Monday, February 25, 2013

Golconda Fort - A Visit!


I was in Hyderabad last April for a friend's wedding. Being in Hyderabad, I couldn't forgo an opportunity of visiting Golconda Fort. My curiosity was piqued when I came to know many famous gems including the Kohinoor diamond were kept in the vaults of this fort. The head quarters of the Qutb Sahi dynasty, Golkonda fort is among the biggest and most famous fortresses of Southern India.

The Main Gate of Golconda Fort, Hyderabad, India

Easily one of the strongest forts of medieval India, it had three lines of powerful fortification walls with a deep trench surrounding the outer wall. The first line enclosed the town while the second, a double wall ran around the foot of the hill on which the citadel stood. The third line further up the wall is formed by connecting walls of masonry to natural boulders. The outer fortified wall, varying in thickness from 5m to 10m, has 8 gates - Fateh, Bahmani, Mecca, Patancheru, Banjara, Jamali, Naya Qula and Moti.

Inside view of the main gate at Golconda Fort, Hyderabad, India

The outer wall is further strengthened by 87 large bastions present at short intervals. At various places, on the fortified wall, vents can be seen pointing downwards. Soldiers manning guns used to command the foot way immediately below. Teak doors covered with iron sheets and studded with sharp spikes protected the gates. Cannons were pointed at the gate entrance to deter invading enemy soldiers in case they managed to break the gates.

A cannon pointed at the main gate of Golconda Fort, Hyderabad, India

One of the most interesting aspects of Golconda Fort is the signalling system incorporated in its construction. The various edifices are so placed as to transmit sound to different far away points. If one claps standing at the centre of the entrance portal the sound is deflected by the opposite building which is constructed at an angle to the entrance. Similarly, sounds of hands clapped at the entry gate can be heard clearly at the hill top.

Another view of the Fort

76 comments:

  1. Interesting place and one I've never heard of. Thanks for introducing me.

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    1. It is a popular tourist attraction in India and a place to visit if in the souther part of the country. Thanks for stopping by.

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  2. Fascinating! Must visit! Thank you!

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    1. Yes. It's definitely worth visiting. Thanks for stopping by.

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  3. I enjoy visiting historical places like this. Your photos are wonderful and I appreciate the information you've given. It would be nice to be able to see this in person.

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    1. Thanks for your kind words. It's sure a great place with good bit of history. In case, you are planning a trip to Southern India, do plan a visit to Golconda Fort.

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  4. I was there some time back.
    I hear some parts are haunted.

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    1. Well...the only info I have is based on what the guide told us. And he didn't mention any such rumours around the place. It's open in the evenings as well for a light and sound show.

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  5. I have been to a lot of old forts... but I think this one is the most beautiful I have seen.

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    1. It's an amazing fort for sure. Thanks for stopping by.

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  6. Hi There, Thanks for visiting my blog. Hope you come back often. I am enjoying yours. Read your Smoky Mountain post since we live west of there --and love hiking in the Smokies...

    My hubby is George (who commented above).. We love to travel, hike, search for waterfalls, and just be out in nature. We also grow beautiful flowers --including roses.

    Your post today was very interesting. I'd love to see that fort in person. How interesting. Thanks for the great info.
    Betsy

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    1. Welcome to my blog. I am delighted to have you and George over here. Hope you guys enjoy the posts regularly provide me feedback on the blog.

      I have done a good amount of hiking in search of waterfalls around the Blue Ridge Mountains, specifically around the Brevard area. It's a treasure trove for nature lovers.

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  7. It is a Gorgeous fort! And such rich history. I'm always enchanted by the special audio qualities you mentioned, that would be fun to explore.

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    1. The acoustics is quite an interesting feature of the fort. The guides always demonstrate this when giving a tour of the building. They will take visitors to the topmost building and one of their fellow guides then claps at the entrance gate. The sound is clearly audible at the top. Thanks for stopping by.

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  8. Amazing history and your pictures are beautiful. It is almost too beautiful to be a fort! The last picture looks like an enchanted village!

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    1. Thank you Sallie for the kind words. It's a lovely place, quite picturesque. I will be happy if my pictures do half the justice to the actual place. Thanks for stopping by.

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  9. Great to visit them, cheers Ramakant.

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    1. Thank you Bob for stopping by. It sure is a great place to visit.

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  10. Very impressive images of the fort.

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    1. Thank you Rajesh. It's an amazing place, presents superb vistas to capture.

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  11. Thank you for the background history, it was appreciated and very interesting. Your photos are angled beautifully and give a real feel for this extraordinary place.

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    1. Thanks for stopping by. Happy that you liked the post.

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  12. Looks stunning - nicely taken pics and an amazing place

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  13. While working in my Bank, I was posted at Hyderabad for 4 years. My wife and I visited Golconda Fort. It is indeed fascinating.

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    1. It was my first visit to Golconda and I loved the place.

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  14. I have seen this fort in the morning, hence missed the sound & light show. But reaching the uppermost part of the fort is an interesting experience. Your pictures are very nice, especially the pic of the cannon. Just wish that there were no people in that frame.

    Destination Infinity

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    1. I myself missed it last time I was there. Will try to catch it the next time for sure. Regarding the cannon pic, those are my friends in the background.

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  15. Looks like an awesome place, honestly. Definitely gotta go there!

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    1. You must if you are planning a visit to the Southern India.

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  16. What an interesting fort especially the signalling system. That would have been great to try. Beautiful pictures!

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    1. Yes the acoustics is really remarkable. Thanks for stopping by.

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  17. What fantastic camera work. This looks and sounds like a fantastic place to visit. I hope you have a great day. Blessings...Mary

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    1. Thank you for the kind words. I sure had a lovely day :)

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  18. Ramakant the magnificence of this structure has been enhanced through your wonderful shots. This looks like such an amazing place and it's so interesting to read the history, thank you for sharing this with us.

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    1. Thank you so much. You words are always a source of encouragement.

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  19. Ramakant, it is a mysterious fort, what with the amazing signalling system built into it -a marvel of engineering, as you noticed. Very nice photographs.

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    1. It's truly an engineering feat, the remarkable thing being this was achieved in the early 16th century. Thanks for dropping by.

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  20. amazing! heard a lot about this fort but wasn't aware of all the things that you mentioned here. and beautiful photographs as usual!

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  21. Looks like a super big fort, great pictures, I will be back soon on your blog.

    Greetings,
    Filip

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    1. Its quite big. Appreciate your visit and kind words.

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  22. I'm fan of your photography.
    Have been to this place, and it never seemed as pretty as it does from beneath your lenses. Looking forward to more from you :)

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    1. That's really flattering :)
      Thanks for the encouraging words. Hope you will not be disappointed.

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  23. The doorway is so beautiful shot! i loved reading your profile and your work!

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    1. Thank you Sudhir for your kind words. Nice to know someone read the profile :)
      Please keep visiting.

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  24. love the way you've captured that doorway.

    so beautiful!

    absolutely gorgeous photos.

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  25. I saw your post after a long time. Glad I got to see this one. the Fort looks prettier in your photographs.

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    1. Thanks a lot for appreciating the pictures. I had stopped posting due as work kept me busy. But hopefully will be able to get some time in going forward. Nice of you to drop by.

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  26. Lovely photographs. My personal favourite is the first one - for it's framing!

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    1. Thank you Anu for dropping by. It's one of my favs as well :)

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  27. Spectacular pictures! Interesting to read about the signalling system, they had an impressive skill to facilitate communication over long distances in the fort. Sheer brilliance. I would love to visit this place someday.

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    1. It's an amazing place. Do plan a visit if you are in Hyderabad sometime. Thanks for stopping by.

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  28. Our fort are really impressive, right? I really hope they are maintained well enough to live long, long lives.
    I'd been to Golconda almost a decade ago. I remember standing at the bottom of the fort and clapping at the place that carries the echo to the fort. I was so fascinated by this way of 'informing.'

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    1. Yes. most of these old structures are really impressive. I too hope these links to our history is preserved for years and years.

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  29. Amazing it is, Ramakant...

    Actually ancient Indian architecture really astounds me.. considering all the shoddy jobs that passes away today as 'state of the art', its amazing to know that people from the past got it right and how!

    Thanks for sharing this, Ramakant.


    fc*klove

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    1. Thanks for dropping by. Yes, we do have quite a few amazing historical monuments.

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    1. Yes. It's a lovely place. Thanks for stopping by.

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  31. It's very well-built with all those gates and walls. They must had very good engineers and architects to design an early signaling system. Thank you for visiting my blog.

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    1. Ancient India or Bharat, as it was known in those days, boasts of lots of engineering feats and scientific prowess.

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  32. I do not know that one. Look beautiful, with the colors.

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    1. This is in Andhra Pradesh, India. Thanks for stopping by.

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  33. Ahaan! Better late then never, I remember that you tripped hyd last year in around April. Visiting hyd and Golconda fort has always been my traveling dream. Thanks for provoking my travel nerve!
    Nice post that worth a read... :)

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    1. I recall you were in Bangalore at that time. It's almost a year since the trip that I processed the pics and put them on my blog. But then I'll say this lot is lucky, I have loads of pics from older trips still unprocessed :(

      So you haven't been to Golconda? I thought you were in Hyderabad for sometime.

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  34. Thanks for the stopping by and taking time to leave a nice comment :)

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  35. Impressive article about golconda fort

    Regard
    shahid

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Tryst with the Shutter Bug by Ramakant Pradhan is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.