To mark the 100th anniversary of issue of a firman by Nizam Osman Ali Khan for setting up the Osmania University, a special exhibition was inaugurated on Wednesday at Nizam’s Museum at Purani Haveli by Zareena Parveen of the State Archives.
Sepia tinted photographs, a golden trowel and bowl, the silver scaled-down replica of the Arts College building of Osmania University and the copy of firman for setting up Osmania University are part of the display.
“I wanted to put together this exhibition in April to coincide with the OU centenary celebrations, but it didn’t work out. I chose July 5 as it is the same date when the foundation stone was laid by Osman Ali Khan in 1932,” said D. Bhaskara Rao of Nizam’s Museum. Present at the exhibition was Lenny Emanuel, whose father Charles Anthony Emanuel clicked the images of the big day in 1932. “You can see the railway track that was laid for transporting big stones used for the construction of the college building. Some of these photographs even have the signature of my father,” said Mr. Emanuel, as he showed one image with a distinct etching of the date and name. Speaking on the occasion, Zareena Parveen revealed some interesting titbits about the setting up of the university. “For selecting the emblem, an advertisement was placed in newspapers with a prize money of 100 Osmani Sikka. They received 200 samples of which the one sent by Aziz Ali was selected on March 6, 1919,” she said. The exhibition will be on till July 25.
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