Heritage Capital Hyderabad Picture Book - The Express Group

Mukthyar, who has a great love for Hyderabad's heritage and history and has transitioned from being an onlooker like me to being a full time heritage tour leader with his organisation 'Tareekh-e-Dakshin' gifted me this lovely picture book, a ready referencer for all the monuments and building of heritage value in Hyderabad. Its about 150 pages, produced beautifully by the Express Group, showing the history of the city with pictures. The book has pictures of protected archaeological monuments, heritage buildings and even heritage precincts, dating from the Qutb Shahi period and the Asaf Jahi period. Each monument is given a short bio, a lovely picture and its location in case one needs to go see it. There is a section of buildings that have disappeared too!

Protected Monuments

The protected heritage monuments include - Charminar, Mecca Masjid, Golconda fort, Qutb Shahi Tombs, Paigah Tombs, Akkanna Sarai, Badshahi Ashurkhana, Purani Idgah, Dabirpura Gate, Saidanima Tomb, Shah Raju Tomb, Raymond's Tomb, Patancheru Tombs, Toli Masjid, Khairath Khair Tomb, Hayath Bakshi Begum Mosque, Taramati Baradari, Mushirabad Mosque, Premamati Mosque, Miyan Mushk Mosque, Puranapul Darwaza, Khairath Begum's Mosque, Khairath Begum's Tomb, Uppal Mosque, Hakim's Tomb and Mosque, Shamsheer Kotha, Shaikpet Mosque and Sarai, Armenian Cemetery, Gunfoundry, Kulsum Begum Mosque and Khazana building. Of 

I have not visited Akkanna Sarai, Purani Idgah, Patancheru Tombs, Hayath Bakshi Begum Mosque, Mushirabad Mosque, Uppal Mosque, Hakim's Mosque, Shamsheer Kotha, Armenian Cemetery and Kulsum Begum mosque.

Heritage Buildings 

The heritage buildings list is way longer and includes  (the ones that I have seen) Falaknuma Palace, Chowmahalla Palace, Osmania General Hospital, Arts College, British Residency, High Court, City College, Hyderabad Public School, Central Library, Char Kaman, Clock Tower, Amberpet Burj, Parsi Dharamshala, Sultan Bazar Clock Tower, Dewan Deodi Gate, Nizamia Observatory, Chatta Bazaar Kaman, Shahi Jillu Khana, Aliabad Sarai, Puranapul bridge, Deodi iqbal Ud Dowlah, Alladin Building, Golden Threshold, Gandhi Medical College, Spanish Mosque, St John's Church, Jamay Masjid, Darul Shifa and Mosque, Dargah Yousufain, Afzal Gunj Mosque, St Mary's Church, Moghulpura Tombs, James Street, Paigah Plaza, Vikhar Manzil, Errum Manzil, Chiran Fort Palace, King Kothi Palace, Mahboob Mansion, Asmangarh Palace, Purani Haveli, Greenlands Guesthouse, Dhanrajgir Palace, Bella Vista, Nawab Muquarrrab Jung palace (Directorate of Industries), Nizam College, Monty's, Princess Esra Women's Education Centre, Lady Hydari Club, State Archaeological Museum, Moazzam Jahi Market, Victoria Maternity Hospital, Andhra Patrika building, Homeopathic Hospital, Nizam Club, Sardar Mahal, Kishen Pershad Deodi, Fakhr Ul Mulk Tomb, Mehboob Chowk and Mosque, Chandulal Temple, Fatehmaidan Clock Tower, Jawahar Bal Bhavan, Mohanlal Malani's Residence, Goshamahal Baradari, Yousuf Tekri, Dilkusha Guest House, Mahboobia Girls School, Aliya School, Reddy hostel, Nursing College, Raj Bhavan, Bal Bhavan, Taj Mahal Hotel, Kurshid Jah Deodi, Unani Hospital, ENT Hospital, Jubilee Hall, Old MCH Office, Victoria Memorial Orphanage, Prem Chand Residence.  

The heritage buildings I have not yet seen are - Dargah Nooruddin Shah, Deodi Shamsheer Ganj, Bhagwan Das Kamaan, Baquer Bagh, Mahal Wanaparthi, Central Coop Trianing College, Panj Mahalla, Parwarish Bagh, Baitul Ashraf, Imaad Jung Bahadur Deodi,  Bansilal Deodi, Asman Mahal, Shyam Rao Chungi Residence, Khusro Manzil, Raza ALi Bungalow, Lakshmi Paper Mart, Malwala Palace, Shamraj Bahadur Gate, Kishan Bagh Temple, Puranmal Tombs, Vilayat Manzil, Darga Syed Shah, Mir Mahmood Wali, Qila Kohra and mosque, Jham Singh temple, Sitaram Bagh temple, Ameen Mahal, Mehdi Nawaz Jung Deodi, Mushk Mahal, Manjhli Begum Haveli, Roshan Mahal, Deodi Akram Ali Khan, Dargah Hazrath Shujauddin, Aliabad Sarai.

Heritage Precincts

Heritage Precincts include rocks estimated to be some 2500 million years old, amongst the oldest and hardest rocks in the world. They include hillocks around Durgam Cheruvu, 'Bear's Nose' in Shilparamam, 'Obelisk' on Road no 66 Jubilee Hills, 'Cliff Rock' between Road no 45 and 46 in Jubilee Hills, 'Toadstool' next to Blue Cross, Jubilee Hills, 'Tortoise Rock' in Nandi Hills, Jubilee Hills, 'Mushroom Rock' in University of Hyderabad, 'Monster Rock' near Film Nagar, 

Brilliant guide book for me. Thanks a ton Mukthyar!

   

The Shallows -Nicholas Carr

 The byline 'How the Intenet is Changing the Way we Think, Read and Remember' says it all. Originally published in 2010 when Carr had his doubts about the Internet and how it was changing him, it has come with a new edition where he is now pretty much convinced that it does and will change us unless we safeguard ourselves.  As usual Abhinay gifted me this book which broaden my perspective so much, so thank you Abhinay.

Carr begins by going back to the 2010s and before when everyone was sure that the Internet was going to make  humans smarter, because they will have more information and can make better choices. But then they did not realise that not everyone on the internet had these naive ideas - because pretty soon the people who ran the Internet started making the choices for us. Carr quotes a study or a book by Marshall Macluhan in 1964 titled 'Understanding Media - The Extension of Man' where he says 'the media is the message which primarily means that whenever a new media comes along people get caught up in the information while the technology behind it disappears (we do not give a thought to how the technology can slowly change our behaviors - like children who are given a dangerous toy we forget about what's behind it). Carr says the content does not matter because the medium influences the way we think and act. Technology alters patterns of perception steadily without any resistance from us ( we are busy with our toys). He quotes a film critic who says 'doubts can be rendered feeble in the face of the certainty of the medium'.

Carr says he feels like Hal the computer in Kubrick's 1968 film - 2001: A Space Odyssey which laments that it is losing its mind. Carr says he has found that his concentration while reading has reduced (me too) and he feels that the net has turned him into a flesh and blood word processor. There is a change in the way we read - we skim now, and read deeply less - and it changes the way we read and write. Carr refers to many studies that proved that unlike the earlier thought that the brain is constant and cannot change, newer studies prove that the cells of our brains develop and grow with use and atrophy with disuse. Brains are neuro plastic and change with use and disuse. He quotes William James who spoke of two minds - the physical and mechanical brain and the subconscious spiritual mind. Brains change and can reprogram itself on the fly, altering the way it functions. He cites a case where a paralysed man used the paralysed side everyday and healed himself - changed the wiring in his brain so to say. Even more powerful is this thought - its not just repeated physical activity but even purely mental activity can alter neural circuitry. For example the London taxi drivers of yore before maps who had to remember complex routes - a part of their brain was bigger. Suffice to say that our thoughts exert a physical influence on or at least cause a physical reaction in our brains.

No wonder neuro plasticity has been linked to depression and OCD and tinnitis - the more the sufferer concentrates on his symptoms the deeper the symptoms are etched into his neural activity. Carr gives the example of how the human mind changed with new technologies like maps and clocks which altered our perception of space and time and changed the way we thought. Carr says that technology is an expression of human will and it can be used to 1) extend physical strength (plough, needle, jet) 2) sensitivity (microscope, birth control pills), reshaping nature to fulfil our needs and desires and 4) intellectual technology (maps, clocks) to extend and support our mental powers. Of all, this is the most intimate (and dangerous as all things intimate are). The broader implications of intellectual tech Carr says are that the inventors intellectual ethic has the most profound effect on us. Used unethically he says that human beings become a little more than the sex organs of the machine world.

He says that the debate between determinists (anti tech) and instrumentalists (pro tech) will never end. But technology influences how our minds change by influencing how we find, store and interpret information, how we direct and engage our senses, how we remember and forget. Maps and clocks changed our language. Dependence on a particular technology will alter the mind and make it shallow (we can lend that part to tech and forget about it). Carr says how readign made people more atentive, imaginative and enabled them to lose themselves. Guetnberg came along with his printing press and reading improved people's experience of life and nature. 

But now we have people who multi task - distracted from distractions by distractions - which make fundamental changes to our mental makeup. Heavy Internet usage has neuro consequences. Experiments have been conducted on multi media versus text only groups and the text only group scored better. Multi taskers sacrifice the primary task for interruption. 

Carr bemoans the Taylor algorithm of productivity - measure everything and improve it. Google has taken that to an extreme and they do not believe in subjectivity - its all measurement. Initially started with the idea of making people use their computers more effectively Google is now on a mission to organise the world's information and make it accessible and useful. However since Google is a profit making corporation it has figured out Adwords which is a subtle way to place ads based on what you search for (and speak about and think perhaps). The more they keep people online, the more they find ways in which to place ads and the more revenue and profits they generate. Not just directly they also sell complementary products. Through all this Carr says Google definitely shapes our behavior, thinking and the way we act.

Off loading of memory to external data threatens depth and distinctiveness of self. Carr says that culture is more than just the world's information. When we outsource memory to machines, culture withers. The price of technology Carr says is alienation. Technology mutes the faculties it is supposed to amplify.

Carr says we are bringing in frenziedness into our souls. Our intelligence flattens with AI. One study says that Americans now spend half their time looking at screens - on smartphones they spend an average of 5,05 hours with 85 unlocks. The performance of students in an experiment where they had a phone beside them with its screen down, phone in the bag and away from them and phone in another room showed distinct results - phone next to them affected scores adversely while phone in next room worked best. Its almost like the phone is an extension of themselves. People showed lesser sense of reasoning, social skills and maintaining relationships. 

Carr says smart phones are super normal stimulus and that we are being programmed by unethical technology use. We suffer the illusion of knowing more when we actually know less. Data, he says, is memory without history. When we construct our capacity for reasoning or recall, or transfer those skills to a machine we sacrifice the ability to turn information into knowledge. As Yuval Noah Harari says, we become cows.

Carr takes great pains to explain how our thinking changed from the times of Socrates who believed that writing would affect memory (it would because now we know we can access it later which means we concentrate lesser), the development of language, of writing, of the press, of studies on brains, on Google. He makes a convincing case and shares how he tried to get away from technology by moving to a small place, keeping the phone away and all that - and how he is slowly going back to his old ways. I am going through the same phase now and am trying to keep it in balance but I can see my screen time increasing, unlocks increasing, find myself surfing stuff I never used to earlier. Drastic measures may need to be taken so we do not become shallower than what we have become.

It's a lovely book and thought its not an easy read, has great content and well argued. Thanks Abhinay for another wonderful book that opens up a new area for me (he has given me books on sleep, on breath, on comfort and several others so far).                     

Hyderabad by Walk - Chudi Bazar - Jumeraat Bazar

Tanya announced a walk in the Chudi Bazar - Jumeraat Bazar area and I signed up since its one part of the city I have not really explored. I started early because the walk was at 7 am which is a good time to walk, found a place to park and waited a few minutes before Tanya and a quorum showed up. Tanya explained by way of a map (she always has maps and pictures to show on her ipad to give us an idea of what to expect - and she hands over her trademark picture postcards with the maps and other details in the back to each participant) how we were at standing the top of a triangle and that we would walk along the two arms - Chudi Bazaar and Jumeraat Bazar. Now Chudi Bazar probably means bangle bazar and I know Jumeraat bazar is an old second hand household goods market - the physical Amazon of the olden days that operates on Thursdays. Being Sunday, the street was empty so we could walk easily. 

Rani Avantibai chowk

Chudi bazaar to the left-Jumeraat bazaar to the right

We started by walking on the Chudi Bazar road after passing the imposing Rani Avantibai statue on a horse back - I originally mistook her for Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi but when I looked at the map closely I found that it mentioned it as Rani Avantibai Chowk. The queen-regent of Ramgarh (currently Dindori) in Madhya Pradesh had a role to play akin to Rani Lakshmi Bai of Jhansi in the 1857 uprising and died at the age of 26, choosing to kill herself in a battle against the British that she was losing. Famous of her act of bringing together small kingdoms together to fight the British by sending them bangles and urging them to fight against the British she managed to defeat the British in the first war. She is revered by the Lodhi community. There is a postal stamp issued in her name.

Sri Khemdas ji's samadhi

Cherub painted on the samadhi

Tanya led us into a small gate to the left that opened into a mutt - the Khemdas Mutt. I would never have imagined that so much land existed within that gate. The temple arches were being constructed anew but once we were inside the main area it was quite amazing too see what lay within these walls - a 200 year old mutt, a wooden dalan, a beautiful samadhi of Sri Khemdas, several shrines for various gods all amidst greenery and a peaceful environment one would not associate with this area of town. 

Samadhi

The wooden dalan

Portrait of Sri Khemdas ji

Towards the right side was a new structure made entirely of marble with idols of the saints. The pandits were very amicable, allowed us to take pictures, offered prasad and tea, explained the mutt's history, even showed documents and maps. The head priest really knew his history (he said he had studied history). Behind the structures was an old baoli which Tanya offered to help restore if the management was ready. One can spend a lot of time within these walls - it's very peaceful. 

Hanuman temple

Choose your vehicle

On the road outside, two barbers sat on the road. From there we went to another small temple, Ram temple. Again, there was an old world quiet and devotion in this temple as people sat and quietly prayed or meditated or chanted. We walked to the back of the temple where we saw a old tree and some shrines. 

Ram Candra temple

From there we walked to the Sanatana Dharma Sabha Building which was an impressive building built on a large area. It appears to be used for functions and such. Poor upkeep but very impressive. The area is full of akharas and vyayamshalas now I know why they always refer to the pahelwans of Begumpet Bazar. 

Kishan Das Mutt

Sanatan Dharam Sabha building

We crossed over to the Jumeraat Bazar and walked into the Nadi Nath Ganesh temple. It was a beautiful temple that led into a street leading us to the Musi. On the banks of the Musi was an interesting structure, a Nadi Hanuman temple which apparently gets submerged in the rains. The gentleman praying there told me that one should examine the stone within the temple to get an idea of how old it is. He mistook me for a Professor. On the way back some ladies asked me if I was part of a film shoot.

Jagannathdwara Mutt

There was an Arundhathi Seva Mandal with Ambedkar's photo, quite a big building. I also noticed other stones and banners referring to Mediga Bandhu Mitra Sangam. Interestingly in this small, compact area with so many temples and mutts one could see all sections of society coexist.

 

Nadi Hanuman temple by the river Musi

On the way back we saw an old police station, now in disuse, but Tanya pointed out the architecture of that era that was evident. A few steps more and we reached the place where I had parked the car.

Small temple in the river

Rani Avantibai

Quite a fascinating walk. I would have never imagined that so many temples were in that vicinity. Thanks Tanya.  

Hyderabad by Walk - Qilich Khan Walk

Deccan Archives announced it's Saturday walk - Qilich Khan - the grandfather of the first Nizam and a Mughal nobleman. Qilich Khan translates to 'Swords Man' said Wahaj who led the walk with his usual panache and elegance. Originally Khaja Abid, he was born in Aliabad near Samarkhand, and joined the Mughal army as it marched on to the Deccan.

The enclosure

Qilich Khan's tomb in the centre

I had read of Qilich Khan earlier but since the tomb was in a remote place, never went. So when the walk was announced I recruited Ramaraju for the walk - I realise it's a good way to catch up with old friends on the drive, the walk, maybe a chai and breakfast after. That's if they like these kind of outings that is. It took us close to an hour to reach the place near Kismetpur, right next to the ORR, not far from the Himayat Sagar bund that you can see if you walk on to the road. There was a small group of 6-7 and we were joined by Serish Nanisetty who is another expert on the history of Hyderabad, having written the wonderful Golconda/Bagnagar book.

The Qawahghar - or whatever it was called

An idea of the expanse of this area

Wahaj gave us a bit of history of Qilich Khan who was part of Aurangzeb's army that conquered Bijapur and then joined the forces as they tried to conquer Golconda. There were drought like conditions and it was a long 9 month siege before the Mughals conquered Golconda. In the war however, a cannon ball hits Qilich Khan blowing his right arm off a few miles away. Qilich Khan as the legend goes does not discount despite his severe wounds and rides back to camp to get treated. While getting treated he sips his coffee and expresses his confidence that he will join the fight in a few days. Unfortunately he dies three days after. This was the 1687 battle which the Mughals won.

Another view of the enclosure

Tombs of other nobles

He is buried in Kismetpur. His right arm is found and recognised as his thanks to the signet ring and it is buried separately. The accounts are confusing but there seems to be one tomb here at Kismetpur and the other at Attapur.

The tomb in in a huge area which is rectangular in shape and thankfully walled because there is immense pressure of buildings all around it. Nets for volleyball, badminton, some goal posts, kids playing cricket make it an ideal space for games. There is a Qutb Shahi era mosque, a madarassa. In its prime Wahaj says it was designed in the Char Bagh design. In the centre is a building which was the royal gawakhana or quawah khana, a place for the royals to sip coffee (before the British brought in tea). 

The Qutb Shahi era mosque

The tomb itself is a simple, open to sky structure, in line with the austere ways of Aurangzeb. Chadars are placed on it as is a turban. It's a dargah so people come and sit and pray. A few tombs around it belong to family members or those close to him. Behind the main tomb area there are a few more tombs. 

Pineapple motif

The minarets carry the pineapple and corn motifs - these two were brought to India by the Portuguese. To one corner is a Qutb Shahi mosque with all the makings of classic Qutb Shahi architecture. Wahaj pointed out that since the artisans were not Persian some local elements would creep into the architecture like a mandapa or so.

Osmanian mosque 1930s

Qilich Khan's son Feroz Jung married the daughter of the Prime Minister of Shah Jehan and it's their eldest son Mir Qamaruddin Khan who became the first Nizam. Qilich Khan's tomb prominently mentions the name Shaik Shahabuddin Suhrawadi and it says that his geneology reached the Sufi saint. 

Book on the Musi by the Deccan Archives

We walked from this area on the road across the bridge over river Esi which is now a mere trickle. One can see the Himayat Sagar bund from the road. The two rivers Musi and Esi (named after Musa and Esa - feminine versions being Musi and Esi) - merge at the sangam near Bapu ghat, Langar Houz. Musi originates at Anantagiri while Esi originates at Pargi. Unlike Musi, Esi flows through lesser populated areas and thus is less prone to mischief. Wahaj explained how the Himayat Sagar is an earthen dam unlike Osman Sagar which is built between two hillocks. He also threw some light on how the water system allowed the water to flow from one to another depending on need. I am always amazed at the amount of knowledge and information Sibgat and Wahaj have over the history, geography, architecture, culture, governance of Hyderabad and how succinctly they explain. 

We walked on to the Osmanian mosque built around the 1930s, some old houses of that era built there, walked back to see the Esi close up and then back to the tomb area. Had a nice time chatting with Serish about his book and movie theatres and so on. I also bought a book brought out by the Deccan Archives on the Musi. A group pic and me and Ram headed back homeward bound. 

Morning we'll spent. 

Miranda Days - INDIA Block Protest March

A post by Anish Gawande on the protest march by INDIA Block on October 12, 2026, which was attended by 'the coolest people' - A is part of the brigade.

Thought for the Day - Make the World Your Ally

While chatting with a couple of cricketers I was telling them not to fight the environment so much - unfriendly pitches, people, circumstances etc. The more we fight the environment the more difficult it gets for us. Everything it appears seems loaded against us. 

But its just our narrative. 

I was telling them how some bowlers kiss the ball before they bowl. It's an act that says, you're my friend, help me, I trust you. We can make the same narrative with the pitches, bats, umpires, teammates, opponents and what not. Such a narrative makes it easier for us to perform better when we try to gather more support from the environment.

We can do the same thing with everything in life. That all of life is our ally, is working for us, is for us. This shift in energy can certainly change things. Just trust and believe it.

The entire world is my ally. The entire universe supports me.

Thought for the Day - Ownership and Surrender

What's the relationship between ownership and surrender I wondered while chatting with a friend. In my subsequent ponderings I tried to put some thought to it. In my mind it seems to progress in three stages with factors like effort, attachment and love coming in.

The first stage - there's no ownership and we simply give up which is more giving up than surrender. Doesn't work. It's complete apathy, complete attachment to outcome (which is why there's no effort). No love for the work, ego based, fear based.

The second stage - we take ownership and give the job at hand (including our life as we live it) our everything and when things still hit a wall, we surrender to the higher power. Once we surrender to a higher power we are ok with whatever outcomes come out way. Full effort, complete responsibility and low attachment to outcome. Better chances of getting a good result. There's some attachment, some love and it tips towards the positive if we can let go of the ego.

The final state - when all ownership is given to the higher power and we simply work with complete dedication and love with no attachment to the outcome. All we are doing is being fully immersed in our work which we are doing for love. Nothing else matters. What comes is the taken with gratitude. The highest form. 

That then is my take on ownership and surrender.