Heritage walk highlights over 200-year-old legacy of AOC
Hyderabad: Highlighting the Indian Army's respect, and creating space for all religions, a heritage walk was organised by Intach and The Deccan Archive Foundation (TDAF) to the Army Ordnance Corps' (AOC) 'Sarva Dharma Sthal', or 'All Religions Centre' on Sunday.
A group of about 30 heritage enthusiasts visited the centre where the AOC's religious officer A.K. Pandey provided a guided tour.
"The Indian Army exemplifies an attitude of equal tolerance and respect towards all religions. We initially had a gurdwara at this centre for the Sikh soldiers but, in 2003, then Brigadier A.K. Jyothi got a temple, a mosque and a church also constructed here.”
“All religious festivities are organised and celebrated here, including Sri Rama Navami, Janmashtami, Guru Nanak Jayanti, Id-ul-Fitr and Christmas. All the soldiers participate in all the festivities," Pandey said.
The group visited the four structures, had prasad and then moved forward to explore battle tanks and wall paintings around the AOC complex. Sibghatullah Khan, founder of TDAF, shared some history of the AOC with the participants.
A memorial built in 1975 commemorates the bicentennial celebrations of the Army Ordnance Corps (AOC), which was originally established in 1775. The AOC's origin traces back to a time when the British presence in India was still fragmented.
“In 1775, the East India Company initiated the AOC as part of an ambitious project to militarise their operations. The company realised it could no longer rely on local sources for weapons and ammunition. Hence, they established their supply chain, enabling them to consolidate their hold over this region. This is what AOC has been doing since then till date," Khan said.
"The very first train in the region ran on the line to the military siding, a crucial testing ground for railway operations in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. The military siding served as a vital link between cantonment cities, allowing rapid troop movement from Madras (now Chennai) to Secunderabad.”
“Soldiers would disembark at the military siding and proceed to destinations like Alwal and Bolarum. Along the entrenchment road, remnants of fortifications, military hospitals, and prisons still stand.” They reflect a time when these facilities were deliberately isolated from civilian populations to safeguard against potential uprisings, especially after the 1857 First War of Independence in the North.
The Army played a significant role in recent history, when, during the Covid-19 pandemic, it airlifted oxygen tanks from the Begumpet airport and flew them to Odisha. The filled tanks were then transported back via railway lines and unloaded at the AOC military siding.