Ancient Engineering and Architecture is so marvelling!

Some 2 and a half years back, I with my family visited Hyderabad to meet my sister who was then pursuing her masters from University of Hyderabad.

In order to explore the city we were recommended to visit the famous Golconda fort. As we reached there the next day, we caught sight of a large fort filled with many visitors and tour guides. We usually don’t hire tour guides for seeing forts but there, we just felt like taking one. So we followed the guide inside through the main route of the fort.

So here’s something special and why I decided to write about this particular visit was because it was indeed interesting. I do not enjoy visiting forts very much but this one was particularly delightful.

On the very entry of the fort we were led through a big gate into a large circular area (a grand portico). Our guide first introduced us to the fort, how its name Gol-conda refers to a round-shaped hill, about its rulers of the Qutb Shah dynasty etc. In that particular area, in the center of which we were now standing, he asked us to clap. A little confused but doing as he said, we could hear the same clapping sounds echoing from the dome like structure above us. He told us that the architecture is done such that these clapping sounds could be heard far away inside the fort (almost a kilometer away) in order to aware everyone of the arrival of the king or in case of some attack or danger on the fort. (It so happens that a sound wave generated under the dome of the portico would get compressed and then bounce back amplified enough to reach a distance of more than a kilometre.) Interesting, isn’t it?

Golconda was the most impregnable fort in South Asia with very high built walls. The whole fort was specially designed in the form of elevated land site due to lack of space around the fort. The intelligent architecture and engineering of the fort is what makes it so astounding.

As we were led inside the fort we passed passage ways which we were told were kept cool in summers by constant water flow underneath them. In fact the whole fort was equipped with ingenious water supply system.

Simultaneously, all throughout the fort he showed us various carvings on the fort walls which he said once had diamonds engraved in them in the rule of Qutb Shah dynasty. The Golconda market was actually the biggest source of finest diamonds in the world. Even the most popular diamonds and gems including the famous Kohinoor were produced here. The fort was attacked by Aurangzeb who looted all the diamonds which were later on lost to the Britishers.

Moving ahead, we reached a place somewhat inside the castle. Here, our guide asked us to stand at a particular spot and asked two of us to come upstairs with him. So, I and my father went up with the guide at another spot which was slantingly above it. From that very spot, we could see my brother down there but when asked later he couldn’t see us from there. The guide explained that this was designed so that the king and queen could sentence a punishment to a law breaker such that the highness-es could clearly see the offender but he couldn’t see them.

As we were climbing up in the fort we reached a place from where we could see the whole of Hyderabad and its major attractions including the Char Minar. We were also led to a pavilion kind of place where our guide told us that the king used to come for entertainment. Mohd Quli Qutb Shah, one of the Sultans of that time, fell in love with a dancing girl (Hindu) who after marrying him converted to Islam and was named Hyder Mahal after whom it is said that the city was named Hyderabad.

Walking further inside, we reached another large room. Here the guide asked me to go to one edge of the room and my brother at the opposite edge. He asked me to say something in the wall which was clearly listened by my brother standing at the opposite end through the wall far away (like a telephonic conversation). Even as we reached further up, we saw the insides of various quarters where once again the guide clapped hard and the sound of clap could be heard as an echo from a tomb far away and high above our platform. So the whole fort is filled with acoustic wonders at various spots as a medium to pass information to everyone in this giant fort within seconds.

We were also led to the quarters where only the queen was once allowed to come with her daasis to groom herself. There weren’t any mirrors inside but only water pits. The queen would look inside these pits to see her reflection as it was believed that looking into mirrors repeatedly increase dark spots on the skin.

As one would go and see the fort, then he/she can witness how the high walls around the fort have all been broken down. This was how Aurangzeb captured the fort and hence the city. The fort walls were bombarded with hundreds of powerful and massive cannon balls to break inside. Abul Hasan Qutb Shah, the last Qutb Shahi ruler lost to Aurangzeb and the Mughal rule began in Hyderabad.

Due to lack of time we didn’t go to the higher platform of the fort which in itself was as big as we had seen so far. I am sure there too must be a lot to explore and get amazed at.

So, if you plan to land into Hyderabad sometime, keep Golconda fort on your visiting list and yes, don’t forget to hire a guide.