Telangana 360

Toli Masjid is located in Ramsingh Pura of the Karwan area of the Old City, on the road which connects Golconda Fort to Purana Pul, Hyderabad, Telangana State, India. It is popularly known as Damri Masjid among the local communities of this region. It is situated on the way to Charminar and just 2km from the Golconda Fort. It is the finest example of Qutub Shahi architecture. On ranks of architecture, this mosque scales next after Mecca Masjid of old city of Hyderabad. The Archeological Survey of India has declared this mosque as heritage site. It received the INTACH award. In 1671 AD, Toli Masjid or Damri Masjid was built during the region of Abdullah Qutb Shah by Mir Musa Khan Mahaldar. He used the assistance of the royal architect of Sultan Abdullah Qutub Shah and the architect Mecca Masjid of old city of Hyderabad for building this particular mosque. According to the historians and local legends, in the royal records known as "Gulzar-e-Asafia", there is a special chapter

Saidani Ma Tomb, also spelt Saidani Maa Tomb, is a tomb located near Hussain Sagar, Hyderabad, Telangana State, India. The tomb of Saidanima was built for his mother by Sardar Abdul Haq, who also bore the title Diler Jang (1853–1896). He was originally from the Bombay Province (run by the British crown) and rose to prominence in the erstwhile state of Hyderabad, in the late nineteenth century. Jang became the princely state’s home secretary and then changed course to become the director of the Nizam’s State Railways in 1885. It is somewhat in isolation from most historical monuments and is a landmark monument which often goes unnoticed unless one stops for a few seconds and notices his/her surroundings. The structure’s onion-shaped dome placed over an octagonal base marks the tomb, points out Sibgatullah Khan, an architecture student from the city who runs Deccan Archive. He pointed out that panels of geometric cut plaster stand between the lobed arches, which rest on double baluster c

Qutb Shahi Heritage Park in Hyderabad spread over 106-acres is located in the Ibrahim Bagh, close to the famous Golconda Fort in Hyderabad, Telangana State, India. There are a total of 80 monuments, including 40 mausoleums of rulers of the Quli Qutb Shahi dynasty (1518-1687) , 23 mosques, seven baolis (step-wells), a hamam, pavilions, tanks, wells, garden structures and enclosure walls. Qutub Shahi tombs were planned and built by Qutub Shahis. These were renovated by Salar Jung III, Mir Yousuf Ali Khan in the 19th century. Constructed on an elevated platform, these tombs are made up of grey granite. These are dome-structured and have quadrangular shape. Each tomb is surrounded by pointed arches and is of 9-15 meters in height from the platform. These pointed arches also add on to the beauty of these structures. Each tomb is also decorated with beautiful ornamentation.  The most important yet the most modest tomb is considered to be of Sultan Quli Qutub-ul-Mulk, who is the founder of Qu

Idgah Baoli Stepwell is located on the premises of the Qutb Shahi tombs in the Ibrahim Bagh (garden precinct), close to the famous Golconda Fort in Hyderabad, Telangana State, India. The often-missed Idgah Baoli or stepwell, is in fact a massive monument built before most of the other things in the Qutb Shahi tombs.  The Idgah Baoli is perhaps the grandest stepwell of all at Qutub Shahi Heritage Park built with hand-dressed granite stones with archway access on the south side. This baoli has a 2.8 million litres of water capacity that was revived. In the marvellous garden of a stucco work necropolis of the Qutb Shahi tombs, it is a deep stepwell of dressed granite. While curvy flowy lines and stucco decorations are the norm in the tombs complex, the stepwell is all about straight lines and minimalistic design. Recently restored to the way it appears in archival images from 19th century by the Department of Archaeology and Museums, the effort has been aided by US Ambassador’s Fund for C

Badi Baoli Stepwell is located  on the premises of the Qutb Shahi tombs, one of the first to come up near the entrance is the Badi Baoli (step well), built more than 400 years ago by Sultan Qutb-ul-Mulk, the first ruler of the Qutb Shahi dynasty. The huge quadrangle edifice, which looks like anything but a well   has been brought back to life after a part of it had collapsed due to heavy rains, whose conservation was supported by Tata Trusts, that was revived to its former glory from the brink of total collapse. The Badi Baoli, that literally translates as the 'big stepwell' is one of six historic stepwells located at the Qutb Shahi Heritage Park. Since its restoration in 2016, almost 2 crore liters stored in the Badi baoli have been used for construction and irrigation projects. “The six baolis, and one well, are strategically placed around the tombs so all the rainwater can drain into them. Over the years, a lot of alterations were made to the grading levels. Therefore, durin

Zafar Baoli stepwell is located inside Khammam Fort built by Kakatiya rulers in 950 AD . Khammam Municipal Corporation which in along with the district administration and archaeology department is restoring the 13th Century Zafar Baoli or stepwell in Telangana. The officials want to make this well located inside the Khammam Fort a tourist attraction without affecting the original structure and design. Neglect over a period of time has damaged this historic place and made it dirty. Once a source of drinking water, the well turned into a dumping ground as the locals dumped garbage in it. The well measuring 60 feet in length, 20 in width and 60 in depth was constructed by the Kakatiya rulers and is located in the southern part of the Fort which itself is spread in four square kilometres. The original objective of this well was to provide drinking water to people and soldiers living in the fort. Though the construction took place under the Kakatiya regime it was developed by the Nizams wi

A grand stepwell at Kichanapally, Sangareddy Imagine being in an arid, parched part of the youngest State of India. You badly want water, but all  you see is miles of nothingness. And suddenly you find several flights of stairs leading to water. No, its not a mirage! These are ‘step wells’ - wonderful structures that are now virtually forgotten. Stepwells in Telangana are found at old forts, temple complexes and on agricultural lands. They have also been political power centres.