The 'Untold Charminar' is an anthology of 38 essays from eminent personalities, most of them from Hyderabad, and covers several aspects of Hyderabad - history, legends, textiles, literature, poetry, culture, food, habits places, cricket etc. It is an intense and heavy read as each writer brings their own style and voice to the book. Syeda Bilgrami Imam, a writer, advertising professional who wrote for and edited several books, edited this essential reading for a grasp of Hyderabad.
It starts with 'Hyderabad through Foreign Eyes' by Narendra Luther (whose book 'Legendotes of Hyderabad' is another must read) reveals how Hyderabad 'the replica of Paradise' built by Mir Momin on the order of Sultan Mohammad Quli Qutb Shah was viewed by travelers such as Ferishta, William Methwold, Taevrnier, Manucci, Thevenot over the years (grander than Mughal architecture). 'Sunset over Golconda' by Anvar Alikhan dwells on the times of the Qutb Shahi kings when trade flourished, world famous diamonds were mined, the kings were poets, artists and great musicians apart from being great builders. The Sunset viewed from the Petla Burj bastion is what he is referring to (and one that a co-walker on a heritage walk took a pic from, with that exact page from the book - v cute).
An article on Mah Laqa Chanda Bai titled 'Rare Visage of the Moon' by Bilkees Latif on how Mah Laqa means rare visage of the moon and how she was named Chanda after her grandmother Chanda Bibi. Mah Laqa grew up under the care of her step sister who was married to Nawab Ruknuddawla, Prime Minister to the then Nizam (Asaf Jah II). Mah Laqa was a renowned poet, social reformer, warrior, diplomat, courtesan and much more. Her diwan was published by her patron Raja Rao Rambha. Her tomb lies near Maula Ali who she revered, next to her mother's.
'Sufis of Deccan' by MZA Shakeh of which I would like to visit the dargah of Shah Raju Hussain which seems to be in Old City (also of Hussain Wali). One article on Begum Hayath Bakshi, only daughter of Muhammad Quli the fifth Sultan of the Qutb Shahi dynasty, wife of Mohammed Qutb Shah, the sixth Sultan and mother of Abdullah Qutb Shah, the seventh Sultan written by Bilkiz Alladin titled 'Three Kings and I'. Hayath Bakshi Begum, the Ma Saheba of Masab Tank, also has an impressive tomb built for her in the Qutb Shah tombs among her many achievements as a parent, spouse, regent, and leader.
'In Conversation' with William Darlymple brings forth rather disturbing revelations of the aftermath of the Police Action which caused the death and destruction, rape and pillage when the Indian Army rode into the Hyderabad state in 1948. 'All decked Up' by Lakshmi Devi Raj is a masterpiece in the clothes and jewellery of those times - poshak, mushajjar, mushroo, himroo, dastar - and stuff like that. Ismat Mehdi's 'Their Vision Lives on' is about the people who built this city - Sultan Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, Salar Jung I, Maharaja Kishen Pershad, Syed Hussain Bilgrami, Akbari Hydari, Sarojini Naidi, Mehdi Nawaz Jung. The entire text 'Convocation Address' of Nawab Mir Mahdi Yar Jung at Osmania University in 1941 is printed as one article.
A look at the poetry 'For Better or for Verse' by Syed Sirajuddin charts the many poets who graced Hyderabad - from the royal poets of Qutb Shahi times to Mir Osman Ali Asaf Jah VII, Dagh Dehlvi, Ameer Minai, Yagana Changizi, Fani Badayuni, Jalal Manikpuri, Siraj, Amjad Hyderabadi, Baqi, Ashk, Shakeb, Rushdi, Vajd and Makhdoon Mohiuddin among others. This is followed by a deep dive into 'The Mystique of the Mushaira' by Isaac Sequeira - how a mushaira is constructed and the etiquette that goes with it. Sarojini Naidu's 'Letters Too Tell Stories' are just that - her selected letters written to Edmund Gosse and Weismann.
'Necropolis' by Makarand Paranjpe is a collection of poems. Fatima Ali Khan's 'Back in a Minuet' takes us back to her days as a four year old in 1934 when she first visited the Secunderabad Club, the ballet dances, the swimming classes and ends with the story of Sita the Lambadni who became a famous designer selling designs to fashion houses in Paris. 'Cast Offs' by Wajida Tabassum is a short story about how class differences play out and those who wear other people's cast offs also find a way to return the favour. Homi Talyarkhan writes about his conversations with Nawab Moin Nawaz Jung before the Police Action and how they defend their positions.
Syeda Bilgrami Imam's article 'The Spine and the Silhoutte' outlines all the female achievers of Hyderabad from the maids at her home to Tyaba Khedive Jung, Sughra Humayun Mirza, Masuma Begum, Prof Zeenat Sajida, Leela Velingkar Lean, Feroze Gujral, Roda Mistry and Sania Mirza (among others). Shyam Benegal wrote a nostalgic piece on 'The City I Knew' where he recounts his childhood memories, friendships with a fisherwoman's son Balli and a razakar in the making Omar, the tense moments of those times, the joy of freedom. Ravi Bhoothalingam wrote about 'The Once and Future City'. Meenakshi Mukherjee wrote a quaint piece on 'All Our Day After Tomorrows' - the quintessential Parson of Hyderabadis and their endearing and frustrating chalta hai attitude.
Javeed Alam wrote about 'Communities Reconfigured' a scholarly work on Hyderabad's changing culture seen through rickshaws and burquas. There are Makhdoom Mohiuddin's 'The Rebel and Other Poems' - Baghi, Toor, Shayar. Zuju Shareef brings home the delectable 'Food, Glorious Food' - Narangi ka dopiaza, Sukhey jhinghey, Piaz ki pathi, Ambarey ki phool, Luqmi, Pattar ka ghost and so on and on. Ratna Rao Shekhar paints 'A Portrait of Three Artists and Their City' - K Laxma Goud, T Vaikuntham and Surya Prakash, their struggles in the city, their teachers, meeting MF Husain. Harsha Bhogle exposes the way Azharuddin became captain of the Indian cricket team - at one stage the discussion was not to have a captain - amazing how the thought process was then! Yezdyar S Kaoosji gave an insight into 'Growing Up a Parsi in Hyderabad' which has 0.08% Parsis who number around 1224 according to the 2001 census (I think the second highest Parsi population in India if I am right).
Mark Tully wrote about 'Creating Cyberabad' which breathed a fresh lease of life into what could have been a dying city, his conversations with Chandrababu Naidu, Ramoji Rao and others. Bachi Karkaria wrote about 'My Cousin the Queen and Other Begums' which is about Hoshang and the work he does with women at the Shaheen Women's Welfare Organisation at Sultan Shahi. Hoshang Merchant has his poems 'Secunderabad Sans Light and Other Poems' - Holi in Hyderabad. A scholarly work on Vigilantism and Vijayashanti' which deconstructs actress Vijayashanti's films.
I loved Anees Jung's 'Ramlu's Pickle Shop' which brought Hyderabad and its past alive to me more than anything else in this compilation. She comes to visit her favorite pickle shop in Hyderabad from Delhi and is accorded a warm welcome by the old man and his wife. She leaves not knowing if he will be around next time she visits and quotes from her friend Shaaz Tamkanath's poem
- Look beyond the looming mist,
in the monument abandoned,
an old man lives,
which is our past, Let's go and meet him,
For we may not find him alive (next time)...
Anees says he died next year - Shaaz or the old man I did not get. I don't think I will pass a pickle shop without thinking of her and Ramlu and their relationship.
Omkar Goswami provides 'An Outsider's View' to Hyderabad while Bimal Roy's daughter Aparajitha Roy Sinha writes about 'Voila Jubilee , Vive Banjara' - the difference in culture between these two hip places in Hyderabad - one classy and the other a wannabe.
Renuka Narayanan writes about 'Sight Unseen' - her unseen plot in Hyderabad, her association with her PG host Habiba Begum, her visit to Hyderabad's mushaira and its shy boys, and Karachi biscuits. . Nagesh Kukunoor who was at Osmania University in the same years that I was, writes about the strong association with Ali Pasha the canteen wala (we had Seth's canteen by day, also called Jayaprada canteen thanks to Seth's daughter who looked like actress Jayaprada and Sattar bhai's canteen by night). D. Venkat Rao writes about Gaddar in his article 'Performative Communism' - how Gaddar adopted his name from the Ghadar movement. Dharmender Prasad shares an interesting account of 'Toponymy: The Magic of Place Names' which is all about how different places in Hyderabad got their names. Ian Austin writes the last piece 'Legends Never Cease' - interesting stories about Falaknuma, King Kothi Palace, the Palmer scandal and so on.
Enough to get many viewpoints of the city and make the 'Untold Charminar' Still, feels like something binding is missing. But as good an intro as any since it covers so many diverse topics.
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