I got some idea of the old city or the walled portion of the old city from a couple of maps I saw and from my recent walks. From what I now know there were 13 gates to the walled city of Hyderabad of which only two remain - the Purana Pul gate and the Dabeerpura gate. I have seen the former, the latter I have not. The gate which would have led into the main access to Charminar from the Naya Pul side would probably have been Delhi gate or Afzal gate, both of which have been brought down to facilitate traffic. When you go past Hotel Nayaab you find the gate to the Dewan Deodi or the palace where the Salar Jungs lived - a massive place that extended almost from the bank of the Musi to the Mir Alam mandi street. Just before that, perhaps after Nayaab, you turn left, and you end up at the Chatta bazaar gate. Going straight down the road towards Charminar you pass by the Pathergatti market, past Medina hotel on the right, get to the Char Kamans, the Gulzar Houz and then to the Charminar itself. The area between the char kamans was called the jillu khana I think.
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| Chowmahalla Palace |
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| Side entrance - or was it the main one |
If you are at Gulzar Hauz and facing Charminar, the kaman to the right led to the palace complex where the palaces of the Qutb Shahi kings, such as Dad Mahal. Lal Mahal, Sajan Mahal, Khudad Mahal and such were. To the right perhaps were some 14000 houses built for the public - traders, artisans and others - for us for free. Gardens and fountains abounded the original plan which according to Sultan Quli, should be a replica of Paradise. Now nothing remains but for the gates, the kamans and Charminar.
Anyway, I know now a few roads thanks to my recent explorations and decided to extend the exploration further. I found an able ally in Vasu who was up by 530 and we parked in the parking area behind Laad Bazaar and went by foot past Chowmahalla Palace. Straight down the road we walked, past an old building which we could not make out, the Mahbub Chowk area which is being rebuilt, and at the corner of the road, turned left towards the parallel main road that leads from Charminar to Falaknuma Palace. To our right the road led to Fateh Darwaza (now no more).
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| Akkanna Madanna temple, Hari bowli |
A little walk and we crossed the main road and on the other side, at a distance of some 200 metres came across the Akkanna Madanna temple, where the two brothers, high ranking nobles in Tana Shah's court) would pray before heading to the Golconda court. Akkanna was the Commander-in-Chief and Madanna was the Prime Minister for Abul Tana Shah the last Sultan of the Qutb Shah dynasty, before they were assassinated. The temple's presiding deity is Mahankali and the two brothers lived in its proximity if I am right. The temple fell into disuse and was rediscovered only sixty years back and revived. It is now one of the popular places during Bonalu and is known for the Ghatam procedures. There is some kind of a community hall in front of the temple.
We walked down the road and found the Daira-Mir-Momin, a Muslim cemetery named after Mir Momin Astarabadi, a Persian scholar who came to India in 1580 and quickly grew to be the fifth Qutb Shahi Sultan Mohammed Quli's Prime Minister (he was PM from 1585-1624).
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| Entrance |
More significantly, Mir Momin was involved in the planning and construction of the Hyderabad city and was considered a highly knowledgeable man with command over a wide variety of subjects including occult. It is said that he brought camel loads of soil from Karbala and sprinkled it all over the graveyard. Mir Momin was the one they say who gave Bhagmati the name of Hyder Mahal and converted her into Islam (he initially tried to dissuade Sultan Quli from marrying Bhagmati). Mir Momin also taught the next Sultan, Muhammad Qutb Shah, the nephew of Sultan Quli, who married Hayath Bakshi Begum, daughter of Sultan Quli. The graveyard has a gate, perhaps four centuries old, is filled with graves. One can see a green one which is well maintained, which is perhaps Mir Momin's. A few other beautiful old tombs, one with delicate jaali work.
We could see some people praying at the green tomb, some other sitting by the tombs of their loved ones perhaps. This graveyard is where Mir Momin, and Prime Ministers for the Nizams, Mir Alam and the Salar Jungs, prince Moazzam Jah and Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Khan-e-Khanan and many others are buried. Right now its badly kept, encroachments from all around, but still, very peaceful.
We walked from the Hari Bowli road towards Malwala Palace (now no more) on the Sultan Shahi road (I remember there being a cricket team called Sultan Shahi in the lower league). This road seemed to be marked for expansion for the Metro and there were signs of demolition and posters of the Metro which promises development. We saw a huge gate with Kota Maisamma temple written on it - a massive gate when we examined it from closer.
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| Kota Maisamma temple at the Alijah Kotla gate |
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| Check out the size of the gate |
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| The temple |
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| The gate |
Inside the gate was the Kota Maisamma temple. As I understand it, the Katta Maisamma temple is for the deity to protect the katta or bund and similarly Kota Maisamma must be to protect the kota or fort. I am assuming this is one of the gates or where one of the gates stood.
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| Kalyani Nawab ki deodi? |
Down the road we went past what was an old dilapidated tomb inside an enclosed space - later I found it marked to be Kalyani Nawab ki deodi on maps which I must cross check with someone.
Further down the road we came across a small chowrasta that was redolent with fresh baking smells, and turned left. At the place showing where Malwala palace was to be, was an empty lot. Apparently in August 2000 they demolished it and as per the court ruling nothing can be built over it. Masqati Dairy seems to have some activity there. Right opposite it was a small enclosure with a lovely wooden beam - didn't take pictures.
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| This was where the Malwala Palace existed |
The Mawala Palace (1845) was built in Mughal-Rajasthani style and boasted of a lot of wood work with richly carved wooden pavilions. The Malwalas were revenue record keepers or daftardars of the Nizam and seem to have some connections to the Mal's of the Mughal dynasty. Some connection to Dewan Chandulal who was a descendant of Todar Mal they say.The palace was built by Sagar Mal - Mathur Kayasthas and Malwala comes from Mal and wala or 'of the Mals'. In the 1940s, during the reign of Raja Dharam Karan, its popularity peaked. I remember reading somewhere that celebrities would want to visit the palace just to have a glimpse of its luxury. The palace also boasted of a massive library. Now Raja Dharam Karan has a road named after him at Ameerpet and an adjacent road named after Sham Karan. Geeta Karan of Gitanjali school fame is their daughter in law, married to Uma Karan, son of Raja Dharam Karan. Just as the huge plots of land in Ameerpet which are hidden inside must be their own - I am sure there are remnants of many of their palaces etc which have been brought down. In fact Uma Nagar is a venture by Uma Karan, an architect and builder.
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| Sardar Mahal to the left - the two ladies who educated me about it sitting on the right |
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| Sardar Mahal |
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| An interesting gate which perhaps led to some palace at some point of time |
Further down the road we could see a glimpse of Charminar, shining beautifully in the morning sunlight. To the left we passed Sardar Mahal a palace built in 1900 for Sardar Begum, one of the consorts of the sixth Nizam Mahboob Ali Khan. She never lived there apparently and is now being used by the GHMC. There are plans to renovate it and convert it into a museum, a cultural centre to be started by Kalakriti India.
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| Jama Masjid |
We stopped by at the old Jama Masjid which is to the right and which they say was the second stucrture to be made after Charminar. But since it is small and the imposing Mecca Masjid has come up, it is hardly see.
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| Can never resist taking a pic of Charminar - that's what beauty does |
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| One of the char kamans visible through Charminar |
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| A bit into a hot egg puff, a tie biscuit and a fine biscuit awaiting the arrival of their companion, chai |
We skipped some photoshoot people at Charminar, went to Nimrah, had tea, tie biscuit, egg puff and fine biscuit and headed back to the car. I realised I can never be in the vicinity of Charminar and not click a picture - is that the definition of beauty? I guess it is. Compelling!
In the car we detoured a bit, took a right to Fateh Darwaza chowrasta, turned back and took the Amir-e-Kabir road and went past the Iqbal Ud Daulah Deodi and the Khursheed Jah Deodi and past the Mahbub Chowk and finally back.
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| Another interesting gateway |
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| Old gate on Amir-e-Kabir road |
A few more walks and I should have a good understanding of the walled city I feel. And each time I go, I fall that much more in love with this city.
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