Afternoon in India

Taramati Baradari

Playful Pup

Golconda Fort Masjid

Golconda Fort Outer Wall

A Portion of Golconda Fort

Today a friend and I went to Taramati Baradari and over to Golconda Fort to walk around and take a few pictures.  The architecture is always breathtaking.  We had a semi-clear day and it was warm enough to only want to spend a couple hours outside.  We had a playful pup that followed us around at Taramati but that was the only crowd today.  A quiet day in Hyderabad is unusual.  There are Telungana Bunds (local strikes) happening at this time which is affecting several labor industries such as coal power plants, transportation, and schools. 

Taramati Baradari- Hyderabadplanet.com

This historical monument, built by Abdullah Qutb Shah, VII Sultan of Golconda Fort, as an ode to his favorite courtesan Taramati.

Abdullah Qutb Shah is believed to have enjoyed Taramati’s song and dance from Golconda fort. Her melodious voice would be carried by the breeze, reaching the prince’s ear at the Golconda fort, because of the acoustics model, in the structure as well as that of the Golconda fort. The baradari with 12 doorways were to allow cross ventilation, considered to be the most ingenious technique at the time.

Taramati is said to have seen her heydays as a royal mistress during the reign of Abdullah Qutb Shah and the last King of Golconda, Abul Hasan Tana Shah, roughly from 1626 to 1687.