Almost everyone in Hyderabad have heard or gossiped about a secret tunnel connecting historic Charminar and Golconda Fort.
Although no efforts were made at the official level to explore the truth behind those legends, references in the books of history indicate that the stories surrounding the tunnels are very close to the truth. “In one of the corners of this Baradari, there is a secret subterranean passage which goes to Gosha Mahal, a distance of 5 miles, which was used by Qutb Shahi Kings on occasion of emergency and danger,” says a reference in the book “Landmarks Of The Deccan” written by Syed Ali Asgar Bilgrami in 1927.
Another historian and retired Assistant Director of Census Operations Khaja Moinudin has been quoted by a leading publication confirming the existence of tunnels between the two historic monuments. A comprehensive survey of Hyderabad done in 1962 led to several clues and evidences of a secret passage between Charminar and Golconda. In 1936, the then Commissioner of Hyderabad Municipality Inayat Jung and Director of Archaeological Department Ghulam Yezdani conducted a detailed survey on the tunnel and a map was also prepared by them. The map was officially submitted to the then ruler Nizam VII Mir Osman Ali Khan.
The excavation works were also done to locate the tunnel. The excavation was started from a place near Nawab Saif Nawaz Jung Ki Deorhi and after digging about 10 feet, huge granite slabs were found. Beneath these slabs, a 30-feet deep and 15-feet wide tunnel was found. The depth of the tunnel at some places was about 40 feet. Excavations were also carried out near Doodh Khana Allah Rakhi Begum and the tunnel with same dimension was found.
The excavations revealed that the tunnel had at least two branches, one from Saif Nawaz Jung-ki-Deorhi to Mitti-ka-Sher and from Mama Jameela-ki-Deorhi to Doodh Khana Allah Rakhi Begum passing through Sahr-e-Batil Kamaan.
The tunnel passed through Laad Bazar, Saif Nawaz Jung-ki-Deorhi, Doodh Khana Allah Rakhi Begum, Koka-ki-Tatti, Puranapul Darwaza, Karwan Sarai, Toli Masjid and Langar Houz area. A detailed report in this regard is believed to have been submitted to the VIIth Nizam. However, it is not clear why no follow-up action was taken on that report.
Since then, no official attempt was ever made to explore this historic hidden treasure. A few years ago, a cellar having 80 pillars of Daad Mahal, one of the seven Qutb Shahi Palaces demolished by Moghal emperor Aurangezeb, was found near Chowk-e-Murghan. The Department of Museums and Archaeology conducted a brief study, but did not take up any excavations.
Similarly, small tunnel openings were also found during digging at Chelapura, Purani Haveli and a few other places in the Old City.