This week we visited Golconda Fort, which is one of the many 'must see' places to visit when in Hyderabad. The name 'Golconda' translates directly to 'Shepherds Hill' and was the home of the sultan of the Qutb Shahi Dynasty during the 15th century.
The fort survived many battles over hundreds of years and with over 10km of stone walls built on top of a granite hill makes for a very imposing structure. It fell in to ruin in 1687 during an eight month siege and has remained uninhabited since then.
Inside the fort the acoustics are amazing and there are some little tricks that can be done as you entere where the echoes can be heard in some spots but not in others only one metre away. If you clap in a certain central spot at the entrance gate, it can be heard at the very highest point of the fort, nearly one kilometre away. All the stonework was done by hand, including the stone walls standing at 15-18 feet tall, and the monumental effort required to build such a structure makes this fort even more impressive.
In those ancient times the fort was also used as a Gold Market. Mining was very popular in the state and surrounding areas of Hyderabad - Kollur Mine being one of the most famous mines. The Fort was used for storage of the precious gems and was used as a trading spot for such rare gems as the
Hope Diamond, Regent Diamond, Koh-i-Noor (Mountain of Light) and Daria-i-Noor (Sea of Light).
The area is so renowned for it's diamonds that the term 'Golconda' is now used in diamond circles to describe a lack of nitrogen in the stone. I was never aware that Hyderabad had such a history in diamonds - I thought it was just a Pearl centre.
The view from the top of the fort is quite spectacular and you can see the Hyderabad skyline open up and appear in stages as you reach each level of the climb. At the top there is the Sri Jagadamaba Mahakali temple believed to be over 900 years old - where thousands of visitors go during the Bonalu festival, a local festival of Telengana. The visitors walk the 300+ stairs to worship Mahakali - Mother Goddess, with most ladies carrying offerings of rice and flowers in large post on their heads. The temple existed before the fort and still stands today - it is only a small temple but has a lot of culture significance.
Sadly, the fort is currently very overgrown with weeds but hopefully that is only because the wet season has just finished and the heat is now helping all the weeds to grow - I'm hoping ! The other issue is the amount of garbage that is left around the fort. So unnecessary but sadly a common Indian problem.
Highly recommend a trip to Golconda Fort.
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| the front gate - MASSIVE !! |
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| love the tuk tuk's lined up outside |
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There is a pilgrimage completed to the temple at the top of the fort and each step is marked
as people walk to the temple |
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| So impressive build on top of these boulders |
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| Mike's building is in the distance, behind the white buildings on the right |
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