Hyderabad pays Tribute to Salar Jung III

Hyderabad: A rich tribute was paid to Salar Jung III for his dedication to enriching his collection of artefacts from East to West on the occasion of the International Museum Day on Saturday.

Convenor P. Anuradha said that the collection that was put together by the family had now become a public property that was attracting tourists from all over the world.

“If the government had acquired even a portion of the property of Salar Jung when the family members were selling it to private parties, then the government would have had sufficient space to showcase all the exhibits. As of today, only 30 to 40 per cent articles are on display. Many artefacts collected by the family were auctioned before the establishment of the museum,” she said.

“The Salar Jung family was very devoted to collecting art. A major chunk of this collection was acquired by Nawab Mir Yousuf Ali Khan, popularly known as Salar Jung III. The artefacts were initially placed on display by the Salar Jung Estate Committee in the palace of Salar Jung called ‘Dewan Deodi’, where these artefacts were adorned in various galleries like Aina Khana (Glass House), Cheeni Khana (House of Chinese exhibits) and Top Khana (Arms Gallery),” she added.

“Heirs of Salar Jung graciously agreed to donate the entire collection to the Government of India through a compromise deed. Later, through an act of the Parliament (Act 26 of 1961), the Salar Jung Museum with its library was declared to be an institution of national importance. The museum was opened to the public by the then Prime Minister of India Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru on December 16, 1951,” she concluded.