Heritage given priority under rule of Nizam-VI
The letter was in response to a proposal sent to the Nizam seeking permission to demolish the Gulzar Houz to make way for smoother traffic flow.
Hyderabad: The proposed demolition of Errum Manzil for the construction of a new state Assembly building has sparked protests as well as despair among a cross-section of Hyderabadis.
Mr Adi N. Medhora, a long-time resident of Hyderabad, who retired as chief engineer of the irrigation department in the erstwhile state of Andhra Pradesh in 1988, recalled that “considerable attention was paid to heritage structures during the time of the Nizams, when no law existed for their preservation”.
“I have in my collection a letter by Mahbub Ali Pasha to his Prime Minister, Maharaja Kishen Pershad, that clearly shows the value that was placed on tradition and heritage in those days,” Mr Medhora said.
The letter was in response to a proposal sent to the Nizam seeking permission to demolish the Gulzar Houz to make way for smoother traffic flow. The Nizam had no hesitation in turning down the proposal.
The letter, written in Urdu, says “Maharaja Madarulham Peshkaar Sahab. Aapko maloom hai, balda ma Gulzar Hauz aasare khadeema hai. Isko bilkul todh kar mafqood kar dena mujhe pasand nahi. Jis tarah hai usee tarah par rahe. Jahan tak mera khayal hai, aisi kuch raaste ki kotaahi maloom nahi hoti. Aaiynda dekha jayega. (Maharaja Madarulham Peshkar Sahab. As you are well aware, the Gulzar Houz is a heritage structure in the city! Demolishing it is not something I would like. Let it remain as it is. As far as I think, it is no hindrance to flow of traffic. Let’s see what the future brings!”
Mr Medhora’s office was in the Errum Manzil. He told this correspondent: “It was in an ‘okay’ condition, but attention that the heritage building deserved was not given.”
“I am very disappointed that Errum Manzil, which is a grand historic palace, is proposed to be demolished. How will memories of the past remain for future generations,” he asked.
His wife, Katy Medhora, is as anguished. “If it is not suitable for an office now, it could be made into a heritage site and thrown open to visitors; it would be a shame to lose it forever,” she said.