Independence Day celebrations at Telangana's Golconda Fort

Hyderabad, Aug 5: The

government has decided to organise Independence Day celebrations at the historic Golconda Fort here, it was officially announced here on Monday.

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, accompanied by Legislative Assembly Speaker Madhusudanachary and Legislative Council Chairman K Swamy Goud visited the Golconda Fort and its surroundings today to select an appropriate place to organise the event, an official release issued here by the chief minister's office said.

The Chief Minister himself selected the spot for the flag hoisting ceremony near Rani Mahal inside the fort. The place can accommodate about 10,000 to 12,000 people, the release said. He suggested that Telangana's native art forms be put on display at different high rise constructions inside the fort, it said

The Chief Minister directed that arrangements be made to organise state functions like Independence Day and Republic Day inside Golconda Fort on a permanent basis, the release said. The aim of conducting the Independence Day function inside Golconda Fort is to highlight Telangana's rich cultural heritage, the release quoted the chief minister as saying.

Independence Day celebrations at Golconda Fort would be similar to state functions held at Red Fort in Delhi, it said. Golconda Fort, one of the biggest fortresses in the Deccan plateau, was built on a 400-feet high hill. It has three lines of massive fortification walls, one within the other, which rise to a height of over 12 metres.

The outer most wall overlooks a deep moat all around, covering a vast area of the town, with a circumference of seven kilometres. It has eight imposing gateways and is buttressed with 87 bastions, rising to a height of around 18 metres.

PTI