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coinsandmaps-blog · 6 years

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The most interesting aspect of Golkonda Fort is that it is built using rocks and boulders that were available on the hillock where Golkonda Fort stands today. Also the fact that Bonalu – a major festival in Telangana kick starts from here and also Independence Day parade and the Republic Day parade are held here make it interesting.

Golkonda Fort as viewed from below

Boulders and rocks at the at the venue were used to built the Golkonda fort

Let me begin by saying that I enjoy visiting forts more for their architecture, design and style and not really for history lessons.

I visited Golkonda Fort recently with family for the sole reason that every time I am standing in a particular direction of the high rises I stay in, I am facing the fort and it seems to ask for attention (pun intended).

Though willingly or not so willingly I have been to a few forts and the main reason that I don’t like to visit forts is that almost all of them have a similar story – rise, betrayal and fall of the kingdom (fort) so much like a Bollywood masala movie.

And here I am with kids and the husband to walk around history and listen to another story with the same storyline but different characters.

As we take a guide registered with Telangana Tourism from the entrance of the fort for a charge of INR 1250 he takes us through the various aspects of the fort.

Why Golkonda Fort was built?

Entrance gate at Golkonda Fort. Notice the intricate work at the gate.

The entrance gate of the fort is called ‘Balaji Sar’ gate. Balaji means round and Sar means at a height. The wonderful thing you encounter as soon as you enter the main gate is 24 diamond-cut dome shape ceiling standing under which if you clap then the clap can be heard in the king’s hall which is 500 feet away. Architectural marvel! Yes, of course.

Diamond shaped dome

We headed towards the fort using the path intended for public use in those days and came back walking on the path intended for the royals.

Our guide tells us enthusiastically about the history of the fort. In 1143, the Kakatiyas came to this place from Warangal, during that time the area that we know as Golkonda today was entirely covered with boulders and rocks. They made a small mud fort which was called Goula Kund – ‘Goula’ means shepherd and ‘Kund’ means hill. In 13th century Bahmani kings came to Goula Kund for business with the Kakatiyas, and in 1363 they made 5 districts while staying here for business; however in 1518 Qutub Shahi dynasty took over and built a fort of lime, clay and stones which took about 62 years to complete. Sultan Quli Qutub Shah laid the main the foundation of the fort in 1518. This fort was built from the top of the site towards bottom. There are a total of 360 steps to reach the top.

This fort offers a wonderful view of the city

The main reason to build a fort here was because there were diamond mines in the region. Kohinoor diamond – the world famous diamond was found here only.

This fort was built from top of the site towards the bottom of the hill

How Hyderabad was named?

In 1591, fourth king of the Qutab Shahi dynasty Mohamad Quli Qutab Shah developed a separate city called Charminar and married a Hindu dancer Bhaagmati and renamed her as Haider Bakshi and that is how Hyderabad got its name, our guide tells us. Earlier, Hyderabad was also known as Mohammad Nagar and Bhagya Nagar.

Kali Mata painting on a boulder

Kali Mata temple inside the fort

Entrance of the temple

The story of Kohinoor Diamond

In 1611, about 175 km from the fort were the coal mines and it was here the Kohinoor Diamond was found. Its original weight was 360 carat – world’s largest diamond, costliest and unlucky too. Our guide tells us that Kohinoor got the unlucky tag because whosoever was in possession of Kohinoor was ruined.

In 1687, Aurangzeb took the Kohinoor and used it in Shahjahan’s peacock throne and then began the downfall of the Mughals. Then they gifted the Kohinoor to Punjab’s king Ranjit Singh who then passed away and then Iran’s Nadir Shah took the Kohinoor from Ranjit Singh’s son Dilip Singh. It was then in the possession of the British from Afghanistan. But the British cut it in two piece one is in the museum and the other is in Queen Victoria’s crown. These days the diamond is in the possession of the British.

Such interesting stories/ facts always come from guides only.

Golkonda Fort is spread over a large area

Banjara Hills

During the reign of Qutub Shahis, Banjara hills was inhabited by the gypsies known as banjaras in Hindi and hence the name Banjara Hills. Today, it is the costliest area in Hyderabad.

Ramdas Bandi Grih (prison in the fort)

Sculptures of Ram, Sita, Lakshman and Ganesh made by Ramdas on the boulders inside the prison

In 1672, Ramdas was the treasurer of the then ruling king and he was sent to Bhadrachalam to collect tax of 6 lac rupees. He collected the money but did not deposit in the treasury hence was arrested and put in a separate jail with in the premises of the fort for 12 years. He carved 16 statues of different Gods(Hanuman, Ram Lakshman, Sita, and Ganesh) using a only a stone.

It is said after 12 years, Lord Ram and Lakshman appeared in the dreams of the Qutab Shahi ruler Abu Hassan and magically 6 lac rupees were deposited in the royal treasury. In September 1684, Ramdas was released and he died in 1685 in Bhadrachalam which is about 375 km from the fort. Ramdas had spent 6 lac rupees in building Ram Temple in Bhadrachalam but he had not informed the king hence he had to spent 12 years in prison.

1.Golkonda Fort is the highest point in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. From ground it is 500 feet and from sea level it is 2280 feet.

2. There was a secret tunnel spanning 8 km from the Golkonda fort to Hyderabad city. It was closed in 1954.

3. Diwan –I-Aam and Diwan-I-Khaas was built in such a way that throughout the year the area was air cooled owing to ventilation.

Panoramic view of the city from the fort

Fall of Golkonda Fort

Like most of the destruction during that time this fort too saw its downfall at the hands of the Mughal tyrant Aurangzeb. He attacked the fort in September1686 and fought continuously for 8 months but he could not capture the fort. However, the main commander of the Shahi ruler Abdullah Panni deserted his king and allied with Aurangzeb and opened eight doors of Golkonda in one night. But Aurangzeb could not rule the fort as in 1687 many people committed suicide and many fled, so there was hardly any one left to be ruled hence Aurangzeb personally destroyed the fort thinking if he could not rule here no one else should.

Coins and Maps at Golkonda Fort

Golkonda Fort: Humming the history of Hyderabad The most interesting aspect of Golkonda Fort is that it is built using rocks and boulders that were available on the hillock where Golkonda Fort stands today.

#Banjara Hiils #Bhadrachalam #Bonalu #Deccan #golkonda fort #hyderabad #independence day #Kohinoor #Kohinoor Diamond #Monuments of Hyderabad #Qutab Shahis #Ram Temple #Ramdas #Republic Day #Secunderabad #Telangana Tourism

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guideguy35-blog · 7 years

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Golkonda Fort- Hyderabad

Golkonda fort is one of the most famous and the biggest fortress in the Deccan plateau of India.It is located about 11 Kms away, on the Western outskirts of Hyderabad city. It is located on a granite hill having a height of 120m.

Golconda was once the market city for its diamond trade. Darya-e Nur, meaning ‘sea of light’, measuring 185 carats and housed now in Iran, was mined here. Many other famed diamonds—including the Kohinoor Diamond, Nur-Ul-Ain Diamond, the Hope Diamond, and the Regent Diamond—are believed to belong to the mines in this region.

History

Before the advent of Hyderabad, Deccan was ruled from Golconda fort. It was earlier established by the Kakatiya’s in the 13th century and the existing structure was constructed by the Qutub Shahi kings. It was renovated by the first three Qutub Shahi kings, over a span of 62 years.

Golconda is also known as Shepherd’s Hill” or “Golla Konda”, in Telugu. According to a legend, a shepherd boy found an idol on the rocky hill called ‘Mangalavaram’. This news reached the Kakatiya king, who was then ruling Golconda. He ordered the construction of a mud fort around the holy spot. Later, the fort was expanded by the Qutub Shahi kings into a huge structure made of granite.

Architecture

Golkonda fort was built on a 400 ft. high hill. It has three lines of massive fortification walls one within the other and rise to a height of over 12 m. The outer most wall was provided with a deep moat all around covering a vast area of the town with a circumference of 7 km. It has 8 imposing gateways and is buttressed with 87 bastions rising to a height of 15 to 18 meters. Each of these bastions was surmounted by cannons of varying caliber rendering the fort impregnable and strong among the forts of the medieval Deccan.

An entrance at Golkonda Fort

After the outer wall it has also a double wall that runs around the foot of the hill on which the citadel stands. Within the double wall, winding further up the hill, connecting the natural boulders with masonry walls is a third wall. An extension of the outer wall was made to enclose a small area on the northeast of the town in 1724 AD, which is now known as Naya Qila.

The wonderful acoustic system of Golconda fort speaks volumes about the architecture of the fort. This majestic structure has beautiful palaces and an ingenious water supply system. The ventilation of the fort is absolutely fabulous having exotic designs. They were so intricately designed that cool breeze could reach the interiors of the fort, providing a respite from the heat of summer.The Huge gates of the fort are decorated with large pointed iron spikes. These spikes prevented Elephants from damaging the fort. The fort of Golconda is encircled by a 11-km long outer wall. This was build in order to fortify the fort.

Attractions

The fort of Golconda is known for its magical acoustic system. The highest point of the fort is the ‘Bala Hissar’, which is located a kilometer away. The palaces, factories, water supply system and the famous ‘Rahban’ cannon, within the fort are some of the major attractions.

It is believed that there is a secret underground tunnel which leads from the ‘Durbar Hall’ and ends in one of the palaces at the foot of the hill.The two individual pavilions on the outer side of Golconda are also major attractions of fort. It is built on a point which is quite rocky. The ‘Kala Mandir’ is also located in the fort. It can be seen from the king’s durbar (king’s court) which was on top of the Golconda Fort.

Naya Qila (New Fort)

Naya Qila is an extension of the Golconda Fort opposite to it. This ramparts of this new fort starts after the residential area in between. This area is very extensive with extenstive ramparts, many burjs (Arabic for Towers) and Haathiyaan Ka Jhaad – a very large and old Baobab Tree with an enormous girth. It also includes a war mosque. Plans are afoot by the local government to convert the area into a Golf Club which will which will slowly eat away at this neglected heritage.

Qutub Shahi Tombs

The fort also has the tombs of the Qutub Shahi kings. These tombs have Islamic architecture and are located about 1-km north of the outer wall of Golconda. They are encircled by beautiful gardens and numerous exquisitely carved stones. . They are open to public and receive many visitors.

Mahakali Temple

The place is also known as Mankal. The Mahakali temple located inside the fort, and the festival of Bonalu of twin cities begin here.

Highlight of the fort

The highlight of the Golconda fort is a sound and light show. It depicts the glorious past of this grand fortress. This audio – visual extravaganza is presented in English, Hindi and Telugu.

Timings Of The Light and Sound Show

The timings of the show are different during summers and winters. During November–February, the shows begin at 6:30 pm, and during March-October, the shows begin at 7 pm. On Wednesdays and Sundays the shows are presented in English; on Tuesdays, Fridays, and on Saturdays, in Hindi; and on Thursdays, Telugu.

Fort Timings

8 am to 6.30 pm everyday

How To Get There

By Air Hyderabad International Airport, Rajiv Gandhi International Terminal, is well connected to many important cities abroad. Domestic terminal, N T Rama Rao domestic Terminal, connects to all major cities in India. All private air travel providers operate services from Hyderabad. The both airport are located side by side and are located at Begumpet, about 20 km away from the heart of the city. Taxi services cost about Rs 350 from Airport to Hyderabad city. By Train Secunderabad, one of the twin cities with Hyderabad, is a major station with the head quarters of Southern Railway. Nampally railway station is well connected to all major railway stations in India. By Bus Andra Pradesh state owned buses connect Hyderabad city with all cities in the state and the neighboring states.

Photo Gallery

Golkonda Fort- Hyderabad

An entrance at Golkonda Fort

Golkonda Fort- Hyderabad Golkonda fort is one of the most famous and the biggest fortress in the Deccan plateau of India.It is located about 11 Kms away, on the Western outskirts of Hyderabad city.

#ANDHRA PRADESH #GOLKONDA FORT #HYDERABAD #SHEPHERD&039;S HILL

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