Hyderabad by Walk - Irum Numa

The TB Hospital was a landmark even when we moved into this area in the mid 1970s - little did I know then that it was a massive palace built in 1888 by the Nawab Fakhrul Mulk as a hunting lodge. The TB Hospital was out of the town one could say as the town started withering away after Ameerpet or SR Nagar. The TB Hospital as it was known then was a massive area full of old trees and mysteries, large tracts of land that stretched from ESI Hospital to AG Colony to Vengal Rao Nagar behind. Inside this area was this huge hospital which we never went close to (TB had its own taboos and anyway hospitals did not interest us). 

Irum Numa (1888)

The entrance

But the grounds, the promise of adventure was definitely on and I remember my friend Mohan who egged me on to walk into those grounds with his little dog Jackie in the summer of 1982 and we had to run away from a pack of dogs which did not like us intruding in to their lands. The other memories from the TB Hospital was that of playing cricket matches in the barren grounds to the left - mostly with the much stronger Vengal Rao Nagar team.

Balconies, rooms, terraces

Detailing on the rooftop

Now there was a little break in the wall near ESI Hospital side to facilitate an easier entry to the hospital - rather than the main gate which required a longer walk so everyone took this wall entry. There were a couple of quarters if I remember right and we would trudge across the path, cross the road leading to the hospital and go across to where the grounds were. No one would stop us, there would be cricket balls matches on matting, cork ball games and such. I remember watching Kumar, Hayagriv and other such seniors playing. Then playing against Benny and Sriram, two very good left arm fast bowling all rounders, winning a game and losing one perhaps.

At dawn

Anyway, its only now, fifty years later that I realise that this was a palace called Iram Numa (Image of Pradise) built by Fakhr ul Mulk who also built the Irrum Manzil palace and several others in the city and who lies in the wonderful tomb constructed by the road after one passes Vengal Rao Nagar. From what I learned from the net the palace was inspired by a scaled down version of a palace in Paris with a strong Moorish influence. Was used  to film movies for a bit in the 80s. It was a 65 acre wooded area - our grounds went off when they planted trees all over the grounds then. In its best days the palace boasted of tennis courts, a large dining table, a sub station (still there), terraced gardens and the works. It was original used as a hunting lodge, then for some reason not used much, was used a a resting place for RAF pilots during WW II and then in 1970 converted into the TB Hospital which it served as an in patient ward till 2011 when it was declared unfit for use.

From the side

The Irum Numa sub station to the right

I recently discovered the tomb of Fakhrul Mulk and then slowly discovered his passion for building palaces. But now the Chest Hospital is out of bounds with huge construction activity going on and security all around it. On one such walk I decided to chance my luck and walked in and told the security guard that I would like to see the old structure and he let me in after some thought. I noticed many old trees getting chopped off and walked right up to the old palace at 630 am. Little life.

The tomb of Nawab Fakhrul Mulk Bahadur

The building coming up in front of the TB Hospital 

Where we played is now full of trees and shrubs, the old build was to the left, the new buildings to the right. It looked so beautiful that I wondered why I never walked in here then. Tall, large trees, a serene atmosphere. The palace itself looked so imposing, though in its dilapidated condition. I could see some terraces, stairways, rooms, corridors, even the sub station. It must have been beautiful.

Now the new building is cominng up - an imposing super speciality hospital which is perhaps the need of the hour but then one sees that hundreds of trees must have been felled to bring this up. Its a barren place now.

But I am glad that the palace has not been brought down and it has been retained. And I am glad I could see it and admire it.