The year began with the destruction of the heritage wing of Secunderabad Club in a massive blaze, a day after Sankranti. Lost in the fire were artefacts, the iconic wooden staircase, a colonial-era snooker table and trophies that were part of the building’s identity as a hunting lodge of Salar Jung. It became part of the club in 1878.
If the destruction of an iconic building was a low, the high definitely would be the successful restoration of the Bansilalpet Stepwell that had almost disappeared under a pile of rubble and domestic trash. The area which was earlier identified with a crematorium is now identified with the stepwell. The year also saw to heritage sites in the State bag prestigious Unesco awards giving a fillip to the sector in Telangana.
The British Residency Building restored to its past glory. | Photo Credit: RAMAKRISHNA G
Another high point was the restoration and access for ordinary visitors to the Residency Building that has been restored at an enormous cost. Word is that sections of Rang Mahal, the residence of Khairunnisa Begum, at the rear of the Residency Building is going to be restored along with the manicured garden.
But it was not all hunky dory with heritage. The work on the collapsed bastions and walls of the Golconda Fort and other monuments in Telangana was affected as the ASI’s budget was trimmed for the year. If some work is going on at these sites, it is snail paced.
Saved from total destruction was Nazri Bagh Palace, the erstwhile residence of the Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan. The Department of Municipal Administration and Urban Development stepped in at the right moment to stop the demolition by the new owners and a new signage has been erected in the complex about the heritage status of the site.
The Khajaguda Rocks, spread over 150 acres, are a natural landmark of Hyderabad. | Photo Credit: NAGARA GOPAL
If built heritage is under threat due to the high price of real estate, the natural heritage of Hyderabad too has been in the crosshairs. The large natural rock formation known as Khajaguda overlooking the Outer Ring Road in Gachibowli area has been the target for encroachment on the top and around it. Realtors have flattened part of the rock formation by filling it up with soil. The MA&UD said it is fencing the area to prevent further destruction. The civic body has shelved a road development plan that included tunnelling in the area and an overpass near the Khajaguda loop.
The year ends with a ray of hope for the erstwhile residence of Nizamath Jung known as Ritz Hotel and the Osmania General Hospital as the Telangana High Court is monitoring the conservation of these two heritage structures.
