Golconda Fort

Last Summer I had visited India on vacation and I visited a fort near Hyderabad, India known as the Golconda Fort. During my visit there, I took a short tour and I was able to learn about all of the architecture as well as the art produced during the times when this fort was built. The main language in Hyderabad is called Telugu and the word Golconda originates from this language. The word "Golla" means Shepherd and "konda" means a hill.

The exact date of the construction is unknown but it is estimated to be between 1100 and 1300. A shepherd boy went to the location of the fort (before it was built) and saw an idol there. He came back to the ruler of the Kakatiya dynasty and the king had a fort built at the site of the idol. After the fort was built, it was taken over by several other dynasties. The Qutub Shahi kings expanded the fort and used it to protect themselves.

The fort has many different mechanisms for protection. One that amazed me the most was a type of telephone. At the bottom most part of the fort is a dome. When a person clapped or made a loud noise in this area, the sound traveled all the way up to the top of the fort (about .6 miles away) and this was a type of warning signal. Also, the fort is equipped with draw-bridges, stables, and living quarters and other necessities for the king. Centuries after the fort was built, some of the kings used it as a prison. A man named Ramadas was imprisoned at the fort for using the royal money to renovate a temple.

When I saw the fort, I had mixed emotions. On the one hand, I was amazed to see this grand scale fort with elaborate sculptures and architecture. And I was also sad to see the way the fort was being maintained. For example, the city of Hyderabad was trying its best to make this a tourist attraction but there is graffiti on the ancient walls and bats have infested the darkest caves. But overall, I learned a lot from my trip.