Hyderabad by Walk - Musi Riverfront - Osmania General Hospital

Much has been heard and said about the OGH and we walked towards it. On the way we passed some Gurdwara on the right and saw an old door leading to a mosque adjacent to the OGH. 

Gurdwara entrance

We went in through the main gate which is where all patients enter from. It has a screen like entrance which I remember from way back. 

Old mosque - very good looking

As wide a shot as I could get

The mosque from inside the OGH new block

Another pic of the mosque

Like I told Sunnie, I remember me and my Dad going there for what appeared to be a harmless tooth extraction. I must have been 12-13 and we went in his car, with him driving. Once the procedure was done he stumbled out of the room, holding his bleeding gum and we quickly figured he won't be able to drive. Luckily his subordinate was around so we got back safe. Dad and his hospital stuff is legendary.

The OGH with its famous screen like entrance

Interesting door to the mosque

Another door

Cute little cafe

Anyway we got a couple of shots of the mosque from the inside. Then we walked back on to the main road, past the interesting door of the mosque, past a cute little tea shop and walked down the road to the old hospital block,. And the sight of that building blew me. It's one of the most beautiful structures I have ever seen. The gateway was open, the grounds overgrown, huge trees, the building looking unoccupied but majestic, like a palace fit for kings. Of course some work was going on by the side.

Side entrance - but it looked so good from here itself

Another preview

A better view

The best i could get - the pics don't do justice

Close up

Osmania General Hospital is one of the oldest hospitals in India. Built at a cost of 2 crore in 1919 by the 7th Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan, it was designed by the British architect Vincent Jerome Esch and Nawab Khan Bahadur Mirza Akbar Baig in Indo Sarcenic style. Before the OGH was built, there was a hospital called the Afzal Gunj Hospital which was constructed by Salar Jung in 1866. The wards of this hospital were shifted to the new building in 1926.

The garden, gazebo etc

Mitti ka sher

Would have been a beautiful garden in its day

  We entered and found some massive trees to the left. There was a gazebo like structure, ill maintained of course, with two people reciting some Hindu chants. Many dogs lay in leisure. Upon closer look we found a board on that huge banyan tree - it apparently saved 150 people who climbed on to it in the flood of 1908. I could not resist taking a pic with the tree. 

The tree that saved 150 people during the flood of 1908

Me and the great tree

The tree again

The OGH in all its grandeur

Closer look at the building and some time spent on the gazebo. Also a morbid board about unclaimed bodies suddenly brought us back to reality. But then one also felt for those searching for missing people, the many who searched fro unclaimed bodies, the many bodies that actually went unclaimed and you wonder at life, its ups and downs. But it was a place i did not want to leave. And hopefully no one is planning to demolish it - like our past CM KCR tried to - its just too beautiful to do anything stupid like that.  

Board for unclaimed bodies - huge humanitarian service

Another board

Other memories of the OGH, I remember our cricketer friend Ayub Khan telling me that he grew up on campus nbecause his dad worked there. Lucky Ayub! It looked like a walk into an Enid Blyton novel.