10 INTERESTING FACTS YOU PROBABLY DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT THE GOLKONDA FORT.

FACTS ABOUT THE GOLCONDA FORT THAT YOU PROBABLY DID NOT KNOW. HOW MANY WERE YOU ABLE TO IDENTIFY ?

SECRET TUNNELS AND ESCAPE ROUTES.

It is believed that there is a secret underground tunnel which begins at one of the durbar halls and leads to one of the palaces at the bottom of the hill. The route was originally meant as an escape route for the royals, but has never been found since. IT HAS INSPIRED 3 PLACES WITH A SIMILAR NAME IN USA, ONE IN ARIZONA, ONE IN ILLINOIS AND THE OTHER IN NEVADA


The mining town of Golconda, in Arizona and now a ghost town, was named after Golconda Fort, since it had mines like the ones found near the Golkonda Fort in Hyderabad. The town was named Sarahsville in Illinois was renamed to Golconda on January 24, 1817, after the ancient city of Golkonda. There’s another Golconda in Nevada which too is now a ghost town.

WORLD FAMOUS DIAMONDS.

Darya-e Nur, Nur-Ul-Ain Diamond, Kohinoor, Hope Diamond and Regent Diamond have been owned by the sultans of Golconda before they moved out of India.

ANCIENT MADMAN WHO SAVED THE CITY.

Legend has it that a person called Majzoob who was considered to be a mad man , stayed beside the Fateh Darwaza and secured it. At the point when Aurangazab was prepared to overcome the Fort, the presence of this person never permitted them to invade the passage. Only when another officer in the Mughal armed force made him move from that point, was Aurangazed able to attack the fort.

TAALI MAARO MIYAN !

 A clap at a fixed place at the entrance can be heard clearly at the ‘Bala Hissar’ pavilion, the highest point almost a kilometre away. This served two purposes – if an intruder got in , it served as a warning . Secondly, it also served as a way for the royals to know they had guests.

The Golkonda fort ifs full of such architectural and acoustic marvels. Even whispers at some corners of the halls can be heard distinctly in the other corner.

THE FORT HAS MAHANKALI TEMPLE ON THE TOP.

The Sri Jagadamba Maha temple atop Golconda is as famous as the fort itself. The king – Ibrahim Quli Qutub Shah was so popular among his subjects that he was called Malkabhiram by Hindus.

IT HAS INSPIRED MOVIES LIKE SRI RAMADASU , AMONG OTHERS.

Story has it that Rama Das, a revenue official jailed by Abul Hasan Tanah Shah, for misusing state funds to construct Badrachalam Sri Rama Temple, carved images of Rama, Lakshman and Hanuman on a rock surface in the cell.

Legend has that Lord Rama came in the dreams of Tanah Shah and paid back the debt to release Rama dasu.

A 400 YEAR OLD TREE EXISTS

An African Baobab tree, known to local residents as Hatiyan ka Jhad, located in the Naya Qila premises is more than 400 years old. It is said that Arabian traders gifted this to Sultan Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah. This tree has the girth of 27.40 meters (89 feet) and a cave forms in between the branches of this tree.

THE AMAZING SOUND AND LIGHT SHOW

Visitors are treated to an amazing sound and light show, consisting of a story full of kings, murders, love and the history behind this amazing structure. A must watch !

IT WAS ORIGINALLY A MUD FORT , WHICH EXPANDED LATER ON.

Golconda , or “Golla Konda” , literally meaning Shepherd’s hill, was originally built in the thirteenth century by the then Kakatiya rulers. A shephard boy originally came across an idol on the hill, which led to the then rulers constructing a mud fort. The fort had expanded around the mud fort.

Photographs: Navin Bahirwani exclusives for SouthReport.com