Hyderabad By Walk - Nampally Sarai, Nampally Railway Station and Ek Minar Masjid

 Sunnie and I decided to head to Nampally and check that area out. We started off at 6 am as usual, parked near the IDBI office and walked past Public Gardens and headed straight to Nampally Sarai - it showed up when I searched for sights near Nampally. And I was surprised by its location because I must have passed it for over forty years now and never noticed it! 

If you are coming towards Nampally station from Moazzamjahi Market and turn into the station area, it falls to the left. Currently it is a dilapidated building, but a huge structure which I wonder how I missed all these years. The place is full of taxis and one taxi guy came running the moment he saw us and asked us what we wanted and when we said we were just looking he told us it was now a taxi stand and there was nothing to see. Seeing us inch forward even after his boring pitch he went another step to dissuade us to warning us that there were dogs. We nodded and walked in.

Nampally Sarai aka Tipu Khan Sarai

 As with many structures our state governments were in a big hurry to tear it down and build some structures here which would fetch everyone some benefits. Thankfully the building has been protected and named as a heritage structure which means that tearing it down won't happen.

The Sarai was a resting place which was constructed for travellers coming in from the Nizam;s Railway station at Nampally. It was built in 1919 by the sixth Nizam Mir Mahboob Ali Khan apparently in memory o the First World War Treaty. Also known as Sulah Sarai.

Currently is has a heritage structure status, thanks to INTACH (2011)

Nampally Railway Station

We walked over towards the historic Nampally Railway Station where we had gone for many send offs and receptions. Been years since I went there though. Anyway got a picture of the station from far and we scooted off along the road by the side.

Originally called the Hyderabad Deccan Railway Station (1883-1950), it was built by the Nizam's Guaranteed State Railway Company (it was privately built by the Nizam and operated under a guarantee from the State). Then Nizam's Railway was consolidated with Hyderabad-Godavari Valley Railway (HGVR) In 1951 both HGVR abd NGSR were nationalised.

 

Favorite memories - dropping Mom off with Mythily when they went to Faridabad, shipping my Chetak to Pune for my second job, meeting Vasant who worked in the Railways at the ticket counter, seeing Raja and co off and having to deal with an irate auto rickshaw guy who wanted to get paid an extra ten bucks and so on.

Ek Minar Masjid

A short walk from the Nampally station along its left side and we saw a few old buildings. 

And then we came across this beautiful masjid. Now this is an impressive structure right in the centre of the chaurasta  which is called the Ek Minar masjid. One huge minaret.

Ek Minar masjid

All around this masjid are little shops selling second hand furniture. I remember Choudary used to have his friends here from his demolition team - when they demolish structures they normally salvage the doors, windows, furniture etc if possible and you can see tons of such old doors, windows and stuff here that you can bargain and buy. Choudary was very good and this and he bought a few such stuff for his house.

A close up of Ek Minar

Sunnie and I checked the Google maps for Yousufain dargah which seems to be close to Ek Minar. The map pointed straight ahead. There was a cute little restaurant which beckoned for a chai but we plodded on.