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Regarded as one of
the best built fortress complex in India, the
Golconda fort lies on the outskirts of Andhra
Pradesh's capital city of Hyderabad. The Kakatiyas
of the 13th century and Qutub Shahi kings of 16th
and 17th century had major contributions in building
this majestic fort. The fort is built on a granite
hill 120 metres high.
Accommodation and Connectivity
Hyderabad is very well connected with rest of Andhra
Pradesh and India through a good network of roadways
and railways. The Hyderabad airport also figures
prominently in the air map of India. The distance of
Golconda Fort from Hyderabad is 11 kms. Taxis, auto
rickshaws and luxury/semi-luxury buses are available
from the city to the fort.
The accommodation
facilities in Hyderabad are some of the best in
India.
The Golconda Fort
History
The fort of Golconda has an interesting history
attached to it. In the 12th century, a shepherd boy
came across an idol on a rocky hill. At the time,
Kakatiya kings were ruling over the place. The
matter was duly informed to them and a mud fort was
immediately constructed by the king. Later on, the
Qutub Shahi kings who ruled over the place in 16th
century converted the mud fort into a massive fort
of granite. Unfortunately, Mughal emperor Aurangzeb
almost entirely destroyed the fort after Mughals
conquered the place a century later.
Architecture
Golconda actually is a combination of four different
forts. The outer wall of the fort is 10 km long.
This wall has 87 semi circular bastions where the
fitted canons could still be seen. There also are
royal apartments and halls, temples and mosques
inside. The lowest point of the fort is the
outermost enclosure to which one can enter through
the 'Fateh Darwaza' or Victory gate. It was so named
after Aurunzeb captured the fort by marching through
the gate. The 'Bala Hisar' pavilion is the highest
point of the fort almost a kilometre away.
Regarding the gateways,
the Balahisar Darwaza is most prominent. Mythical
beasts and lions on panels adorn the sides of this
portal. There are a sequence of enclosures that
consist the main structure of the fort. The mortuary
baths lie to the right side. Here, a ritualistic
bath was given to the dead of the royal family
before burial outside the Banjara Gate. The offices
of a few prominent Hindu officials in the Qutab
Shahi court lie further up. Ruins of the granary(
Ambar Khana) and step well(Bari Baoli) are near to
the upper terrace. Here, a Hindu temple belonging to
the Kakatiya period still stands.
It is worth mentionable that there are unusually
looking clay pipes fitted into the wall planks to
ensure safe water supply in the fort. The courtyard
extend up to the ramparts and provides a great view
upto many miles. A wind-swept pavilion, triple
storeyed in height was used as the durbar hall.
There is supposed to be an underground tunnel from
the durbar hall to one of the palaces at the foot of
the hill. The tombs of the Qutub Shahi kings that
were built with Islamic architecture lie some 1 km
to the north of the outer wall of Golconda fort. The
structures have beautiful gardens on their sides
with beautifully carved stonework. It is worth
mentionable that diamond trade had flourished in the
fortress during its heydays. It is also said that
the Kohinoor diamond had originated from here.
The Sound and Light Show
To attract tourists in large numbers, a sound and
light show has been introduced at the fort. The show
is a praiseworthy attempt to show the history of the
fort through audio and visual effects. The show is
presented in English, Hindi and Telugu languages.
In spite of the fact
that most part of the fort is actually in ruins, the
fort still mesmerizes the visitor mainly because of
its unique construction.
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