‘Heritage darwazas need to be restored’

The collapsed remains of the historic Moti Darwaza were a sorry sight. The heritage gateway had crumbled after years of ill-maintenance by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) authorities, on Wednesday morning. There are seven entrances to the Golconda Fort viz. Fateh Darwaza, Moti Darwaza, Kothakunta Darwaza, Jamail Darwaza, Mecca Darwaza, Banjari Darwaza and Brahmani Darwaza, five of which are open to the public. These darwazas, which are 700 years old, are in dire need of restoration.

Talking about the need to restore the heritage darwazas, Dr Lubna Sarwath, co-convener of Save Our Urban Lakes (SOUL), said, “There is an urgent need to restore the Moti Darwaza, remove rusted boards and install new boards with historical information in Telugu, Urdu, Hindi and English languages on all the gates of Golconda and at the entrance point of Naya Qila. Garbage is to be cleared regularly so as to attract national and international tourists.

Most importantly, traffic is to be regulated by deploying smaller and safer transport system near the entrances. All the civil works such as road repairs and water supply in and around the fort should be carried out with the supervision of ASI officials.”