Winter Pics - Cosy Dog

 I always thought of doing these winter pics. I do love winters in Hyderabad and this time hopefully I will get some wintry pics. Like this one!

Acts of Love - Socks

 And this is a cute act of love - A bought me these lovely socks as gifts. That she thought of me and bought these is enough!

Act of love!

Hyderabad by Walk - Hussaini Alam Walk

Tanya posted about a Hussaini Alam walk on Sunday at 8 am and I was keen to go. I asked Satish if he wanted to go and he was fine with it and so were Sunnie and Aruna so we all went off and parked near Chowmohalla palace and walked to the Mahbub Chowk Clock Tower where we were to meet. Since we were early we got ourselves a cup of tea at Obaid Hotel next to the Mahbub Chowk Clock Tower.

The clock tower with its shops

Chowk e Masjid

Chowk e Masjid entrance

Mahbub chowk clock tower

Satish got some good pics of the clock tower which is accessible to the public. For the first time i noticed that there we a bunch of tiny shops that had sprung up all around the periphery of the clock tower, most selling used tools and equipment. The other side was where Mahbub Chowk bazaar was, a place where exotic birds and stuff were sold in the old days. They are building a new market place and I am hoping they will keep the old sensibility in mind when designing it.

The Paigah deodi

An archway large enough for elephants to pass

An interesting pilla

We had our tea and walked to the Asaf Jah era mosque (1817) called 'Chowk ke Masjid'. Right in front of it was a quaint barber shop with beautiful colours, a drinking water room, a naan maker, an old restaurant..small ancient shops. We met the others and took some pics while waiting. Tanya started off the walk and led us towards the Amir-e Kabir Road.

The Iqbal Ud-Dowla deodi

    

The chajja is the Paigah style - can see it at the Piagah tombs as well

First we stopped at an old deodi of the Paigah family, quite impressive. It belonged to the Shams Ul Umrah she said. Then we moved on and saw the Iqbal Deodi and walked back to the Khurshid Jah deodi. 

Door

Gate at Iqbal Ud Dowla deodi

Entrance to Khurshid Jah deodi grounds

Khurshid Jah mansion - under renovation

We headed back after the deodi because Satish had a plane to catch. Nice walk. Thanks Tanya. 

Hyderabad by Walk - Golconda Fort

Satish wanted to see the Golconda Fort so we went there. We hired Mohan, a 73 old guide for 1200 bucks (there's no standard price), and went in after buying tickets and avoiding a forceful seller of tour books. First up he showed us a map of the fort which made more sense this time to me.

A bastion at the start of the inner wall - check out the yali on top

Ornate doorway

Clapping hall with a cannon to welcome 

Cannon in foreground, Bala Hissar (darbar) on hill top in background

Then he said there was a door hidden behind the rock which was true. The doorway was beautifully adorned - peacocks, swords. Inside there was a cannon pointed directly at us - and right under the tall, diamond shaped ceiling he showed us the marvel of Persian architecture's acoustics by clapping under the midpoint and also showed us the Bala Hissar (topmost part of Golconda) where it would be heard (not sure).

The path for common folk to go up to meet the Sultan

Some place to check the common folk

Armoury and barracks perhaps

Office of Hindu ministers Akkanna and Madanna 

Then we moved into the area where there was a weight of 150 kgs which wannabe soldiers had to life those days - we could not move it an inch. Then the barracks like place and a little further we went past the offices of the Hindu ministers Akkanna and Madanna. A little to the right and we passed the Nagina bagh.

Nagina bagh

A view of the fort

Reservoir - water flowed by gravity from Durgam Cheruvu through a pipeline

Then we saw a water reservoir and climbed up the hill where we came to the famous Ramdas prison. Kancherla Gopanna was an officer with the 7th Sultan Tana Shah who built the temple for his favourite deity Lord Ram with public funds at Bhadrachalam. He was imprisoned at this place - kind of a house arrest - and he sculpted idols which I took a close look for the first time.

Steps

View of the city

Further up we came to the granary  or Ambar Khana, a huge place. Mohan told us that the fort had seven walls starting all the way from the outermost -the darwazas (Banjara, Fateh, Patancheru, Moti, Jamali, Makkah and a couple more) and more and more fortifications as you go closer. There were 83 burjs or bastions he said.

View of the palace complex ruins

Ramdas prison

Rock carvings by Ramdas

Further up we came to the Qutb Shahi mosque, a beautiful structure which is now not in use. Past that we moved up to the Jagadamba temple where the Bonalu starts every year. 

Ambar Khana or granary

Qutb Shahi times mosque

Jagadamba temple

And then we finally reached up to the Bala Hissar part, the highest point where the Sultans held court once a month he said (rather low in frequency). It had the Diwan-e-Aam (for common folks) and Diwan-e-Khas (for important folks). We climbed up and took some pics. People were sitting on the parapets and taking pics much to the annoyance of the security guards. Apparently someone fell off recently.

Bala Hissar - the Sultan's durbar at the top of the hill

View from the top - can see Taramati baradari from here

Rest

Then the walk down - the straight steps going down - the royal way is now shut down and a new path way made. We got a good view of the palace ruins - the Zenana, the Rani Mahal, the court yard, the Taramati mosque, the armoury etc.

Way down

Panchaloha cannon

Beautiful fountain

We walked down and checked out some cannons - panchaloha cannons made of five metals. Then we saw ruins of the palaces with some beautiful inlay work still there. 

Palace complex

Inside palace complex

Massive courtyard

More palace (by then Mohan was in a bit of a hurry and was hurrying us through). The courtyard was beautiful, then we passed the naquar khana, the armoury, saw some cannon balls and some old guns.

Courtyard with Bala Hissar at the back

  

The king's hidden place for hearings

Armoury

Taramati mosque and garden

Taramati mosque

Naquar khana

And then we moved out. Definitely improved my understanding of Golconda and the lives of the Qutb Shahi Sultans. 

A last view from the bottom

One more trip, at leisure by myself will help.