well which is an architectural wonder built in 1620 in Vijayapura, has lost its significance due to the continued neglect by the state government.
The well with unique architecture, carvings has been reduced to a dumping yard of late with waste water released into it. Believed to be the main sources of water during Adilshahi rule in the then Bijapur, Taj Bawdi catered to the needs of a sizeable population that existed in the periods of Ibrahim Adil Shah II and Mohammad Adilshah. According to historian Dr H.D. Daddi, the rulers were able to supply water to entire Bijapur from the well even when the population was high.
Unfortunately, the state government has failed to protect and develop Taj Bawdi even though social organisations have exerted pressure on the authorities. Slowly, the well is turning into a stinking pool with drain water flowing into it. illegal structures have come up in its vicinity.
The 52-feet deep and 223 square feet shaped well is surrounded by two octagonal towers on the front and east side and is located in the heart of Vijayapura. The eastern and western wings formed rest houses for tourists. A small platform from the archway leads people to the well. Flights of stairs on either side of the platform lead tourists to the water body. There is a narrow gallery inside the four walls covered by arches which passes through large rooms with lancet-shaped windows on all three sides except the front portion.
There is a mythological belief that a stone thrown with force from one end of the well will never reach the other since the time it was built.
