At Golconda, it’s light and mosquito show

Hyderabad: Do not forget to carry mosquito repellents with you if you are visiting Golconda Fort. That is the message that almost every tourist who visits the historic fort is sending out to travellers.

A glance through the reviews of Golconda Fort on a well known travel website will make one reach the conclusion that the sound and light show are a must visit but one must also be careful about the mosquitoes.

A comment on the travel site Tripadvisor by Rafyko from Ljubljana, Slovenia says, “Before going to the show apply a good repellent as there are a lot of mosquitoes around.” Another review by Shruti of Bengaluru says, “Beware of the mosquitoes. Even mosquito coils and covering up fully won’t save you.”

A tourism official said, “We fog the venue before every show and also place mosquito coils under every seat. Every month around Rs 8,000 is spent on diesel, petrol, mosquito repellent and coils. However, it is not of much use as the culprits are the Langar Houz lake, Kokapet lake and Satam lake nearby. We have complained many times to the GHMC. But they have not done anything to prevent mosquitoes breeding in these lakes.”

The tourism department now plans to supply free mosquito repellents to all visitors. But complaints are not limited to mosquitoes alone. Many visitors complain about the stink from unclean dark corners, garbage and costly guides who charge as much as Rs 1,500.

Charminar has good reviews about its archaeological magnificence but there are many complaints. A visitor from UK writes, “Best viewed from afar.” Another wrote, “Surroundings not very pleasing.” Lots of garbage on streets." A visitor from Mumbai wrote, "Shabby, crowded, encroached....It's the symbol of Hyderabad and should be given the greatest importance."

Protect megalithic sites, urge experts

Senior archaeologists think that the TS government should take steps to protect its megalithic burial sites. An archaeologist said, “The government tried to get UNESCO heritage site tag for Kakatiya monuments, Qutub Shahi tombs and the Golconda Fort. However, they did not qualify due to the large number of encroachments. The government should focus on the megalithic burial complexes in Warangal and Kham-mam which date back to 1,000 BC.”

Archaeologists say the hillocks in the forests of Warangal and Khammam house Dolmen, a megalithic burial site. In Warangal they are located in Thadwai, Mangapet and Kothagudem mandals and in Gundala and Yellanda mandals of Khammam.

A megalithic burial site on a hillock in the reserved forests of Warangal.   (Photo: DC)

These Dolmens are built with heavy slabs of 10X10 feet and has thickness of more than a foot. Some of them contain sarcophagi, a tub shaped stone structure, inside the chamber with beautiful carvings.

However, their uniqueness lies in the cruciforms which are located in front of the burials with anthropomorphic figures and statue menhirs. Some cruciforms have a beast shaped structure to differentiate male and female bodies. These are unique not just in the state but in the entire country. These cruciforms are not connected to the Christian cruciform.

However, these ancient sites face a threat from nature as well as human vandalism. As they are located in forests destruction due to vegetation growth is a major problem. Some burial sites are being vandalised by humans who take out stone slabs for use at home or hoping to find hidden treasure.

The archaeologist said, "To conserve these sites there is a need of coordination between the forest, archaeology, tourism and revenue departments and local universities. Otherwise these monuments will be definitely lost."


 

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