This magnificent fort is 500 years old. Through the arches are the barracks. Amazing acoustics allows a person clapping in the portico at the main entrance (seen in the back, right of the tree) to be heard a long distance away atop the 300-foot citadel. A system of ducts allows natural "air conditioning" in parts of the fort. UN Heritage status eludes this significant monument of history because of encroachments within 300 meters of the fort. Year after year they apply and are rejected. Authorities are not able to remove encroachments and prevent new ones that crop up. Implementing law and order is a significant problem in India. Lack of political will, rampant corruption in the system from top to bottom, lack of pride and civic sense in people, all contribute to this sorry state. The fortress city was known for diamond trade. The Hope diamond was excavated from Golconda mines.
It is interesting to see that there are two towns called Golconda in the USA - Golconda, Illinois and Golconda, Nevada.
"There are four kinds of readers. The first is like the hourglass; and their reading being as the sand, it runs in and runs out, and leaves not a vestige behind. A second is like the sponge, which imbibes everything, and returns it in nearly the same state, only a little dirtier. A third is like a jelly bag, allowing all that is pure to pass away, and retaining only the refuse and dregs. And the fourth is like the slaves in the diamond mines of Golconda, who, casting aside all that is worthless, retain only pure gems."
---Samuel Taylor Coleridge
What kind of a reader are you?
2 comments:
Very astute and informative blog.
Welcome to the DP family!
An erratic reader, at best, I think. It's sad about this site/Fort. I wished more people would feel that it's worth preserving.
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