GOLCONDA FORT (sometimes spelled as Golkonda) Fort was the capital of the ancient kingdom of Golconda which flourished in the 14th to 16th century. It is situated 11 kilometers from Hyderabad, the capital of the state of Telangana. The walls ranging from 17 to 34 feet broken by 87 semi-circular bastions in shape, some reaching 60 feet in height, and built on a granite hill that is 400 feet high and it remains one of India’s most magnificent fortress complexes. Even before the kingdom of Golconda rose in prominence, the beginning of the fort was thought to be in 1143, when the Kakatiya Dynasty ruled the region.

2. Golconda Fort:
Golconda is renowned for the diamonds found on the south-east at
Kollur Mine near Kollur, Guntur district, Paritala and Atkur in
Krishna district and cut in the city during the Kakatiya reign. At
that time, India had the only known diamond mines in the world.

3. GOLCONDA FORT (sometimes spelled as Golkonda) Fort was the
capital of the ancient kingdom of Golconda which flourished in the
14th to 16th century. It is situated 11 kilometers from Hyderabad,
the capital of the state of Telangana.

4. The walls ranging from 17 to 34 feet broken by 87 semi-circular
bastions in shape, some reaching 60 feet in height, and built on a
granite hill that is 400 feet high and it remains one of India’s most
magnificent fortress complexes. Even before the kingdom of
Golconda rose in prominence, the beginning of the fort was thought
to be in 1143, when the Kakatiya Dynasty ruled the region.

5. According to legend, a shepherd boy found an idol in the area. When
this was reported to the Kakatiyan king, he ordered a mud fort to be
built around it. The fort eventually became known as Golla Konda,
which in Tegulu meant Shepherd’s Hill. In 1686, the Mughal prince
Aurangzeb started to lay siege on the fort of Golconda, with the
intent of claiming Hydebarad, the wealthy capital of the Qutub
Shahi dynasty.

6. The fortress proved to be as impregnable as its reputation claimed.
It wasn’t until the year after, in 1687, when Aurangzeb finally
managed to breach the fort after a nine-month long siege. It was said
that the fort only fell down because of a traitor who sabotaged the
gate.

7. Today, even after almost 800 years, the fort still stands as one of
Hyderabad’s greatest architectural wonders. One of it’s greatest
engineering marvels is the fantastic acoustic effects: one handclap at
a certain point below the entrance dome can be heard at the highest
point of the pavilion almost a kilometer away. This was said to be
used for warning the royals in case of an attack.

8. The ruler of Golconda was the well entrenched Abul Hasan Qutb
Shah. Aurangzeb and the Mughal army had successfully conquered
two Muslim kingdoms: Nizamshahis of Ahmednagar and the
Adilshahis of Bijapur.

9. Golconda actually consists of four distinct forts with a 10 km (6.2
mi) long outer wall with 87 semicircular bastions (some still mounted
with cannons), eight gateways, and four drawbridges, with a number
of royal apartments and halls, temples, mosques, magazines, stables,
etc. inside.

10. Major Attractions:
What makes the fort stand out is its system of acoustics. The sounds
of the claps made at the entrance of the fort can be clearly heard at
the top of the hill. You can also see two pavilions outside the fort
built on rock namely, Taramathi Gana Mandir and the Premamathi
Nritya Mandir, where the legendary sisters, Taramathi and
Premamathi resided.

11. It is said that the two sisters performed on a circular shaped dais at
the top of the structure, Kala Mandir. This could be visible from the
king's court from the top of the fort. The other highlight is a light
and sound show which draws plenty of people. The legendary
Bollywood actor, Amitabh Bachchan lent his voice for the shows held
here. The show which includes audio and visual effects can be
watched in English, Hindi and Telegu languages.

12. Architecture:
Golconda fort is famous for its numerous halls, royal apartments,
parade grounds and mosques. The fort has eight gates with the main
gate being Fateh Darwaza which marked the victorious march of
King Aurangzeb. The door is of 13 ft. width and 25 ft. length and
was built with steel spikes to protect it from elephants. The Balahisar
Darwaza is yet another magnificent structure. Its architecture is also
the embodiment of Nawabi culture and style.

13. Eastern Gateway:
The eastern gateway is the biggest gate and the only entrance open
to visitors now. Constructed on a hill, this intelligently planned
architectural splendour has excellent ventilation which used to be a
huge respite during the summers for the royals. It is believed that is
an underground tunnel which starts from Durbar Hall in the fort to
the foothills.

14. The outer fortification wall of the fort is dotted with 87 bastions. A
small protective wall was also constructed in front of the burj to
prevent artillery shells from hitting the soldiers themselves or the
cannons placed atop it.

15. What did we find inside the fort?
Later, the Golconda fort came into the possession of the Bahmani
dynasty. Still later, the Qutub Shahi dynasty took over and made
Golconda its capital. Golconda fort owes much of its present
grandeur to Mohammad Quli Qutub Shah. The subsequent
generations saw Golconda being fortified further with several
additions and the formation of a beautiful city within.

16. By the 17th century, Golconda was famous as a diamond market. It
gave the world some of the best-known diamonds, including the
'Kohinoor'. The meticulous details of the architecture and the fading
gardens, which were once upon a time replete with sprawling lawns
and playing fountains has the power to transport you back in time.

17. Balahisar Gate:
The magnificent architecture of the Golconda fort is as imposing as
ever, and this is evident from the colossal gate at the entrance
studded with long iron spikes, to deter invading armies from
battering it down. The gate leads to the portico known as the
Balahisar gate, magnificent as the gate itself. One can't help, but be
amazed at the modern acoustic system, which was so designed that a
handclap sounded at the Balahisar gate of the fort could be heard
right up in the citadel!

18. Nagina Gardens:
The brilliant planning of the architects is evident from the
ventilation, which is so designed to let in bouts of fresh cool breeze, a
respite from the scorching humid summer of Andhra Pradesh! Also
worth having a look at is the royal Nagina Gardens, the bodyguards'
barracks, and the three water tanks, all of 12 metres deep, which
once formed part of an intricate water system in the fort.

19. DURBAR HALL:
The crowning glory of the fort is the durbar hall, which stands atop
a hill overlooking the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. It
is approached by a thousand-step stairway, and if you can summon
up the energy to accomplish the climb, you will be rewarded with a
great view of the cities below- including (on a clear day) the famous
Charminar itself.

20. Taramathi Gana Mandir:
Outside the Golconda fort are two separate pavilions built on a
rocky eminence called the Taramathi Gana Mandir and the
Premathi Nritya Mandir, where the legendary sisters Taramathi and
Premamathi lived. They gave their performance on a circular dais
atop a two-storied structure called the Kala Mandir, which was
visible from the king's durbar.

21. Efforts are on to revive the glory of the Kala Mandir, now in a
dilapidated condition, by organizing the Deccan art festival annually.
The beautiful domed Qutub Shahi tombs with Islamic architecture
are situated close to the fort.

22. A new attraction at the fort is a sound and light show that brings the
legend of Golconda to life. With a spectacular interplay of audio and
visual effects, the saga of Golconda unfolds over centuries of
splendour. The show is presented in English and Telugu on alternate
days of the week. The Golconda fort still stands tall as a proud
sentinel amidst the current day Golconda artillery of the Indian
army, which has sprung up today.

23. Rama Mandir:
Prominent corner minarets distinguish the small mosque (1518) built
by Ibrahim Quli Qutub Shah. The courtyard extend up to the
ramparts providing spectacular views of the landscape below, for
miles. Close to the mosque lies the small Rama Mandir under the
boulders. Ram Das, a revenue official jailed by Abul Hasan Tana
Shah for misusing state funds, carved images of Rama, Lakshman
and Hanuman on the rock surface in the cell.

24. Balahisar Baradari: The ascent of 380 steps finally culminates at the
Balahisar Baradari, a windswept pavilion, twelve-arched, triple
storied structure used as a durbar hall. It is divided by substantial
piers into vaulted bays, a raised chamber with triple arches opens off
the rear wall.

25. On the uppermost terrace stands a stone throne. A pavilion, far away
in the hills, is believed to have housed Taramati, Abul Hasan’s
paramour. The Baradari shows yet another engineering marvel –
natural air-conditioning provided by a gap in the double walls which
sucks the air and releases it with accumulated pressure in the
chambers.

26. Rani Mahal:
Steep narrow steps descend to the zenana quarters – Rani Mahal. These
palaces, built on massive platforms, had high ceilings and walls covered
with decorative niches, alcoves and cornices, essentially Persian in design.
The tall wooden columns, now lost, reveal the bare structure of the triple
vaulted hall. Delicate arabesques in the roundels above the side arches
constitute the elegant ornamentation on stucco. The Rani Mahal in its hey-
days contained a world of luxury envied by the grand Mughals themselves.

27. Wow, What Engineering!
Think, even today when engineers design houses, sometimes there is
dampness in the walls. And here, so long ago, there were fountains
on the terrace! The building must have been made with such good
understanding. If we think how the people lived five hundred years
ago, so many questions come to our mind. For example, how was
water lifted to such heights? Can you guess how?

28. Secret Underground Tunnel:
There is also supported to be secret underground tunnel leading
from the 'Durbar Hall' to one of the palaces at the foot of the hill.
The tombs of the Qutub Shahi kings, built with Islamic architecture
lie about 1 km north of the outer wall of Golconda.

29. Why These Attacks?
This was used by Aurangzeb. His full army came with their guns and
cannons to attack but they could not even enter the fort. For eight
months they camped outside the fort. In those days, emperors and
kings, played such tricks. They tried to make smaller kingdoms a
part of their own kingdom. This was done sometimes by friendship,
sometimes by flattery, or even by marriage between families. And
when nothing else worked, they also attacked them!

30. Didi asked us to wait at the king's palace. She herself went to Fateh
Darwaza. A while later we heard Didi’s voice, “Alert! I am Sultan
Abul Hassan. I am very fond of music and Kuchipudi dance.” We all
laughed. We were surprised how didi’s voice could be heard from so
far. She later told us that if you stand at Fateh Darwaza whatever
you speak can be heard at the king’s palace.

31. Arrangements for water:
The picture shown here is made after seeing a very old painting of
those times. Can you think why bullocks have been used here? Use
your hand movement to show in which direction the drum attached
to the rod moves when the bullocks move. In which direction would
the ‘toothed wheel’ move?

32. Look, this pole shown under the ground joins with another Wheel
which has a number of pots on it. Can you see the clay pipes? Now
imagine, how would this garland of pots lift water from the well? Do
you now get some idea about how the tanks could have been filled by
lifting water from the wells? Even today we can see clay pipes in the
walls of the fort. These pipes would have been used to carry water to
different places in the palace.

33. What a sad sight!
Talking, whistling and listening to our own echo we were walking
through this mehrab (arch). The breeze feels so cool in this tunnel.
It was written that soldiers stayed here. See this board, but look
what the wall is like! Oh! Think how this wall has seen thousands of
years go by. It has seen kings and queens, horses and elephants, war
and peace... But we have spoilt it in just a few years! I don’t
understand, what kind of fun do people get in writing their names all
over the place like this?

34. Close your eyes and go back in time!
Imagine that you are in those days when there was a busy town
inside Golconda. Think about the questions given below and discuss
in class. You could even put up a play. What is the Sultan doing in
the palace? What kind of clothes is he wearing? What dishes are
being offered to him? But why does he seem so worried? And in
what language is he talking?

35. Going to the museum:
After seeing Golconda, the children also went to a museum in
Hyderabad. Many old items are kept there. Many things were found
when the place around Golconda was dug – like pots, jewellery,
swords, etc.

36. Look at the painting and tell
This painting is 500 years
old. It shows Agra fort
being constructed.
What kinds of work are
people doing? How many
men and women are
working? See, how they
are taking the huge pillar
up along the slope? Is it
easier to lift a heavy thing
straight up or along a
slope? Were you able to see
the man carrying water in
a mashak (leather bag)?

37. A new attraction at the fort is a sound and light show that brings the
legend of Golconda to life. With a spectacular interplay of audio and
visual effects, the story of Golconda unfolds over centuries of
splendour. The show livens up the glorious past and it is an
experience worth watching.