Hyderabad: The French Embassy/Bureau de France, Hyderabad, here has expressed its support for the conservation initiative of Monsieur Raymond’s Tomb and agreed to extend financial assistance of Rs 14 lakh towards it. The decision was made after a meeting was held between the embassy and Telangana government officials on Wednesday, June 17.
The conservation works for Raymond’s Tomb was based on the estimates prepared by the Department of Heritage Telangana. A high-level review meeting on the conservation and development on the historic monument by A Vani Prasad, Special Chief Secretary (Youth Advancement Tourism and Culture) in the presence of the French delegation and senior officials of the state government.
The Special Chief Secretary emphasized the importance of preserving Raymond’s Tomb, a monument that is obelisk dedicated to Monsieur Raymond, an 18th century French commander who was based in Hyderabad and was quite influential. Raymond was a contemporary of James Achilles Kirkpatrick, who was the Resident of the British East India Company here.
James managed to convince the second Nizam of Hyderabad, Nizam Ali, to ally with the British, which eventually led to the French losing out and being removed from the city.
The French delegation comprised Mr. Pascal Loreau, Deputy Consul, Bureau de France, Hyderabad, Rohini Reddipalli, Assistant to the Consul, Maud Miquau, Director, Alliance Française de Hyderabad, and Hugo Cauvet, Coordinator, Bordeaux Métropole, said a press release.
From the state government, the meeting was attended by Prof. Arjun Rao, Director, Department of Heritage Telangana, Ranjeet Nayak, Director, Tourism Department, Dr. P. Nagaraju, Deputy Director, Department of Heritage Telangana, and Sri N. Narasingh, Deputy Director, Department of Heritage Telangana.
Apart from financial assistance, an inauguration programme has also been proposed to be organized on 28 July, for which necessary arrangements will be made in coordination with the French delegation and concerned departments, the release stated.
“The Department of Heritage Telangana will undertake and complete the conservation works within a period of two months. Necessary visitor facilities, including informative description boards and basic amenities, will be provided at the monument site to enhance the visitor experience,” it added.
