RachaKonda Fort

After kondapally trip I started searching for the nearby forts. That's how I came across  Rachakonda.
Tried to visit that place but nobody shown much interest towards it. One fine day after having hours of chatting in a cafe, we decided to shake our butts and started off to Rachakonda. The climate is lovely and too much of nicotine already excited our heads.

This time, I didn't use my bike, instead we went on a Thunderbird and an Avenger.

Rachakonda fort area is only 40KM from where I live, need to deviate from Ibrahimpatnam  on sagar road. We started the journey placing trust on Google Maps. Google took us there, but made us go through every possible road type which India have,  except ghat road. Complaints aside, we enjoyed the country side, one old guy going in the same route asked me lift, I accepted , hoping to have a nice little chat with the local guy who can tell rumors related to the fort, unfortunately he is not local.

When we reached the village Rachakonda, villagers stopped us to enquire. When we said we came there just to see the fort, they asked us , " to see fort or to dig holes" with a pinch of sarcasm and harshness. I became skeptical and confused with their behavior. But the villagers showed the  way  to the fort with out talking much.

I was really taken aback by the sheer size of the fort area. It's bigger than Golconda and surrounded by mountains in green. The fort occupied not less than 3 hills. We started taking pics. The old guy who came with us felt a little camera-shy but later became comfortable. He said he has to go 4 more KMs through the mountains to reach his village. My heart wanted to go with him through that route, but it's not my bike and I highly doubt my friends will support my idea.

We went up the hill as far as bikes can take us, parked them there and started walking.
There is no visible route to the fort. We are lucky , there was a cowboy ( No hats, guns and horses , a boy who watches his herd ) who showed us the way.

The steep of the hill is too challenging, actually it depressed me. Seems there are seven doors to the fort and there are seven lakes on the hill. If only our ancestors had radar technology they could have built the forts on the level ground, and I don't have to blame myself for not going to gym. Alas, life is cruel .

Cowboy warned us to get down before dark because of snakes. It's already 4:30 PM , so we have decided to come back by sunset.

After passing through two gates out of seven, my heart started thumping like engine of a bullet, my friends were talking and taking pictures but I started comparing the Enfield beat and my heart beat.
Slowly, my heart started beating as if I am riding a bike on high gear. After 3rd gate, I proposed a halt and thankfully everybody accepted. Finished our snacks and soft drinks, and started descending.
When we got down, we came across two constructions, I guessed that they are kind of motels for visitors in the old days. But the sculptures and finishing on walls are too beautiful for motels. Probably , they are dancing halls. Anyway, their architecture is marvelous, even Golconda didnt have anything like that.

The cow boy who showed is the way, was still there and started small talk with us. We started asking about the holes the villagers mentioned, apparently there is treasure in the fort and treasure hunters come and dig holes in the night. Then he showed a pit, which was dug  last night. Hearing that, the ugly character of Good , Bad and Ugly woke up in me, that ugly guy is responsible for irritating my close friend for next two weeks for treasure maps, only because he belongs to same caste the kings of Rachakonda belonged to.

It's almost sunset, this time we enquired the route to Hyderabad, not trusting Google maps and reached city through a Manchal route which is far better than the way we chosen in the afternoon.


 As usual, we ended the trip in the same cafe we started. Just 5 hrs short trip, but no part of it is remotely boring .