Hyderabad's 800-year-old Golkonda Fort - the magnificent fortress complex ruled by the Quli Qutub Shah dynasty after declaring independence from the Bahmani Sultanate in 1518 - will be the new venue for the forthcoming Independence Day Parade of Telangana.
Maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India the Fort is out of bounds for visitors and tourists due to security concerns. A few who came, unaware, went away disappointed. The sprucing of the locality - black-topping of the roads, covering up potholes and planting new greenery - is a welcome move for folks living in the area.
In pictures, detachments of the Special Police seen rehearsing at the Fort in Hyderabad even as the band, bugulers and drummers notes echoed through the Rani Mahal, Bala Hisar and the quiet surroundings of the vast Fort Complex.
Photos and text: PV Sivakumar