Hyderabad by Walk - Golconda Remains

Deccan Archives announced this walk on their website so I decided to go. I don't think I'll ever have enough of Golconda so I took off in Carlos at 715 to get there by 8. I parked near the fort and walked to Fateh Darwaza.

Fateh Darwaza - Machilipatnam Darwaza  

Gajnarsimha from Kakatiyas

Interestingly a large group joined up today - close to 30 they said. Sibgat gave an intro in the little cricket ground which is probably the only one to have two cannons in it.

The idea was to climb up the Fateh Darwaza which is a bit dicey because there were so many of us. 

Up there we saw the motifs of Gajnarasimha which were part of Kakatiya lore, another of a fish with three bodies, an old Kota Maisamma temple, couple of cannons - one Qutb Shahi era over and another newer (green).

Then we slowly climbed down and saw a plaque which named the person who built the shops on Bada Bazaar. This street was the one where diamonds were heaped - the diamond market of Golconda. Parts of it can still be seen.

Fish head with three bodies

Diamond market

 Then we passed Shamsheer Kothi or something like that.

 

The plaque

Shamsheer Kothi - Manjit watching me

On to the place called Khazana where we saw a well kept Yali, some Telugu and Urdu inscriptions, hero stones with self sacrifice depicted. 

Yali from the side

Mahavira statue found near Patancheru

And then onwards to the Habshi Gates near the fort - Habshi for Abissinian with very intricate designs that we do not notice unless we zoom in.

Self sacrifice 

Habshi gate

Detailed inscriptions

It was a long walk in terms of time and energy and I headed back with my young pal who has an incredible knowledge of cricket history, more so Hyderabad cricket history. Caught a late breakfast with Ehtesham at Taj and headed home. Good fun.