A Historical Walk Through Golconda Fort in Hyderabad

Golconda Fort in Hyderabad is one of the UNESCO's World Heritage Sites. The Fort is located in Ibrahim Bagh in the western part of the city, at a distance of around 9 Km from Hussain Sagar Lake. It is easily accessible by road from all parts of the city.

Timings and Entry Fee

The fort is open for visitors from 9 a.m to 5 p.m on all the 7 days of the week. Entry fee is Rs.15/- per head for Indians and foreign visitors of SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) countries that include Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Maldives and Afghanistan. And also for BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) that include Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal.

The entry fee is Rs.200/- per head for all other foreign tourists. Visitors should pay Rs.25/- for camera.

Entry is free for children under 15.

Sound and Light Show

Sound and light show at Golconda Fort is one of the most visited shows in Hyderabad. The 1st show is in English on all days. 2nd show is in Telugu on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. And the 2nd show is in Hindi on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays.

1st show timings are 6.30 p.m from November to February and 7.00 p.m from Mach to October.
2nd show timings are 7.45 p.m (Nov to Feb) and 8.15 p.m (Mar to Oct).

Fee for executive class is Rs.140/- per person for adults and Rs.110/- for children. For normal class it is Rs.80/- per person for adults and Rs.60/- for children.

The counter for Sound and Light show opens at 5.30 p.m.

History of Golconda Fort

Golconda was originally known as 'Mankal'. It was a mud fort built by the Kakatiya king in 1143 A.D. The fort got the present name when the name 'Golla Konda in Telugu language which means the Shepherd's hill got transformed into 'Golconda'. The fort was later made into a massive granite fort by the Qutb Shahi kings during the 16th and 17th century A.D. Golconda Fort was the principal capital of the Qutb Shahi kings. Finally in 1687, the fort was run over by the Mughal emperor Aurangazeb and was intentionally left to ruins.
In the past, Golconda Fort was very famous for diamond market and merchants from across the world used to visit the place. The famous Kohinoor diamond was stored at this place.

The Fort Today

Golconda Fort is one of the top tourist attractions of Hyderabad. It is also one of the most famous historical sites of India that attracts lots of tourists both local and foreign tourists with its beauty and grandeur who are amazed at the 900 years old architectural wonder.
The outermost enclosure is called the Fateh Darwaza which means the Victory Gate. At this place tourists can experience the engineering marvel of acoustic effects. When you clap your hand at a point near the dome shaped entrance, the clapping sound reverberates and you can clearly heard the sound at the hill top pavilion which is almost 1 Km away.
The fortress rests on a granite hill that is 120 metres in height. The inner fort contains the ruins of palaces, mosques and a 130 metres high hill top pavilion where from one can have the bird's eye view of the buildings below.
The fort has around 18 high walls and huge gates with iron spikes rested on them. Some of the important attractions inside the fort include Nagina Bagh, Darbar Hall, ruins of Ambar Khana, Baradari, inner cordon wall, Akkanna-Madanna office and Ramadas jail.

Bhakta Ramadasu was aka Gopanna (nephew of Madanna) of the 17th century was a staunch devotee of Lord Rama and was a composer of Carnatic classical keertanas. He was a revenue officer in the court of Abdul Hasan Tana Shah.

According to historical evidences, Ramadasu was imprisoned in one of the cells in Golconda Fort for using the revenue in the construction of Sitarama temple at Bhadrachalam.
The famous 'Rahban' cannon attracts the visitors.

Golconda Fort is one of the most famous impressive forts which gives the visitors a peep into the medieval period and experience the rich culture of the period.