Hyderabad: The Telangana government has planned to preserve heritage structures in Hyderabad and promote them as tourist spots.
The old building of Osmania Hospital and High Court on the banks of the Musi River to historic Jubilee Hall in Public Gardens are among the structures that will be preserved by the government.
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy is keen to develop the historic buildings located along the Musi River as tourist spots.
He wants to rope in the industry for the works to preserve the buildings that reflect the culture and heritage of the historic city.
While the work is currently underway for Charminar conservation, the Chief Minister wants industrialists to come forward to join the efforts for preservation of heritage structures like Osmania Hospital and High Court.
The government has already decided to construct a new building of Osmania Hospital at Goshamahal Stadium.
The old building of Osmania Hospital, which is in dilapidated condition, will be conserved as a heritage structure as part of the proposed Musi Riverfront development project to attract tourists.
Conceived after the Musi floods of 1908, the Osmania Hospital was built by Mir Osman Ali Khan, the last Nizam of Hyderabad State, and named after him.
Designed by British architect Vincent Jerome Esch and Nawab Khan Bahadur Mirza Akbar Baig in the Indo-Saracenic style, it was completed in 1919. Heritage experts say the domes of Osmania Hospital added to Hyderabad’s charms.
As the state government has allotted 100 acres of land for the construction of new building of the High Court at Rajendranagar, the present building on the banks of Musi will be preserved as heritage structure.
The iconic building of the High Court was built in 1919. It was on April 20, 1920 that the building was inaugurated by the Seventh Nizam, Mir Osman Ali Khan.
It was then set up as High Court of Hyderabad for the then princely State of Hyderabad. After Hyderabad State acceded to the Indian Union in 1948, many changes were brought in its functioning and English replaced Urdu.
After the formation of Andhra Pradesh with the merger of Hyderabad State with Andhra in 1956, the High Court was later renamed as High Court of Andhra Pradesh.
It served as the High Court of the united State of Andhra Pradesh from 1956 to 2014. After bifurcation of the State of Andhra Pradesh, the High Court was then renamed as High Court of Judicature at Hyderabad for the State of Telangana and the State of Andhra Pradesh and served as a common High Court for both the states.
The bifurcation and constitution of separate High Courts for Telangana and Andhra Pradesh came into effect on 1st January, 2019.
The Chief Minister has urged the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) to come forward for conservation of Jubilee Hall in Public Garden in the heart of the city.
Jubilee Hall currently houses Telangana Legislative Council. However, the Council will soon be shifted to old Assembly building, which has been restored by the government.
The Chief Minister said the state government has taken up the renovation of the Old Assembly building and the state Legislative Council will be shifted to the renovated building soon.
Revanth Reddy pointed out that Jubilee Hall has a historical significance. The CM observed that the structure with special technology needs to be preserved in the future.
Jubilee Hall was a royal palace built in 1913. According to historians, the sixth Nizam, Mahboob Ali Khan, used to hold his ‘darbar’ here. In 1937 the Darbar Hall was pulled down to make way for an impressive Jubilee Hall to commemorate the silver jubilee of his son Mir Osman Ali Khan’s rule. The silver Jubilee coronation was held here. Hence it got the name Jubilee Hall.
Jubilee Hall has a magnificent pavilion where Mir Osman Ali Khan, received ‘nazranas’ and addressed people on the occasion of the silver jubilee of his reign.
Revanth Reddy is also keen to preserve historical structures like Puranapool across the Musi River and the Hyderabad City College building.
He was addressing an event where the state tourism department signed an agreement with the CII to restore and preserve the ancient step-wells in Hyderabad and promote them as tourist spots.
Various companies and institutions have come forward to restore and preserve step-wells like Mahalaka Stepwell in Osmania University, Manchirevula Stepwell, Salar Jung, Ammapalli, Adikmet and Residency Stepwell.
In 2022, the state government restored a 17th-century stepwell at Bansilalpet in partnership with organizations like Rainwater Project, Gandipet Welfare Society and the local community.
Hyderabad has dozens of step-wells considered to be of utmost importance environmentally, architecturally, and historically.
