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.