Qutub Shahi Tombs

The Qutub Shahi tombs are located near Golconda Fort. The rulers of Qutub Shahi dynasty who ruled Golconda for 170 years starting in the 16th century are buried in these tombs. Arches, domes and minarets characterize these tombs. Each tomb has a crypt below and a sarcophagus crowning the burial vault. Some of the vegetable based colors can still be seen today. However, the tombs have fallen into disrepair as are many, if not most, of India's historic monuments. The rulers were Shia muslims and Iranian scholars have offered assistance in restoring the tombs.

"While man is growing, life is in decrease;
And cradles rock us nearer to the tomb.
Our birth is nothing but our death begun."
-Edward Young

View from above

This is the view while coming down the steps of Golconda Fort. The area you see below was the private bathing and grooming area for the queen. The royal bath and other areas of the fort received water through clay pipes fed by a series of Persian wheels which raised water to the upper terrace and from there channeled to various areas such as baths, gardens and kitchens . You can also see some of the buildings I mentioned yesterday abutting right against the outer walls of the fort.


"Like tourists huffing and puffing to reach the peak we forget the view on the way up." - Friedrich Nietzsche

Golconda Fort

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?

October 4 - Free Burma - International Bloggers' Day

Please show your support by signing up at http://www.free-burma.org
(Thanks to Kate (Visual St. Paul) and The Toranto Team (toronto-photo-a-day.blogspot.com), I joined this bloggers' movement.)

My dad used to work in Rangoon (now Yangon). I have seen it through his black and white photos.

Another Burma connection we have is Mr SN Goenka, the venerable teacher of Vipassana. He was born and brought up in Burma, learned Vipassana there and has been teaching it in India for decades.

Truly sorry to see the strife and violence in wherever great philosophies and religions were born and practiced - whether it is the Middle East or Burma, or Bihar (an Eastern state in India) where Buddha attained Enlightenment and taught.


"In the East the Master is considered to be a living Buddha, but in Minneapolis, they wonder why He does not have a job!" - Robert Pirsig

Peacock - the national bird of India

A peacock in Nehru Zoological Park. I wish I could have
taken a photo with the feathers spread and raised.
Someone told me that keeping a peacock feather in the room
keeps the house lizards away. Don't know if it is true.

October 2 - International Day of Non-Violence

I apologize for not having a proper Hyderabad photo today. Instead I have an image of a 500 rupee note depicting Mahatma Gandhi on the front, and on the back it depicts him leading the Salt March to Dandi. On the left side of the back, the currency denomination (500 Rupees) is written in the different languages of India. Gandhi has been depicted on the following denominations of the Indian currency notes - 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500, 1000. It is quite common to see people with 500 rupee notes now. The UN has declared October 2nd, Gandhi's birthday, as the International Day of Non-Violence, which I think is quite ironic given that there is so much violence right here in the land of Gandhi and other spiritual giants. He would be turning in his grave seeing the terrorist attacks in India and seeing the antics and waste in his name. Gandhi was quite witty. When asked what he thought of western civilization, he replied, "I think it is a good idea." Another favorite witticism of mine is his response when he was asked about his modest attire when meeting King Edward VII of England - "The King was wearing enough for both of us."

White Tigers

White tigers at the Nehru Zoological Park.