A view of Hyderabad city from Golconda Fort
| Photo Credit: Ramakrishna G
Hyderabad will witness a coming together of music, folk tradition, lights, and a focus on heritage with the Golconda Fort Festival on December 12. The one-day festival will open with Telangana folk performances in the afternoon, followed by the Drums of India concert at the Rani Mahal, as the Golconda Fort comes alive with lights, facilitating a dialogue between sound, history and space.
The festival will be hosted by Crraft Of Art, which is celebrating 16 years of hosting cultural events at heritage monuments across India. This festival is in collaboration with the department of language and Culture, Government of Telangana.
Birwa Qureshi, founder of Crraft of Art, states that the festival is a continuation of the organisation’s efforts to find ways to bridge the gap between tradition and the present. She terms the Golconda Fort Festival as a tribute to the monument: “It will be a confluence of music, heritage, and community, an immersive experience for audiences of all ages.” She has curated more than 25 festivals across India.
Birwa Qureshi
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
The highlights of the one-day festival include live performances of Telangana’s folk dances such as Gussadi, Kommu Koya, Oggu Katha, Burra Katha, and Perini Shivathandavam. The evening will include presentations by Purulia Chhau artists.
The Drums of India concert at Rani Mahal will be led by Ustad Fazal Qureshi, who will be joined by vocalist Vijay Prakash, Dilshad Khan on the sarangi, Sridar Parthasarathy on mridangam, Uma Shankar on ghatam, and Gino Banks on drums.
Ustad Fazal Qureshi stated that performing at the fort is like an invitation to connect with history The Golconda Fort will be illuminated by Crraft Of Art’s signature lighting design, and the evening will be hosted by actor and performer Danish Husain.
(Golconda Fort Festival is on December 12. Telangana folk presentation: 3.30pm to 5.30pm. Entry is free. Drums of India begins at 7pm at Rani Mahal. Entry free, prior registration through Bookmyshow)
Published – December 05, 2025 04:13 pm IST
