A stroke here and a dab there and the finial (kalas) appears. Gradually the ornamental dome below emerges.
Unmindful of the crowd leaning over him, Sahebzada Azmath Ali Khan draws the rectangular arched arcade housing the tombs of the Asaf Jahi rulers in the Mecca Masjid courtyard.
It is on-the-spot sketching at its best. The great grandson of Nawab Mir Akbar Ali Khan Sikandar Jah, popularly known as Nizam III, is on a mission to save the city’s heritage.
And the medium he has chosen is to sketch the well-known monuments sitting in public places to draw the attention of passersby.
Creating awareness
On Wednesday, Mr. Khan commenced the campaign from the Mecca Masjid after offering floral tributes to his ancestors. During the next few days he will sketch Chowmahalla palace, City College, old MCH office at Darushifa, Purani Haveli yellow gate, Paigah Palace, Sultan Bazar, Gunpark and Husain Shah Wali Dargah.
“I want to create awareness about the need for protecting the heritage structures so that the city could get heritage status,” says Mr. Khan who works at the Vaishnavi School of Planning and Architecture, Madhapur.
Prolific sketcher
He uses pen, pencil, charcoal, brush, oil pastel and waste prints to depict historical, archaeological monuments and other buildings all over the world. Having held 39 exhibitions in different countries, Mr. Khan is back in Hyderabad to portray the Dakhni, Telugu Islamic art and architecture.
Anuradha Reddy, INTACH convener, Hyderabad chapter and Bhaskar Rao, curator, Nizam Museum, appreciated the efforts being made by Mr. Khan to safeguard the city heritage.
