Location
The Piran Baoli is located close to the Patancheru Darwaza of Golconda Fort, north of the erstwhile African Cavalry Guard Barracks. It is 1 km and 5 mins. away from the entrance of the Golconda Fort.
Description
The Piran Baoli contains various elements, both in the Qutb Shahi and Vijayanagara styles, so it is assumed that the structure has been modified multiple times.
It has been understood that in the Qutb Shahi era, this stepwell was a part of a garden complex called Resham Bagh. The structure has a simple rectangular form, with no colonnade or arcade. The entrance to the stepwell is through an arched gateway to the South. The stairs leading to the water from the entrance are in two flights, with the second flight narrower where they meet the water.
The water from the historic stepwell was drawn out by a wide pulley, with jharokha-style architectural features. The roof of the pulley structure is supported by stone “annapakshis” or inverted flower bud pendants.
The stepwell has appeared in the video for the song “Duniya mein jeena hi padenga” from the 1952 movie, Hyderabad ki Nazneen, where a tired man stops to draw water from the baoli to quench his thirst, signifying that baolis in Hyderabad were still considered important in the 1950s.
Existing Condition
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Archives
References
1. Hyderabad Design Forum, The Forgotten Stepwells of Telangana, 2023, Pg. 74
Contributors
NIUM