B Ramakrishna discovers the cosmopolitan legacy left by various cultures in the streets and buildings of Hyderabad
Let's begin with a question. Which Indian city has a 400-year-old monument built to commemorate the elimination of plague? If you need a clue, it's the same city where Facebook chose to have its India office. With its pleasant climate, open society and bustling economy, Hyderabad is as welcoming as it is hard to leave. Now mainly known as an IT hub, the city has been home to people from all parts of the country as well as from West Asia, and bears their influences.
The city's cosmopolitanism is visible throughout its history, and one way to catch a glimpse of it is to take a walk in the lanes and bylanes of old city. It is a cool morning, a day after Sankranthi, when I join a group of 12 at the iconic Charminar for a walk through history. We start with a stroll through Laad Bazaar, a historic bangle market on the route connecting Charminar to Golconda Fort. It is now a one-stop shop for bangles, perfumes, mehndi, surma (kohl), laces, zari and bridalwear.
The first stop is at the second gate of the Makkah Masjid. The mosque, built by the Qutb Shahi kings in 1691, gets its name from the bricks of its central arch, made with soil brought from Mecca in Saudi Arabia, the site of the holiest Muslim shrine. Along the way, we pass the Jilu Khana Gate, a ceremonial entrance for dignitaries, and Mehboob Chowk, a complex which houses a mosque, a clock tower, a homeopathy hospital as well as a market with 80 shops. Built by the Nizams and the Paigahs (Hyderabad’s nobility), the chowk is famous for naan, biscuits and kebabs.
The monuments so far — Qutb Shahi or Nizami — were built in the Islamic style. But beginning with the clock tower of Mehboob Chowk, built by the Paigahs, there is a shift in architectural style, which becomes more marked as we proceed along Amir-e-Paigah street. First off, there is Mirdhe Hamid Khan Devdi, the residence of the family of the teenaged Khairunnisa, who was to marry the British Resident of Hyderabad, James Achilles Kirkpatrick, in the 1790s. This was the story narrated in William Dalrymple’s White Mughals, the guide says. The area still has descendants of the original owners, though they live in impoverished conditions. Typical of the times, the place has a khidki darwaza through which one can pass only by bowing one’s head, a zanana (women's quarters) and a mardana (men’s quarters).
The next three monuments are strikingly different. The Asman Jah Bahadur Devdi, built in late 19th century, served as the high court of Hyderabad when Asman Jah was a law minister. Its two-storeyed entrance features Greek Corinthian pillars and a bright glowing sun as the emblem instead of a crescent and star. Only the facade is standing now, preserved by Intach, while the rest of the building is in ruins. The nearby Iqbal-ud-Daula Devdi has a distinctly Hindu shell-and-wheel (shankha-chakra) combination engraved at the top, a sign that the building has had different owners over time.
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The most prominent palace of its time, built during 1880-90 by the same dynasty which built the Falaknuma Palace, is the Baradari Nawab Khursheed Jah Bahadur. Also reflecting European influences, the symmetric structure has eight columns at the front and a multicoloured floor pattern that would not be out of place in a modern building. Although a part of it is being used by the Hussaini Alam Girls College, the building is in a pitiful state.
The 3-km walk ends at the Chowmahalla Palace complex, part of which is now being used as a “function hall”. The four premises implied in the name were used as treasury, secretariat, the residence of royalty and their guests. The complex has elements of Mughal, Rajasthani, British and Hyderabadi styles of architecture.
Over a breakfast of two idlis and a vada, on the lawns of Chowmahalla Palace, I reflect that the cement roads along the walk’s trail looked no different from any town of some vintage. What is different is the occasional heritage building and the stories they hold.
(The tourism department of Andhra Pradesh organises two heritage walks, from Charminar to Chowmohalla Palace (described above) and from Charminar to Badshahi Ashurkhana, every Sunday and second Saturday of the month. For details/registration, contact the APTDC kiosk at Charminar or APTDC office: 98497 28841)
