Considered as one of the seven wonders of Andhra Praesh, it is one of the most beautiful Forts of Andhra. It can be easily reached from Hyderabad via road as the fort is only 11 kms from hyderabad City. It is the same city from which the world known diamonds like KOHINOOR came from. Luxury buses and cabs are easily available to take you to the fort.
Flashback
Mankal is the other name of the place where Golconda Fort is situated. It derives its name from the Kai Temple which to this date exists in the premises of the Fort. And as the story goes the Fort derives its name from the name Golla Konda, which in Telgu means The Shepherds Hill. It is so said that a little shepherd boy came across an idol which lead to the construction of a mud fort by the then Kaktiya Dynasty ruler of the Kingdom which is today knowm as the Maha Kali Temple(Temple of Goddess Kali).
The fort was administered by Recherla Vellamas who ruled over Golkonda, Rajaconda and Devarconda. Their capital was Rajaconda. After the defeat of the Recherla Velamma kingdom, the three forts were ruled by the Bahamani Kings (1364). When the Bahamani Kingdom collapsed, Golkonda rose to prominence as the seat of the Qutb Shahi dynasty around 1507. Over a period of 62 years the mud fort was expanded by the first three Qutb Shahi kings into a massive fort made up of Granite. It remained so until the capital was shifted to Hyderabad. The qutab Shahis were then blown over by Aurangzeb in 1687 who eventually took over the Golconda Fort.
Quick Facts
» Language – Urdu, English, Hindi
» Clothings – Warm woollens on winter and cottons in summer.
» Best time – September to Feburary
» Visit Timings- 06 am to 06 pm
The Fort
Golconda Fort has four distinct forts inside it, with a 10 km outer wall with 87 semi – circular bastions. It has the great cannons to boast of, eight gateways, four draw bridges and royal apartments, mosques, temples inside the circumference of the fort. Then there is the Fateh Darwaza ( The Gate of Victory) with giant iron spikes. This Gate is also famous for its architecture – a hand clap at a peculiar point (ask your Guide for that particular point), below the dome at the entrance reverberates and can be heard at Bala Hisar Pavilion, the highest point around one kilometer away from the Darwaza. (In the olden days it acted as a warning for the residents of the Fort).
In and Around
» The Clay Pipes :
Though they sound ordinary, these clay pipes fitted into the wall planks provided sufficient supply to the uphill residents. A series of Persian Wheels carried water to the upper terrace where the pipes channalised the water into gardens, kitchens, cisterns etc.
Not to be Missed
» The Sound and Light Show :
This is the show which brings along the past with audio and video. Dance, music and rythm follows as the show proceeds with the history of Golconda. The show is presented in Telgu, English and Hindi.
Show Timings: Winter (November – February) 6:30pm, Summer (March – October) 7:00pm
Duration: 55 minutes
In English: Wednesday, Sunday In Hindi: Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday In Telugu: Thursday Closed on: Mondays
*Contact us for getting the tickets of the show and the timings of the show (the timings are subject to change).
Some Suggestions
* Its not only the fort that’s beautiful but also the Golconda city, if you are here do go around the city for a wonderful experience. Char Minar, Hussain Sagar, Birla Temple are some of the places to go for in Hydeabad. Contact us for a one day tour.
* Keep your baggage light as most of the traveling things are easily available in the city.
* Less number of clothes would make for a good traveling, kep them light.
* Do not forget to taste the delicacies of hyderabad especially the kebabs which are famous world over. (Ask your tour guide for the rich experience of Hyderabadi Cuisine).
* Make a trip of at least 3-4 days to have a relaxed tour.
* Bring along your children as its a beautiful city to tour around.
Beautiful pic.
I have been to this place many times. It is a must visit and of course, sound and light show is something not to be missed.