Symposium Celebrates Hyderabad’s Contribution to Deccani Literature at Domakonda Fort
The event was co-organised by the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage, with its Hyderabad convener Anuradha Reddy, serving as host.
Hyderabad: A symposium celebrating Hyderabad’s rich contribution to Deccani literature was held at Domakonda Fort in Kamareddy on Saturday. Organised biannually — once in Telugu and once in Urdu — the event highlighted how Deccani has been an integral part of the region’s history, poetry, and even its flora and fauna. The gathering concluded with Deccani folk songs set to the dholak’s rhythm and qawwali performances showcasing the region’s syncretic worship traditions.
Organised by the Domakonda Fort and Village Development Trust, the event has been held for three consecutive years. It also honours the scholarship of Raja Rajeswar Rao, the former king of Domakonda Samasthanam, who was an eminent scholar of Urdu, Persian, and Arabic. He is credited with authoring over 100 books, including Hindi-Urdu and Persian-Urdu dictionaries, as well as anthologies and Urdu translations of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.
A poet himself, Raja Rajeswar Rao wrote under the pen name 'Asghar', which is why the event is also held in Urdu every alternate year. This year, the focus was on Deccani, the historical language of the region. “The event explored how Deccani reflected Telangana’s culture and people, emphasising the state’s contributions to its literature,” said the historian Sajjad Shahid.
Scholars presented papers including illustrating how Deccani helped translate Persian narratives into a language easily understood by the local populace. These papers explored poetry, songs, and the region’s unique biodiversity. One paper examined the concept of nationhood in the Deccan, while another highlighted its flora and fauna. A key presentation focused on the literary contributions of Mohammad Quli Qutb Shah, the fifth Sultan of Golconda, who is considered the first Shayar-e-Diwan — the pioneer of Urdu poetry in the region — since he composed in Deccani, which laid the foundation for Urdu in the Deccan.
The event featured performances by Hafeeza and her team, who sang traditional Deccani wedding songs accompanied by a dholak. Many of these folk songs, originating from the 15th-century ‘Chakki Nameh’, were composed by common women and are still sung by mirasnis (traditional female wedding singers). Some songs, such as ‘Banne tere jebon ko heerey lagey’ (May the Lord adorn your pockets with diamonds, O charming groom), showcased the local dialect, culture, and satire — often playfully taunting the in-laws. Another popular example was ‘Samdhan kho gayi maa Charminar ki sadak par’ (My co-mother-in-law got lost near Charminar).
Qawwal Atiq Hussain Khan Bandanawazi and his team performed qawwalis as well as thumris composed by Nawab Sadiq Jung Hilm, such as ‘Yaad hai kuch bhi hamari, Kanhaiya’, which expresses the pain of separation from God. The performances reflected the evolution of Sufi poetry and its role in bridging religious divides. Prof. Suleman Siddiqui, former vice-chair of Osmania University, highlighted examples of syncretic worship, citing how Bidar continues to preserve devotional songs of Ahmed Shah Wali.
The influence of Deccani and Sufi traditions was emphasised through the works of Mohd Abdul Kadar Siddiqui, a Hyderabadi poet from the modern period and professor of theology and Islamic studies at Osmania University. A high-ranking Sufi, his thumri ‘Sunle Araj Mori Ramare’ was presented, illustrating how deeply assimilated these traditions were within Deccani culture. “This degree of cultural synthesis is the true essence of Hyderabad and the Deccan. Religious divides get reduced to a level where God can be addressed by any name, including the names of Hindu deities such as Kanhaiya and Lord Rama,” said Shahid. The qawwali session concluded with kalams composed by Amir Khusro.
The event was co-organised by the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage, with its Hyderabad convener Anuradha Reddy, serving as host. “Deccani has always been a crucible of local culture, representing Hyderabad’s syncretic heritage and shared history,” she said.