Telangana Plans Rs 10-Crore Facelift for Medak Fort, Ropeway and Museum
HYDERABAD: Telangana authorities are planning a Rs 10-crore conservation and tourism upgrade for historic Medak Fort, with proposals to restore damaged structures, improve visitor facilities and eventually develop a ropeway and museum or interpretation centre at the hilltop monument.
Medak Collector Prathima Singh assured Rs 10 crore for restoration and conservation after senior Heritage Department officials presented a development proposal for the fort on May 21, according to Telangana Today.
The plan combines preservation of the fort's historic fabric with an effort to make the site more accessible and informative for visitors. Proposed conservation works include restoration of fortification walls, stepped wells, mahals, the gajasala, gateways and bastions, along with structural strengthening of damaged sections.
A more ambitious second phase could include a ropeway to Medak Fort and a museum or interpretation centre. Officials said the Heritage Department planned to approach the Union Tourism Ministry for additional funding.
Medak district's official government website describes the fort as a roughly 800-year-old hilltop structure associated with the Kakatiya period. The fort rises about 90 metres above the surrounding area and spreads across a large hilly site. Its surviving features include three principal gateways, fortifications, granaries, a mosque from the Qutb Shahi period and a historic cannon.
The fort project is also being considered as part of a larger attempt to develop tourism across Medak district, with officials proposing a circuit connecting Pocharam Dam, Pocharam Wildlife Sanctuary, Medak Fort, Medak Cathedral and other destinations.
For Telugu people living in the United States, Medak's redevelopment could eventually make the fort a more accessible heritage destination during visits to Telangana.
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