Hyderabad by Walk - Patancheru Gate at Golconda Fort

Deccan Archives announced a Golconda at Sunset walk - and I am very interested in anything to do with Golconda. I went with Madhav and after turning in at the Banjara Gate turned right into a lane that led straight to the Government High School at the end adjacent to a mosque. Some of the walkers were already there and so were Safwan and Wahaj and we set off soon after.

Entrance to the Patancheru Gate step-well

The step-well

The mosque

First Wahaj led us to a step-well or a baoli right behind the mosque. It was sealed off with a gate and was pretty dirty but Wahaj said that in the Qutb Shahi times it was used for travellers to refresh themselves and then go to the mosque which was also from that period (16-17th century). We checked out the architecture from the mosque and peeped inside.

The smaller gates

The side entrances around the Patancheru gate

The inside of the Patancheru gate

From there we walked to the side of the mosque and then, through the garbage ridden path into the fort wall which had small doors which led to the Patancheru gate. Now there are eight gates for the Golconda Fort - Patancheru Darwaza, Banjara Darwaza, Jamali Darwaza, Fateh Darwaza, Makka Darwaza, Moti Darwaza and so on. The Patancheru Gate faced Patancheru which is the Bidar- Surat route and visitors from there would enter the fort from this gate and leave from the Fateh Darwaza which led to Masulipatnam.

The dingy side entrance

The front of the Patancheru gate - walled up by the Mughals  

Inscriptions 

We walked into a courtyard and saw the inside of the Patancheru Gate which has been walled up since. On both sides were small offices which were the customs and octroi offices where the fine art of bribing or bakshish was perfected. A few gentlemen were relaxing in those offices now which have now become their recreation rooms. From the side door we went around to see the actual front side of the darwaza which had a lot of overgrowth. On the walls we saw some relief work of a yaali attacking an elephant, a lamppost, the huge walls and the moat which was filled with water. In the olden days it was also filled with crocodiles to detract any adventurous swimmers. There were a bunch of mosquitoes and we headed back.

The moat

The impressive fort wall

More wall

Structures and figures on the wall  

A fallen lamp post

Side entrance

We traced our steps back to the inside of the fort and climbed up towards the Petla bastion or Petla Burj which was a bit of a climb. On the way we could peep over the wall and see the Qutb Shahi tombs. Up on the bastion we saw a massive cannon which had many inscriptions one of which apparently read that the one who was firing the cannon was jealous of the person who was being embraced by the a cannon fire because he was dying from such a beautiful gun. Somehow, a few passionate lovers managed to inscribe their love for their loves and I hope they are all together now.

Atop Petla Burj - Madhav and behind him the seven tombs of the Qutb Shahi sultans 

The main palace of the Golconda fort in the background

The massive cannon

Exploring the cannon

   

The city of Hyderabad

From the top of the Petla Burj we could see the Qutb Shahi tombs to the right, the Golconda fort's main palaces to the right with pathways that go all the way to it (now overgrown with bushes and thorny stuff). It's amazing how big and how strong this fort was and when I saw the extent of its size from this perspective it was quite incredible. Madhav loved the walk. I don't think I would have ever known or gone there if not for the walk.  

Sunset at Petla Burj

We headed down after sunset and stopped for a chai. Loved it. Thanks Deccan Archives.