Hyderabad: Nizam era sarai houses cry for an overhaul

Hyderabad: The heritage sarais — rest houses belonging to the Asaf Jahi period — crave for attention. The buildings were constructed keeping in view the needs of travellers to the city.

The biggest among them is the Nampally sarai constructed near the Hyderabad Deccan railway station in 1919 during the era of Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan. The sarai was a memorial for the the First World War and was also called ‘Sulah’ Sarai. Sulah means reconciliation in Urdu.

Spread over 5,000 square yards, the building was built at a cost of Rs1 lakh and has 54 rooms. It was the official guest house of the state of Andhra Pradesh.

Over a period of time, the sarai rest houses has developed cracks and no one stays there. “People who came by train used to stay at the rest house for the night. The next morning, after a customs department check, they left for the city which then was beyond Afzalgunj,” said Mr M.A. Qayyum, historian.

He said that there was a tonga stand nearby from where the people hired horse-drawn carriages and left for the city. The stay at the rest house was free.

Ms P. Anuradha Reddy, heritage activist, feels that the sarai should be restored to its pristine state. 

“As of now it is in a very dilapidated condition and needs some repairs. If urgent attention is not given it could collapse,” she said.

While the Nampally sarai rest houses belongs to the Asaf Jah era, there are several others dating back to the Qutb Shahi period. The Aliabad Saria in the Old City. It has  around 44 rooms which are mostly occupied by shopkeepers.

It stood alongside the Aliabad Darwaza and is similar to the Puranpul Sarai located near the Mian Mishk mosque – a 17th century construction — near the Puranapul Bridge.

At Afzalgunj Jamia Masjid, there was a rest house which gradually got converted into a commercial market with shops coming up in the rooms.

A few more rest houses are still in place at Hayathnagar, Amberpet, Hakeempet, Shaikpet and Maisaram.

“These stand as examples to the people of the friendly policies of the then rulers. Now travellers have no rest houses in the city. The government should restore these rest houses to acknowledge the administration of Asaf Jahi and the Qutb Shahi rulers,” feels Ms Anuradha Reddy.

The department of archaeology and museums officials say that they will soon take up the survey of the Sarai and prepare a project report.

When contacted, Mr R. Sreedhar, superintendent engineer (projects), city municipal corporation, said that the Nampally Sarai was handed over to the Hyderabad Metro Rail Project.