Golconda fort, part-3

...continued from Golconda fort, part-2.

In the previous parts we got to see Golconda fort's main entrance known by the name Bala Hissar Darwaza. The tour begins from Bala Hissar portico which is known as the clapping portico, a proper clap from here can be heard at the summit which is 200 meters away. From the portico, tourists can take two routes, clockwise and anticlockwise. The advisable route is anticlockwise since you get to ascend via a less inclined face of Golconda hill and descend by a rather steep flight of steps which will seem  like a daunting task to most tourists. During my four visits, I've taken the anticlockwise route which first passes by military barracks & Akkanna Madanna offices. The path starts ascending passing by a water tank, Ramadasa prison, Ambarkhana, Sri Jagadamba Mahakali Mandir and lastly the Baradari at the summit. In between there are several unnamed bastions, turrets and buildings. The other path starts at a gateway and descends steeply. The flight of steps when seen from a side looks like a bridge supported on a dozen massive columns. This route was probably used as an escape route, not on a daily basis. As the path touches ground level, you enter a sprawling complex of walls, columns, arches, domes and courtyards.

These 30' walls have inbuilt water supply pipelines. Also I remember seeing wooden beams embedded into the walls, probably they are remains of a wooden staircase. Going by the height of these walls, this seems to be a multistoried palace. Probably the upper floor was wooden, so was the roof. I feel this was the Zanana, the harem building.

From the Zanana ruins we move towards another cluster of ruins which might've been royal living quarters- Rani Mahal & Dad Mahal.

Stucco artwork decor walls of a royal space. I think this coat of beige paint is recent. The original might've been colorfully painted.

One of the courtyards. In the middle there's a rectangular pit, may be a fresh water pool.

Here we have half columns. Looks like on top of the half columns stood wooden columns which in turn supported the roof. Originally all these structures- columns, arches, walls -were plastered and had a smooth shiny surface so that the interior is bright.

Now we are in the largest courtyard, as I remember. At the center is the dodecagonal stepped pool with a fountain at its center. The floral fountain seems like an alloy casting, maybe brass. This picture can't do justice this wonderful piece of art. Neither the caretakers of Golconda have done much to keep it presentable. That rubber hose dangling on it is an eyesore. This fountain was in a much better condiion during my first visit i.e. before Y2K.

We exit the palace complex and step into an open space with another view of the ruins atop the hill.

Adjoining the palace complex is an open space, maybe this was a garden once upon a time. On the western side of the space is Taramati mosque. Taramati was a dancing girl and courtesan during the seventh sultan Abdullah Qutub Shah's time. There was another girl names Premamati. It is said that both were ravishingly beautiful and often dance on ropes tied between their pavilion and the sultan's balcony.

The mosque has some delicate stucco work on its crown.

Taramati & Premamati were so close to the sultan that tombs were built over their graves which is within the Qutb Shahi Necropolis near Golconda fort. Also there's another grand structure called Taramati Baradari built on a hillock situated two kilometers away from Golconda.

Moving on, next we have a two-story structure which might've been the Nakkar Khana, the place where drums and other percussion instruments were played. It was also called as Naubat Khana.

The other side of the structure. In the background are several older structures which are part of the fortifications.

The cloudy weather of that morning was humid as well. Also with the heat radiating off these stone structures, we were tired and ended the tour.

The following picture was shot from a road passing next to the fort boundary. I think we shot this while on the way to Taramati Baradari.

Back at the parking area we inquired about the ancient Baobab tree here. We learnt that the tree was inside Naya Qila, a couple of kilometers away. We hired an autorickshaw to reach this living heritage of Hyderabad known as Hathiyan ka Jhad meaning elephant-tree. It's called so because the tree bark resembles elephant hide. This Baobab is said to be 400+ years old. A caretaker incharge of this tree told us about the hollow space in the trunk which is large enough to hold 40 men.

Besides this Baobab is a mosque known as Mulla Khayalis Masjid. It was built in the year 1569 CE by Mulla Khayali a noted courtier poet and well-known calligraphist who flourished during the reign of Sultan Ibrahim Qutub Shah.

With this we complete our tour of Golconda for the day. A few months later we visited the Qutb Shahi tombs and spent a couple of hours seeing the place in detail.

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