Telangana to hold I-Day celebrations at Golconda Fort

Hyderabad, Aug 3: For a second consecutive year, the Telangana government will organise the Independence Day celebrations at the historic Golconda Fort.

Setting aside all speculations that the celebrations will again be held at the Parade Ground, the state government on Monday announced Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao will unfurl the national flag at the fort.

Chief Secretary Rajiv Sharma held at a meeting with top officials to review the arrangements for the main official function.

It was decided that the chief minister will unfurl the national flag at the fort at 10 a.m. after paying tributes to martyrs at a memorial at Parade Ground in Secunderabad.

Like last year, there will be no march past and tableaux at the fort. The celebrations will highlight the rich culture of Telangana, said an official statement.

Making a departure from the over five-decade-old tradition of Independence Day celebrations at the Parade Ground, the chief minister had last year hoisted the national flag at the fort to showcase the rich legacy of Telangana.

He chose the ancient fort for the first Independence Day celebrations after formation of Telangana as a separate state.

Parade Ground had been hosting the Independence Day celebrations since 1956, when Andhra State was merged with Telangana to form Andhra Pradesh.

The Golconda Fort on the fringes of the city was the capital of the Qutub Shahi kingdom from 1518 to 1687. The fort was built by the Kaktiyas of Warangal during 10th century as a mud fort and was later fortified by the Qutub Shahi kings.

IANS