Aura of India: Mosques of Andhra Pradesh: Adoni, Kadapa Dargah and Gandikota

The arches and domes of the old mosque at Gandikota

Photo: Razeena Shaik, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped), via Wikimedia Commons

Adoni, in the dry west of Andhra Pradesh, at the midday prayer.

In the Deccan, the old mosques and shrines stand where kingdoms once met.

A mosque at Adoni

Adoni, a cotton town in Kurnool district, sits below a rocky hill fort. In the town stands the Shahi Jamia Masjid, built in the seventeenth century under the rule of Siddi Masud Khan, a governor of the Bijapur sultans. Its prayer hall has a row of arches and a large central dome, and its walls carry fine stucco work. For centuries this corner of the Deccan, the high plateau of southern India, passed between Hindu and Muslim kingdoms, and its buildings show both.

The dargah at Kadapa

In Kadapa, the Ameen Peer Dargah, also called Asthana-e-Magdoomia, holds the tombs of a family of Sufi saints of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. It is one of the most visited shrines in the South, and people of every faith come to pray, tie threads for a wish, and listen to qawwali, Sufi devotional singing. During the Urs, the annual festival of the saint, the town fills with pilgrims. At Penukonda, in Sri Sathya Sai district, an old fort town, the Sher Khan mosque stands among Vijayanagara-era temples and palaces.

Why people come

Andhra Pradesh's Muslim heritage is less famous than Hyderabad's, because the best-known mosques of the region, including the Mecca Masjid by the Charminar, are in Hyderabad, which has been part of Telangana since the state was divided in 2014. In Andhra itself, the shrines of Kadapa and the old towns of Rayalaseema, the dry south-west of the state, are where visitors find it. Many come for the dargah, for the food, and for the region's forts and temples, which are often in the same towns.

Getting there

Kadapa has a small airport, and good trains on the Mumbai-Chennai line. Adoni is on the railway between Guntakal and Raichur. Penukonda is about two hours north of Bengaluru airport by road, on the highway to Anantapur. Dress modestly at every mosque and shrine. Women should carry a scarf, and everyone removes shoes. Non-Muslim visitors are welcome at the dargah outside prayer times.

The Jama Masjid at Gandikota

Gandikota is a fort on a cliff above the gorge of the Penna river, about 85 km from Kadapa. Mir Jumla, the Golconda general, took it in 1650 and built a Jama Masjid inside the walls.

Look at the front: three arches, a parapet cut with small arched openings, and two round corner towers that rise into minarets with lotus-petal capitals and onion domes. Inside, the ceiling is vaulted on ribbed, pointed arches. The mosque stands in a wide courtyard lined with sixty-four rooms, perhaps once a caravanserai. Just to the south is the Madhavaraya temple, and to the north a great granary, so a short walk takes in both faiths of the fort.

The Urs at Kadapa

The Ameen Peer Dargah is busiest on Thursdays and Fridays, and busiest of all during its Urs. In 2026 the Urs falls in the last week of October, with the main days on 25 and 26 October.

It begins at night with the sandal ceremony, when sandal paste is carried to the tomb, prayers are said and the paste is shared as a blessing. On the main day, devotees lay chadars, embroidered cloths, on the tomb, and qawwali runs late into both nights. Kadapa makes a good base: Gandikota is a day trip, while Adoni and Penukonda are better as stops on the road to Hyderabad or Bengaluru. For the wider state, see the Andhra Pradesh guide.

Places to know

Shahi Jamia Masjid, Adoni: a seventeenth-century mosque below the fort.
Ameen Peer Dargah, Kadapa: a Sufi shrine for people of every faith.
Sher Khan mosque, Penukonda: in a fort town of temples.
Mecca Masjid, Hyderabad: now in Telangana, the largest old mosque of the region.

At Kadapa, stay for the evening qawwali. The courtyard fills slowly, then all at once.

Plan your visit

Best season	October to February, when the Deccan is cooler. The Kadapa Urs falls in late October in 2026.
How to reach	Kadapa airport, about 8 km from town, has flights from Hyderabad, Chennai and Vijayawada, and Kadapa station is on the Mumbai–Chennai line. Adoni is on the Guntakal–Raichur line. Penukonda is about two hours north of Bengaluru airport.
Getting around	Hire a car in Kadapa for Gandikota, about 85 km away, or go via Jammalamadugu, 16 km from the fort. Buses link the district towns.
Where to stay	Central Kadapa for the dargah; Jammalamadugu or Gandikota village for the fort; Adoni town or Kurnool for Adoni; Penukonda or Puttaparthi for Penukonda.
How long to spend	Three or four days: two around Kadapa and Gandikota, and a day each for Adoni and Penukonda on the way out.
Opening hours	The dargah opens early and closes late, with a break in the middle of the day; hours change on Fridays and during the Urs. Check before you go.
Dress and rules	Dress modestly and cover your head at the dargah and in mosques. Leave shoes at the door. Visitors of all faiths are welcome outside prayer times.

Open Ameen Peer Dargah, Kadapa, Andhra Pradesh in Google Maps

Questions people ask

When is the Kadapa Urs in 2026?

In the last week of October, with the main days on 25 and 26 October. Expect very large crowds, so book rooms early.

Can non-Muslims visit the Ameen Peer Dargah?

Yes. The shrine is known for drawing people of every faith. Dress modestly, cover your head and avoid prayer times.

Who built the mosque at Gandikota?

Mir Jumla, the Golconda general, who took the fort in 1650. The district administration describes its triple-arched front, minarets and courtyard of sixty-four rooms.

Is the Mecca Masjid in Andhra Pradesh?

Not any more. It stands in Hyderabad, which has been in Telangana since the state was divided in 2014.

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Mosques of Andhra Pradesh: Adoni, Kadapa Dargah and Gandikota