Hyderabad by Walk - Maqbara Mah Laqa Bai Chanda

I first read about Mah Laqa Bai Chanda (1768-1824), poet, courtesan, philanthropist, warrior, recently and then chanced upon this piece of information that her tomb was near Maula Ali. I decided to visit the tomb and took the first opportunity when I had to attend a function near Maula Ali.

Entrance to the Maqbara Mah Laqa Bai Chanda 

The Maqbara

The Maqbara Mah Laqa Bai Chanda is at the foothills of Maula Ali hill which is one way of showing her dedication to Maula Ali. Legend is that she was born after her mother Raj Kunwar, a Marathi courtesan from Rajputana, who climbed the Maula Ali hillock despite being heavily pregnant and was blessed with the charismatic and talented Chanda as her daughter (Raj Kunwar's husband was Bahadur Khan, a Mansabdar in the army of Muhammad Shah, the Mughal Emperor). 

A closer look

A part of the Maqbara - ornate work

The road leading to the tomb is narrow and there is no parking for four wheelers so I parked some distance away and walked. There is a board which gave directions and I walked into the Maqbara. The gardens were well maintained with lush greenery, a lady was watering the lawn and clearing the dirt. The Maqbara is ornate and beautiful with lovely stucco work, just enough. 

The Ashrukhana to the left of the Maqbara

 View of the Maqbara from the Ashurkhana

The mosque behind the Maqbara - Maula Ali shrine on the hillock behind

To the left is the Ashukhana and to the right is the Caravan Serai. A mosque behind the Maqbara was busy with young students studying the Quran. There is a small step well (apparently there are two, I missed the other). There are lovely views of Maula Ali hillock and I think there is a path leading up from the back door of the Maqbara. 

Another view of the Maqbara

The tombs of Mah Laqa Bai Chanda and her mother Raj Kunwar

Ornate work

The Maula Ali dargah on the hill

In times when there were societal taboos on women, Chanda grew up as an educated woman, who excelled at studies, in arts, dance, poetry, singing, art of diplomacy and even as a warrior. Excelling at an early age in javelin throwing and in archery she donned a male uniform and fought three wars with the Nizam (Asaf Jah II). The Maqbara has two graves, that of her mother and of her own, and one can see the Maula Ali shrine from the Maqbara. Mah Laqa Bai Chanda built the pavilion for her mother in 1792.

The mosque and the step well

Mah Laqa, or Moon Face, was a name given to her by the Nizam they say who was one of her many admirers, as were two Prime Ministers of that time, Arastu Jah and Chandulal. Mah Laqa was the first female poet to have published a compilation of 39 Urdu ghazals 'Gulzar-e-Mahlaqa' - a period which saw the transformation from Dakhni to Persianised Urdu (she was a contemporary of (Mir Taqi Mir). 

Maula Ali

Caravan serai

A view of the Maqbara

The entrance to the Maqbara from the inside

Noticing her skills in handling affairs of the court, the Nizam appointed her to the Omarah (highest nobility), discussed state policies with her. Mah Laqa had 500 foot soldiers and her arrival was heralded by drum beats, privileges given to few. As the owner of several rich jagirs she was a rich woman (her jagirs included Hyderguda, Chanda Nagar, Syed pally, Adikimet). Known as a philanthropist who worked for the upliftment of women, her residence was a place where women were trained to be courtesans. Her residence in Nampally has been converted into a Government aided Girls Degree College and her vast collections of books have been added to the Salar Jung museum. 

She is known to have worked to make the annual festival at the Maula Ali shrine popular, made special arrangements for mourners during Muharram and held feasts during that time. After her death she gave away all her properties to homeless women.   

Two steeds at the entrance

Somewhere on the mausoleum is an inscription in Urdu (there is a Urdu inscription by the tomb but sadly I cannot read Urdu so don't know what it meant) which goes like -

'Cypress of the gardens of grace and rose trees of the grove of coquetry, 

an ardent inamorata of Hydar and suppliant of Panjtan

When the tidings of the advent of death arrived from God,

she accepted it with her heart and heaven became her home

The voice of the invisible speaker called for her chronogram,

Alas! Mah Laqa of the Deccan departed for heaven 1240 AH'

Nice work

Sturdy door

The Maqbara has been restored with a grant of Rs. 40 lakh form the US Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation 2010. If I am not mistaken the ladies hostel at EFLU is named after her. Certainly worth visiting the tomb. Its quite beautiful and peaceful. It is open 8 am-6 pm every day except Friday.