December 15, 2025: I walked into Golconda Fort on Friday afternoon, and by the time I left late in the evening, it felt like the fort had breathed again. The Golconda Fort Festival lingered long after the music faded.
The Golconda Art Festival, organized by Crraft of Art with support from the Department of Language and Culture, Government of Telangana, drew a full house, brimming with expectations of a memorable experience. For the first time, music, movement, and memory came together inside the towering architecture of Golconda, and the result was quietly magical.
When the Fort Woke Up to Music
The festival began on the lawns in the afternoon, with Telangana’s folk traditions taking center stage. As people wandered between Taramati Mosque and Nakkar Khana, the air filled with the sounds and colors of Perini Shivatandavam, Bonalu, Gussadi, Kommu Koya, Oggu Katha, and Burra Katha. Dancers stamped the earth, storytellers held small circles of listeners spellbound, and drums echoed freely through open spaces. With free entry, the atmosphere felt open, relaxed, and deeply rooted.
By early evening, the fort slowly changed its mood.
Golconda Fort Echoes with the Magic of Indian Classical Music and Spirit of Zakir Hussain
As the gates opened at Rani Mahal, anticipation grew. The main concert, “Drums of India,” unfolded against a dramatically lit fort, where history stood still and sound took over.
Led by Ustad Fazal Qureshi, the performance was powerful yet intimate. His tabla spoke in rhythms that felt both ancient and alive. Alongside him were vocalist Vijay Prakash, mridangam maestro Sridhar Parthasarathy, sarangi artist Dilshad Khan, narrator Danish Husain, and an outstanding ensemble of percussionists and musicians. The inclusion of Purulia Chhau dancers added a striking visual layer to the evening.
The sound of tabla, dhol, ghatam, and mridangam bounced off the fort walls, creating moments where you could feel the music in your chest. It felt less like a concert and more like a conversation, between instruments, traditions, and centuries.
At one point, the audience fell into complete silence, listening, almost holding their breath. That silence said as much as the music did when it reached the crescendo of Jazz fusion and a tribute to Ustaad Zakir Hussain.
History You Could Walk Through
Earlier in the day, a Heritage Walk led by INTACH Hyderabad added another layer to the festival. Walking through gateways, palaces, and massive stone corridors, hearing stories of the fort’s past, and then later listening to live music in the same spaces made everything feel connected. The past didn’t feel distant, it felt present.
As Fazal Qureshi later said, the space itself seemed to speak. And it truly did.
For Birwa Qureshi, Founder and Artistic Director of Crraft of Art, the festival marked a meaningful beginning. Her vision of letting music and history meet naturally was clearly reflected in the way the evening unfolded. There was no rush, no noise for the sake of it, just thoughtful curation and genuine emotion.
“The fort provides an extraordinary backdrop, and sharing the stage with Ustad Fazal Qureshi is truly an honour,” said Vijay Prakash. “It almost feels like you are performing in history itself.”
As I walked out of the fort, the lights dimming behind me, it felt like Golconda had briefly returned to being what it once was: not just a monument, but a living space filled with voices, rhythm, and life.
The Golconda Fort festival was a reminder of what happens when Indian classical music blends with the majestic Rani Mahal.
