The majestic edifice housing the Andhra Pradesh Assembly has completed more than a century but none is aware of it. Not even the elected representatives who occupy it.
On Monday, a scion of the Nizam family, Sahabzada Nawab Mir Azmath Ali Khan, commemorated the 102 years of the Town Hall by releasing a card containing the sketch of the Assembly building.
An artist himself, Mr. Khan has used deft strokes to draw the imposing Town Hall built in 1913. It was constructed with public donations to mark the 40{+t}{+h}birth anniversary of the 6th Nizam, Mir Mahboob Ali Khan. The latter laid the foundation stone in 1905 but it was eight years later that the building was completed during the reign of the 7th Nizam, Mir Osman Ali Khan. The grand structure is a fusion of both Persian and Rajasthani architecture and the all white scheme only adds to its aesthetic look.
For the last two years, the sexagenarian artist has been trying to celebrate the occasion but couldn’t get any support. This year too he wanted to commemorate the event at the Assembly building but none in the government evinced interest, it is said. Mr. Khan observed the event by releasing a sketch card of the Town Hall at Chowmahalla Palace, a legacy of the Asif Jahi era. Of late Mr. Khan has been sketching in public places to create awareness about heritage structures.
He has compiled a book titled “Architectural Heritage of Hyderabad and Secunderabad” containing 150 sketches and 125 colour photographs of Asif Jahi monuments. But for want of money has not been able to publish it. At a small function, P. Anuradha Reddy, convenor, INTACH, released the pen and ink rendering of Mr. Khan, who has brought out the right tones and shadows in his sketch.
