Taramati Baradari Fort is one with many fables linked to it. Located in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, it is a historical sarai as part of Ibrahim Bagh, a Persian style garden built during the reign of Ibrahim Quli Qutub Shah, the second Sultan of Golconda. Intricately designed, Taramati Baradari pavilion has 12 doorways and was constructed to allow cross ventilation and is one of the most indigenous techniques to have been used at that time. The name is attributed to the reign of the Seventh Sultan of Golconda, Abdullah Qutub Shah who as an ode to his favorite courtesan, Taramati, is said to have named the sarai Taramati Baradari. The story goes that during the reign of Abdullah Qutub Shah, he used to hear Taramati’s voice as she sung for travelers at the sarai, while he sat two kilometers away at Golconda fort. Her melodious voice was carried by the breeze, reaching the prince’s ear at the fort.
There are actually two Baradaris, within a few hundred meters of each other, at Ibrahim bagh. From December 2004, though, one of them is a “Cultural Complex” run by the APTDC which lures you with promises of events, concerts, performances and exhibitions. There are a large open air theater, a hotel, a restaurant, a conference room and a business center. There is even a swimming pool and a billiards table. And just in case you were wondering, yes, there’s a souvenir shop. Architectural continuity has been given the go-by, perhaps under budget constraints. Lush lawns that will lap up ground water during the hot summers are incongruously juxtaposed with paved courtyards that go ill with the glorious work of the Baradari’s platform. It’s best visited in the gloaming, when the hard tramp up the stairs reminds you of how art and culture of the top drawer can knit up the raveled sleave. An ode to romantics all over the world with its beautiful story, this timeless monument is a must visit for when you travel to Hyderabad next time.
Tags: Taramati Baradari Fort
