Rooted in history, the small city of Gulbarga, now known as Kalaburagi, in Karnataka, is speckled with monuments that date from the 13th to the 15th centuries and reflect the architectural prowess of the rulers of the erstwhile medieval Bahamani kingdom (1347-1526). Holding the grand Gulbarga Fort at its heart, the city also boasts the oldest mosque of the state, Jumma Masjid, which sits within the fort. It is said that Gulbarga draws its name from Persian words 'gul', which means flower and 'berg' which means leaf.

In the early 14th century, Gulbarga became a part of the Delhi Sultanate and was taken over by Mohammed bin Tughlaq. Till his death, Gulbarga remained with the Delhi Sultanate and then was taken over by the Bahamani kingdom. In its heydays, the city served as the capital of the Bahamani rulers between 1347 and 1428. In the 17th century, Mughal emperor Aurangzeb annexed and inducted it into the Mughal empire, from where it went into the hands of the erstwhile rulers of Hyderabad in the 18th century.

Located around 620 km from Bengaluru and 220 km from Hyderabad, it is at Gulbarga that the annual Urs Festival is held at the tomb of Khwaja Bande Nawaz to commemorate the revered Sufi saint's death anniversary. Around 40 km from the city lie Jain temples on the banks of River Bhima in Jevargi, while the Jaladurga Falls on River Krishna is situated around 120 km away.