6 new reasons to go on a heritage walk in the city

  • | Sunday | 23rd April, 2017

The winners of the 22nd edition of the heritage awards were declared in line with this year's theme of 'Cultural Heritage and Sustainable Tourism' asaffirmed by International Council of Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS). Well, Indian National Trust for Arts and Heritage (INTACH) has just given us six more reasons to go exploring around the city again. "All the winners have bagged the awards for their distinctive contribution in making Hyderabad a heritage hub. At the recently held INTACH Awards, six little-celebrated landmarks in the city were conferred with awards. So do other winners, such as the Osmania University Library, the Khanqah of Hazrat Shah Khamosh , EME War Memorial and MANUU rockscape.

Ticked off everything from the Charminar to Salar Jung Museum , and Golconda to Paigah Tombs from your 'must-see must-do' list of Hyderabad? Well, Indian National Trust for Arts and Heritage (INTACH) has just given us six more reasons to go exploring around the city again. At the recently held INTACH Awards, six little-celebrated landmarks in the city were conferred with awards. The winners of the 22nd edition of the heritage awards were declared in line with this year's theme of 'Cultural Heritage and Sustainable Tourism' asaffirmed by International Council of Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS). "All the winners have bagged the awards for their distinctive contribution in making Hyderabad a heritage hub. While the Cottage Industries Sales Depot was a prime catalyst in revival of cottage industry of the erstwhile Hyderabad state, Ravindra Bharathi has an iconic status as the most prestigious cultural destination. So do other winners, such as the Osmania University Library, the Khanqah of Hazrat Shah Khamosh , EME War Memorial and MANUU rockscape. They all have made Hyderabad the heritage hotbed that it is," said Anuradha Reddy , co-convenor, INTACH (Hyderabad).A jury comprising eminent names such as ace architect Ar Nasir S Qureshi and Shahid Husain, renowned writer and former chairman of HEH The Nizam's Charitable Trust, conferred the awards to these cultural vestiges in an attempt to draw more attention towards their structural conservation.Located behind the Mecca Masjid, the Khanqah (a place where Sufi saints hold devotional meets and imparts education and guidance to their murids or disciples) was the home of the revered Hazrat Shah Khamosh for over 50 years, until his death in 1301 Hijri (1884 CE). The structure appears to have been composed of a single bay trabeated gallery with some parts enclosed to form rooms and the rest served as open verandas. The arrangement seems to have been modified during the Asaf Jahi period. A repository of numerous holy relics, the Khanqah houses the wooden sandals of Hazrat Abdul Qadr Jeelani, an Ottoman candle once used to light the Prophet's tomb in Medina and the Gaddi Mubarak — the mattress seat and bolsters used by Hazrat Shah Khamosh.Constructed by the City Improvement Board (CIB) in Gunfoundry by the Department of Commerce & Industries of the Nizam's Government in 1936, the Cottage Industries Sales Depo was instrumental in minimising the exploitation of artisans by the middlemen and rekindling an interest in handicrafts of the Nizam's dominions. The unremarkable exterior that appears severe and exceedingly Spartan is to ensure that the structure doesn't become a source of distraction for the visitors from the awe-inspiring array of handicrafts inside.Situated in the Osmania University, the Central Library aka University Library boasts of over 5,00,000 books and a rare collection of manuscripts dated between 1100 to 1800 century. It also houses 'The Vision of Osmania', a museum set up following the Golden Jubilee of the University, that exhibits souvenirs from its early decades, including copies of firmans laying out the missions and objectives of the academic institution, sketches and engravings by the Belgian architect Earnest Jasper , who wascommissioned to plan the University, the original model of the Arts College, priceless portraits, photographs and books. Architecturally, the library was built keeping in mind the changing socio-political scenario of Hyderabad. The Indo-Sarasenic arch — an architectural legacy of the Osmanian period — is completely absent in the 54-year-old building.Built to commemorate the birth centenary of poet-seer Rabindranath Tagore in 1961, the Ravindra Bharathi is the first auditorium of Hyderabad. dedicated solely to cultural activities, it continues to be a prestigious cultural destination in the city. Designed by internationally-celebrated architect-planner of Hyderabad, Padma Shri Mohammed Fayazuddin, it is also the first monumental building constructed in the city in the post Nizam-era.Erected in 1967 in memory of the martyrs of the Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers who laid down their lives in the service of the country, the EME War Memorial is a 25 feet tall, four-sided tapering pillar of dressed granite rising from a square base on a large platform. Located in a garden, the memorial was designed by Eric Marret, a noted Anglo-Hyderabadi architect, who was then the chief architect of the state. Names of all the martyrs of the Corps are inscribed on the memorial and on tablets installed around it.Hyderabad has a beautiful landscape, dotted with ancient and unique rock formations, that date back to 2500 million years! Sadly, many of these rockscapes have disappeared due to the rapid development in the city. Which is why the Maulana Azad National Urdu University's efforts to conserve the rockscape inside the campus are applause worthy. Being around these ancient rocks can fill you up with a sense of wonder and awe!

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