Hyderabad by Walk - The Nizam's Museum

 The Deccan Archives had advertised a walk in the Nizam's Museum aka HEH (His Exalted Highness) Nizam's Museum is located in the Purani Haveli from where the Nizam's (the sixth Nizam Mir Mahboob Ali Khan) ruled for a short while. 

Purani Haveli

HEH Nizam's Museum

I had been to the Purani Haveli twice, once with the Tourism Department's Heritage walk which ends there - but then the museum opens only at 10 am so we could not get in. Another time with Sunnie recently which also happened to be at an early hour. So when i saw this opportunity I jumped at it and showed up.

Cradle

Map of Nizam's Dominion

The museum is to the left of the palace compound and though one can see the palace buildings at a distance, we are not allowed on those parts. There seems to be a college and a school on the premises as well as the offices of the Nizam's Trusts. Anyway a good crowd had assembled and I joined them. Tickets were bought for entry and cameras and away we were. We went up a wooden staircasr and as explained by the guide, there were three parts to this walk - the silver room, the golden room and the wardrobe room. Other interesting items are a 170 year old manually operated wooden lift and 200 year old proclamation drums.

Silver model of the High Court 

Silver model of an aircraft

Silver model of the Minicipal Office

Silver model of Moazzamjahi market

Painting depicting Nizam-ul-Mulk (the first Nizam) requesting Nader Shah to stop killing people in Delhi

The museum mainly has artifacts commemorating the seventh Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan's silver jubilee as the Nizam (1937). A large number of dignitaries, royal families and government departments attended an elaborate function which was held at the Jubilee Hall in Public Gardens (specially constructed for the occasion). The event was grand - a gold plated throne, regalia, a show by the Nizam's army and so on. 

Nizam's contribution to the China war 

3D painting

Among the artifacts are silver models of buildings, planes, institutions, dams, paintings, daggers, swords etc. It is managed by the Jubilee Pavilion Trust and the Trust opened the museum to the public in 2000. The museum shot into national limelight thanks to a daring theft by two petty thieves who stole a gold tiffin box and were later caught while trying to sell it.

Silver model of the Arts College, Osmania University

The famous gold tiffin box that got stolen in 2018

The ventilator from which the thieves hung ropes and slid into the museum

The moment you enter you see a map of the Nizam's kingdom which enclosed Aurangabad, Raichur, Gulbarga, Guntur and so on. They say that of the 103 buildings built by the Nizam's 48 were donated to the Government of India and 55 were left with the Nizam's. One can see gifts given on the silver jubilee such as a gold threaded citation form the Saudi Arabia, a silver cradle, silver models of planes of the Deccan Aircraft, a silver model of the High Court, a silver model of Arts College, a silver model of the Moazzam Jahi market, of the Nizam Sagar dam.

The gold coin shot by the 6th Nizam

Walking stick studded with Golconda diamonds

There is a 3D painting on glass of the 7th Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan which has been painted in brilliant colours, a gold plated throne on which he sat during the silver jubilee ceremony, the stolen god tiffin box (and the marks at the ventilator from where the thieves came into the room from), walking sticks with original Golconda diamonds, a panting of the Nizam where his sons are painted in his two eyes and the other Nizams painted in the head gear. A painting where the Nizam Ul Mulk pleaded with Nader Shah to stop the carnage he had ordered in Delhi which the Persian king heeded and put a s top to the killing (which was also the 55 day campaign when he took the Koh-i-Noor from Mohammad Shah Rangila and away from India). There are coins of the Bahmani kingdom, the Qutb Shahi kingdom and the Asaf Jahi rule. 

Replica of the throne used for the silver jubilee function

The gold plated throne

Replicas of the Koh-i-noor and the Hope diamond

In the wardrobe room one sees a wooden wardrobe which is huge in size - 55 cupboards with clothes, shoes and all that the sixth Nizam needed. Apparently he never used the same clothes twice. There's stuff I might have missed which I will add in later. 

The wardrobe hall (176 feet long) 

Shoes

          

A view of the Purana Haveli from a distance

The guides were well read and knew a lot of historical context. The whole thing probably took a little longer than two hours. Time well spent.    

Hyderabad by Walk - Khairataunnisa Tomb

The tomb (circa 1626) is right next to the mosque and is in a dilapidated state with little maintenance. This tomb was built by the tutor of Khairunnisa, daughter of the sixth Sultan of the Qutb Shah dynasty Sultan Mohammad Qutb Shah (1612-1626). Khairunnisa had built the Khairatabad mosque (which stands next to this tomb) for her tutor Akhund Mulla Abul Malik - and he seemed to have built this tomb for himself - as was the custom during the Qutb Shah times - for self- burial. But he passed away on his Haj pilgrimage and the mausoleum is empty. There's one such in the Qutb Shahi tomb necropolis which was unfinished and there is no one buried there if I remember right.

The structure is beautiful though.

   

A view of the tomb (1626 circa)

Plants growing out of the msoque

 

Jostling for space with new constructions

Beautiful work

Another view

Not a soul in sight. It lies in a small lane just off the Khairatabad mosque. A short walk and we are at the Khairatabad centre where there is a huge library and where the tallest Ganpathi in the twin cities is installed every year. I could see some old 60s type houses, a crowded locality.

Old house

There is a railway line that one must cross if one approaches the area from the main road and then the chourasta and it leads off to Prasad's IMAX if you keep following the road. To the right come the mosque and the tomb. If you head straight down the mosque you land up next to Meera theatre and where the old Rajdoot hotel was once. Never knew!  

Hyderabad by Walk - Khairatabad Mosque

Nestling inside Khairatabad are two brilliant structures belonging to the Qutb Shahi era - the Khairatabad mosque and the Khairatunnisa Tomb (Which I later found was not her tomb but of her tutor - more on that later). I have no idea where I came across this information but during one of our walks, I told Sunnie that there seems to be a tomb around the Prasad's IMAX area so could we walk and see that. And he was game as he normally is and we walked holding our maps for direction passing Prasad's and turning right towards Kharatabad. 

Khairatabad mosque (1626 AD - Qutb Shah era)

The map led us right but Sunnie sighted the mosque first and we somehow assumed this was it because it was magnificent and certainly looked old enough to fit our information. The only thing that was not in sync was that the people who had visited the tomb had mentioned that it was in really bad condition and while the mosque looked tip top. Anyway, it was so impressive that we were just too happy to go and check it out.

Intricate work

The story as per the stuff on the net is that the mosque was built around 1626 by Khairunnisa Begum, daughter of the sixth Qutb Shah Sultan - Md Qutb Shh (1612-1621). She had this mosque built for her tutor Akhund Mulla Abul Malik. The job of constructing the mosque, a palace and a tank was given to the son-in-law of her tutor Akhund Mulla Abul Malik - Hussain Shah Wali. It was he who built this mosque and the tank which we know today as Hussain Sagar.

Front view

More intricate work

We pottered around and took some pics. People were quite helpful and pointed us here and there. i aske done chap if the tomb of Khairataunnisa was within the mosque and he said there were not tombs. I walked around, saw the small madrassa, an area for children to play, well maintain premises.

Father and son - and Sunnie

Sunnie meanwhile had struck up a conversation with a father and son. The father is a priest from a town in Uttar Pradesh and migrated to Hyderabad several years ago. His son was in the madrassa studying to be a priest. The father was also a priest in the old city or some far off place while the ten year old lives her and studies. The father had bought his son Osmania biscuits and chai from Cafe Niloufer. He offered the same to Sunnie and then when I went there, to me also. Large hearted and setting the right example. Niloufer is not a cheap place.

We left after thanking him and wishing the son well and I told Sunnie that Niloufer was not a cheap place and that the man was super generous. Sunnie decided then and there to go and gift the boy some cash which they accepted gracefully. Lovely morning. Lovely people.

Hyderabad by Walk - King Kothi Palace

 Despite having studied in All Saints High School which is a stone's throw from the King Kothi Palace I never thought of checking it out. So on Sunday last me and my travel spirit headed to the area. Parked in the lane where those three large houses are, the shadi khana lane, and walked back. I remember one old friend's house being there somewhere.

Sri Thyagaraja Government College of Music and Dance 

Bang opposite where I parked was this quaint gate painted blue with the board Sri Thayagaraja Government College of Music and Dance. Since it was an early hour I took a pic of the gate and the building (over the gate). 

The inside - beautiful campus

It was so nice to see such a facility, well maintained and well preserved, right in the middle of the city, offering courses in music and dance. I heard that they shot Sagara Sangamam there. Started with a nice feeling.

King Kothi Palace

Round the corner from the end of the lane, past the sellers of second hand scooters and bikes and to the left is one part of the King Kothi palace which was converted into a hospital. The palace building still looks imposing and nice. In three parts originally - the Main building (which was converted into a hospital), the Usman Mahal (which has been demolished and a new block for the hospital constructed), and the Nazri bagh where the Nizam lived and where the Nizam's estates offices are/were.  

The District Hospital board

The old building given away to the government hospital

Can make out the palace despite the cars

The frontage

How it looks from behind

The buiding

All the specialties 

No maintenance, no security, some ladies cleaning up, the place seems to be used as a parking space I feel. Walked in and around and took some pics of the old building which seems to be storing old equipment. There's a statue of Gandhiji with a Satyameva Jayate written under.

Nazri Bagh or Mubarak Mansion

The hospital block is separated from the Nazri Bagh palace by a wall but if one makes the effort, one can see some spectacular parts of the palace from over the wall. This is where the 7th Nizam, the richest man in the world in his time, lived all his life.

Parts of the Nazri bagh visible

The Ghadial gate

The King Kothi palace, or the part that is called the Nazri Bagh has been sold off to some private parties and they are engaged in some legal issues so one cannot access it. Walked to one side of the hospital and could get a peep of how majestic this palace was from some glimpses of that building over the wall. Then walked around and looked at the famous purdah gate. One yellow gate which gave a small inkling into the palace - some people were inside but no way to catch their attention. Beautiful.

Purdah gate - purdah was lifted when the Nizam went out

The purdah gate had a curtain and hence the name

There is an interesting anecdote on how the King Kothi palace became the King's palace. The palace was originally built by a nobleman Kamal Khan incorporating elements from European, Islamic and Hindu architecture. However Kamala Khan inscribed his initials KK into every part of the palace. The 6th Nizam liked the palace and wanted to purchase it but the initials KK were proving to be a deterrent. That was when a courtier suggested that since it is a kothi (a huge house) and it belongs to the king, the KK could be changed to King Kothi. The 6th Nizam moved in and it is here that the 7th Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan lived from an age of 11 till he passed away in 1967. Interestingly the 7th Nizam is buried in a mosque called Judi mosque which was constructed by the Nizam. The Judi mosque is across the road from the palace which is where his mother was buried and it was his wish that he be buried where she was. The first Nizam is buried in Auragabad, the second to sixth are buried in Mecca Masjid and the 7th in Judi mosque.  

The Judi mosque where the 7th Nizam is buried

Then past the famous Hyline Bakery which we passed when we were in school while going to watch 'Jaws' at Parameshwari as reward for beating HPS Begumpet. Searched for the Wesley Church and enroute saw a beautiful estate with an old well and a cute temple. People were just waking up so no one seemed to be bothered.

Old well inside the temple complex

Old Jagannath temple - it even had a chariot house

Wesley Church

The CSI Centenary Wesley Church has a history dating back to the early 19th century. It is one of the earliest churches in Hyderabad. Apparently the Tamil speaking Christians in Hyderabad would travel to Secunderabad to pray at the St Thomas Church in bullock carts and a land was given by Prime Minister Salar Jung to build a church here.

The original Church built in 1969 - Christ Church

The Wesley Church was quite grand - the old one beautiful.

Waled past the Maharashtra mandal and peeped in. A nice auditorium that also seems to serve as a badminton hall and other buildings to the left. This part of the city catered to a large Maharashtrian segment. 

The Maharastra mandal was where Chitra and the Bhaves would go for their Maharashtrian activities. Some interesting old houses along the way and then back to the car. An interesting day out capped with a nice breakfast at Taj.