Bijapur's jal Mahal The summer palace of Adilshahis بیجاپور کا جل محل سمر پیلس

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Kumatgi. Kumatgi is now a small village ten miles east of Bijapur, on the Hippargi road. It was at one time a place frequented by the nobles and perhaps the court of Bijapur Adilshahi sultans.

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a pleasure resort, and on one side of the lake are the remains of many buildings, walls, and gateways. Chief among these are several little pavilions with tanks and cisterns around about them. On the walls of one of these are some very re- markable and interesting frescoes which must be over 484 years old. Compared with western art their execution is not of a very high standard.

It has been said that the game of Polo is an Indian game. Here, in this little hunting chateau at Kumatgi the statement is fully confirmed. Above an archway is a spirited represen- tation of the game where not only the men but the horses seem to enjoy the sport. Two horsemen have the ball between their sticks, which have the usual crook at the end, and each is trying to get possession of it by hooking it away from the other; two other horsemen, also armed with polo sticks, are standing off watching and waiting for it. Over an opposite arch is a hunting scene where the hunters, mounted, are chas- ing tigers, leopards, and deer. Around the lower parts of these two arches is some very pretty bird ornament. There are also representations of persons, who, from their peculiar dress and light complexions, appear to be Europeans of note, possibly portraits of envoys or ambassadors who visited the Bijapur court. On another wall is the full length figure of a musician who plays upon a guitar whilst a queen and her maid sit listening. It is evident the musician, who from his head- dress and flowing robes might be a Persian, is trying to make an impression upon the ladies, for he holds his head on one side in a very lackadaisical manner as he plays. It reminds one strongly of a scene from Lalla Rook but for the absence of the growling old chamberlain. But we have him here on another part of the walls, or a portrait that might well be his. Another, rather indistinct in parts, depicts a wrestling match that is going on before a sented and several standing figures. On another wall are two seated figures clad in tiger skin gar- ments, with tiger-face visors thrown up on the forehead.

They are armed and have their horses beside them.
which has some most curiously shaped birds in its branches. Strapped on the arms of the two figures are guards, which are no doubt intended to take the place of shields in hand to hand contests.

The surface of the walls, and consequently the paintings, have suffered very great damage from having been scribbled over, scratched, and smoked. Kumatgi was evidently used by the nobles of Bijapur as a hunting centre, and the great artificial lake upon the border of which several of these little chateaux stand must have made it a favourite and pleasant resort. Its wild fowl attract the sportsman at the present day, and a trip to Kumatgi for a day's shooting is one of the pleasures the Bijapur folk still enjoy.

Here are extensive ruins of a small town or bazaar which appears to have been walled in, and there is a long broad road, down each side of which is a tine row of stabling arcade for the horses of masters and followers. From this a broad rond led down through a great gateway along the margin of the lake and past the different pavilions.

Not the least of their enjoyments were the cool refreshing fountains and cisterns. In fact the elaborate waterworks in and around these buildings are the chief characteristics of them. Out in front of the painted pavilion, and rising out of a large square tank, is a two-storeyed building, through the masonry of which pipes are carried up to scores of jets on both storeys. These all open outwards, and, when the water was turned on, and spouted forth from every conceivable point and fell splashing into the tank below it must have been a very pleasant sight. The water was raised by manual labour to a cistern on the top of a high tower, and from this distributed through pipes to the various points below.