Bhongir Fort is perched on a massive piece of granite in the town Bhongir(i), 50 kms away from Hyderabad. I did not expect it to be any different than the hundreds of forts that lie all over the Deccan. But it is different. Firstly, it’s not a tourist attraction; there are no Archaeological Survey of India signs, no booths, and no vendors. All you will find is a rough path winding up from Bhongiri town, after about 50m, stone steps magically appear running the whole length of the ramparts. After you make it past the main arched gateway, and through a grove of wild custard apple and guava trees, you will find yourself on open rock. On your left is a huge gash in the rock, which had been dammed creating a series of reservoirs. The first of these cisterns is a muddy pond replete with frogs and surprisingly delicate white water lilies. The other cisterns have all been eaten up by that accursed water hyacinth. Making your way up the path, you will meet a steeper incline, and the steps are now cut directly into the rock. The path to the summit swerves around the edge of the rock. Although a rusty bannister has been furnished, those with vertigo should be weary. At the summit is an old cannon that points out in the general direction of Hyderabad. In addition, there’s a two-storied construction, although it too is in ruins, its safe enough to climb via a spiral staircase. The view from the top is outstanding. I went in the month of December, when a disturbance in the Bay of Bengal had brought rains to the area. The light mist and even lighter drizzle made the climb refreshing rather than tiring.
If you are not a history buff, skip this paragraph! The fort was built in the 10th century by Tri-Bhuavana Chalukya. So it was called Bhuvana-giri (Bhuvana’s fort). Later, the name became shortened to Bhongir. In the 15th century, it passed into the hands Bahmani Sultans. They must have undertaken some major renovation work because the caps on the ramparts and the arched doorways appear much too Islamic to be the work of the Chalukyas. It later became a seat for the local governor and much later, a prison, subsequently it fell into a ruin, neglected by the Nizam’s state of Hyderabad, and remains neglected till today.
But this neglect is perhaps the fort’s greatest charm. There are plans (thnx to Chandrababu Naidu) to include this fort as part of the Hyderabad’s tourist attractions. So, if you want to climb the rock sans large crowds of tourists, do so quickly.
Bhongir Fort is an excursion that you can complete in an afternoon. I left Hyderabad at around 11 in the morning and was back in town by 5 in the evening. I took an S.T. bus from Uppal Bus depot. The ticket cost about Rs.12, and takes about an hour and a half to get there. There are probably buses that depart from downtown Hyderabad towards Bhongir as well. All the signs of Andhra Pradesh ST buses are in Telegu, so you will have to ask around. If you are driving from Hyderabad, just drive straight down the road (sorry, I don’t know its name) that goes past Uppal and out of Hyderabad precincts. The fort will loom up ahead of you, you just can’t miss it. The entrance to the fort is just a stone’s throw away from the Bhongir Bus Depot. I climbed the fort with my relatives, including one senior citizen, so I think the rock is easy enough for anyone to climb.