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Golconda Fort

From EverybodyWiki Bios & Wiki

File:Ruins of the Fort.jpg
Ruins of the fort
File:THE GOLCONDA FORT.jpg
Golconda fort

The Golconda Fort used to have a vault where the famous Koh-i-Noor and Hope diamonds were once stored along with other diamonds.[1]

Golconda is renowned for the diamonds found on the south-east at Kollur Mine near Kollur, Guntur district, Paritala and Atkur in Krishna district and cut in the city during the Kakatiya reign. At that time, India had the only known diamond mines in the world. Golconda was the market city of the diamond trade, and gems sold there came from a number of mines. The fortress-city within the walls was famous for diamond trade.[citation needed]

Its name has taken a generic meaning and has come to be associated with great wealth. Some gemologists use this classification to denote the extremely rare Type IIa diamond, a crystal that essentially lacks nitrogen impurities and is therefore colorless; Many Type IIa diamonds, as identified by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), have come from the mines in and around the Golconda region.

Many famed diamonds are believed to have been excavated from the mines of Golconda, such as:

By the 1880s, "Golconda" was being used generically by English speakers to refer to any particularly rich mine, and later to any source of great wealth.

During the Renaissance and the early modern eras, the name "Golconda" acquired a legendary aura and became synonymous with vast wealth. The mines brought riches to the Qutb Shahis of Hyderabad State, who ruled Golconda up to 1687, then to the Nizam of Hyderabad, who ruled after the independence from the Mughal Empire in 1724 until 1948, when the Indian integration of Hyderabad occurred. The siege of Golconda occurred in January 1687, when Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb led his forces to besiege the Qutb Shahi dynasty at Golconda fort (also known as the Diamond Capitol of its time) and was home to the Kollur Mine. The ruler of Golconda was the well entrenched Abul Hasan Qutb Shah.[2]

File:Forte di golconda, vedute da est 06.jpg
Golconda Fort.
File:Hyderabad OpenStreetMap.svg
17°22′59″N 78°24′04″E / 17.38306°N 78.40111°E / 17.38306; 78.40111Coordinates: 17°22′59″N 78°24′04″E / 17.38306°N 78.40111°E / 17.38306; 78.40111
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Architecture

File:Guide map of Golkonda fort.jpg
Guide map of Golconda fort

Golconda fort is listed as an archaeological treasure on the official "List of Monuments" prepared by the Archaeological Survey of India under The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act.[3] Golconda consists of four distinct forts with a 10 km (6.2 mi) long outer wall with 87 semicircular bastions (some still mounted with cannons), eight gateways, and four drawbridges, with a number of royal apartments and halls, temples, mosques, magazines, stables, etc. inside. The lowest of these is the outermost enclosure entered by the "Fateh Darwaza" (Victory gate, so called after Aurangzeb’s triumphant army marched in through this gate) studded with giant iron spikes (to prevent elephants from battering them down) near the south-eastern corner. An acoustic effect can be experienced at Fateh Darwazaan, a hand clap at a certain point below the dome at the entrance reverberates and can be heard clearly at the 'Bala Hisar' pavilion, the highest point almost a kilometer away. This worked as a warning in case of an attack.

Bala Hissar Gate is the main entrance to the fort located on the eastern side. It has a pointed arch bordered by rows of scroll work. The spandrels have yalis and decorated roundels. The area above the door has peacocks with ornate tails flanking an ornamental arched niche. The granite block lintel below has sculpted yalis flanking a disc. The design of peacocks and lions is typical of Hindu architecture and underlies this fort's Hindu origins.

Jagadamba temple, located next to Ibrahim mosque and the king's palace, is visited by lakhs of devotees during Bonalu festival every year.[4][5] Jagadamba temple is about 900 to 1,000 years old, dating back to early Kakatiya period.[6] A Mahankali temple is located in the vicinity, within Golconda fort.[7]

The fort also contains the tombs of the Qutub Shahi kings. These tombs have Islamic architecture and are located about 1 km (0.62 mi) north of the outer wall of Golconda. They are encircled by gardens and numerous carved stones.

The two individual pavilions on the outer side of Golconda are built on a point which is quite rocky. The "Kala Mandir" is also located in the fort. It can be seen from the king's durbar (king's court) which was on top of the Golconda fort.

The other buildings found inside the fort are: Habshi Kamans (Abyssian arches), Ashlah Khana, Taramati mosque, Ramadas Bandikhana, Camel stable, private chambers (kilwat), Mortuary bath, Nagina bagh, Ramasasa's kotha, Durbar hall, Ambar khana etc.

Golconda ruling dynasties

Naya Qila (New Fort)

Main article: Naya Qila

Naya Qila is an extension of Golconda fort which was turned into the Hyderabad Golf Club despite resistance from farmers who owned the land and various NGOs within the city. The ramparts of the new fort start after the residential area with many towers and the Hatiyan ka Jhad ("Elephant-sized tree")—an ancient baobab tree with an enormous girth. It also includes a war mosque. These sites are under restrictive access to the public because of the Golf Course.

Qutub Shahi tombs

Main article: Qutb Shahi tombs
File:The Do-Minar.jpg
Do-Minar, Golconda

The tombs of the Qutub Shahi sultans lie about one kilometre north of Golconda's outer wall. These structures are made of beautifully carved stonework, and surrounded by landscaped gardens. They are open to the public and receive many visitors. It is one of the famous sight-seeing places in Hyderabad.

Golconda Artillery Centre, Indian Army

File:Arty Centre Hyderabad.jpg
195th Gunners' Day celebration at Golconda Artillery Centre, Hyderabad, 28 September 2021

Golconda Artillery Centre, Hyderabad, was raised on 15 August 1962 as the Second Recruit Training Centre for the Regiment of Artillery.[8][9] Golconda Artillery Centre is located in and around the Golconda fort. The Golconda centre has three training regiments and presently trains 2900 recruits at a time.[10]

UNESCO World Heritage

The Golconda fort and other Qutb Shahi dynasty Monuments of Hyderabad (the Charminar, and the Qutb Shahi Tombs) were submitted by the Permanent Delegation of India to UNESCO in 2010 for consideration as World Heritage Sites. They are currently included on India's "tentative list".[11][12]

Influences

In popular culture

Places named after Golconda

  • A city in Illinois, United States is named after Golconda.
  • A city in Nevada, United States is named after Golconda.
  • A village located in the southern part of Trinidad had given the name in the 19th century to a rich tract of land which was once a sugar-cane estate. Currently, mostly descendants of East Indian indentured servants occupy the village of Golconda.

Gallery

See also

Citations

  1. ↑ Bradnock, Roma (2007). Footprint India. Footprint. p. 1035. ISBN 978-1-906098-05-6. Search this book on
  2. ↑ "Delving into the rich and often bloody history of Golconda Fort". The Hindu. 5 November 2016.
  3. ↑ "Alphabetical List of Monuments – Andhra Pradesh". Archaeological Survey of India. Archived from the original on 25 June 2014. Retrieved 27 August 2015. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  4. ↑ "Historic Jagadamba temple sees many devotees, but few facilities". The Times of India. 30 October 2017.
  5. ↑ "Golconda Bonalu begins with religious fervour". The Hindu. 30 June 2022.
  6. ↑ "With pandemic on ebb, state gears up for grand Bonalu". 13 June 2022.
  7. ↑ "Golconda Mahankali temple set for grand Bonalu fete". 15 June 2022.
  8. ↑ "830 new recruits pass out from Artillery Centre". The Times of India. 28 March 2021.
  9. ↑ "First batch of Agniveers start training at Golconda Artillery in Hyderabad". The Times of India. 10 January 2023.
  10. ↑ "Arty Centre, Hyderabad". Retrieved 2021-05-25.
  11. ↑ Centre, UNESCO World Heritage. "The Qutb Shahi Monuments of Hyderabad Golconda Fort, Qutb Shahi Tombs, Charminar – UNESCO World Heritage Centre". whc.unesco.org.
  12. ↑ Archana Khare Ghose. "Prestige or Preservation?". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 22 June 2018. Retrieved 3 December 2017. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  13. ↑ "6. On receiving a curious Shell. Keats, John. 1884. The Poetical Works of John Keats". Bartleby.com. Retrieved 2013-05-01.

Further reading

External links


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