Hyderabad: The ‘restoration’ of the 16th century Gulzar Houz (fountain), one of the city’s foundational monuments, is a peculiar case when it comes to Hyderabad’s heritage. After it was announced in February that work on it began, the next thing people woke up to see a few months later was its remodelling with tiles that took everyone by surprise.
While there is some concern as to how the work was taken up, Gulzar Houz’s ‘restoration’ is also peculiar. The only consolation here is that nobody knows how the original fountain looked like. Nor is there proper documentation with regard to the various interventions undertaken by the state or external agencies over decades post independence.
The entire episode starting from the restoration to heritage activists taking objection also raises more questions about the path that the state government has adopted when it comes to protecting and conserving historical sites. Curiously, officials from the Telangana Heritage department seem to be largely absent these days when it comes to restoration, since it is the Municipal Administration and Urban Development department that is calling the shots.
What is the Gular Houz and why is it important?
One of the important things to understand about Hyderabad’s history is that we do not know how the city looked like originally, as it was destroyed by the Mughals in 1687 (the Nizams, who were Mughal appointed governors, came after that). When the city was founded in 1591 by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, it was built as a grand city, with the Charminar as its center.
Muhammad Quli was the fourth king of the Qutb Shahi or Golconda dynasty (1518-1687), who decided to move out of the Golconda fort and hence founded Hyderabad. The fort was a walled-city and its construction began after Muhammad Quli’s grandfather Sultan Quli founded the kingdom in 1518.
History books talk of the grandeur that Hyderabad once had, and among the initial monuments built within the first decade of its foundation was the Gulzar Houz. Most Hyderabadis and even tourists would usually overlook it, given that in recent public memory the fountain was in a sorry state. Over decades, it in fact became infamous for its neglect, and sewerage water inside it.
So what do history books tell us about it? Originally called ‘Char Su ka Houz’ (fountain of the four cardinal points), the structure was built around 1595 as a huge octogonal monument which had a fountain inside it. It was flanked by four huge gateways, or kamans, which still stand today. Aside from the four gateways, the Charminar, Badhshahi Ashurkhana, Mecca Masjid, Akkanna Madanna temple, and some other structures, most of the original buildings (including palaces) constructed by the Qutb Shahi kings were all demolished by the Mughals in 1687.
Unlike the Charminar which has not been changed structurally or fundamentally, the same cannot be said of the Gulzar Houz. The first glimpse we get of its changes is from an archival image form the 1880s during the reign of Mir Mahbub Ali Khan, the sixth Nizam (1869-1911). The photo shows that a huge circular fountain with an iron base and raised grills which occupy a good chunk of the intersection of the Char Kaman.
Salar Jung 1, Turab Ali Khan, took up some restoration works during his time as the Hyderabad state’s prime minister (1853-83), and it is possible that something was done during his time or after. After Mahbub Ali Khan, his son Osman Ali Khan took over in 1911. The City Improvement Board was set up under him in 1912, and Hyderabad was modernized under it. Architects and historians from the city believe that the Gulzar Houz went through more changes in the 1920s as well.
More importantly post independence, after constant changes and ‘tampering’, as some architects call, it, Gulzar Houz was turned into a 24-foot (end to end) circular fountain, with a boundary wall of over a feet on the road.
Deccan Terrain, which was given the task of the ‘restoration’, entirely remodelled the structure. The old concrete boundary walls have been replaced with raised stones that match the architecture in the area. Inside, the fountain now has Moroccan tiles with jets and a cast iron fountain inside. According to Mir Khan from the firm, the restoration was done in tune with the image from the 1880s.
Technically speaking as well, the structure is now better, but activists are peeved that no proper consultation was done for the project. The restoration also raises questions about how anyone given the task can change or alter historical sites. Can historic sites, be it in whatever condition, be altered like that? How do we go about restoring or even conserving such structures?
Sibghatullah Khan, city-based architect who runs Deccan Archive, felt that there should have been some expert consultation should have been done. He pointed out that making big changes at such sites also alters it fundamentally.
Another activist from the city, who did not want to be quoted, said that the government should have at least tried to replicate Gulzar Houz based on its descriptions in history books. “But they seem to have gone about just doing something to show off their work. In this case we do not know how it used to look like so you can argue that the structure now looks better than the sewer filled site it was earlier. But what if they change other healthy monuments with such impunity?” he questioned.
Heritage conservation is still a long shot
Activists from Hyderabad Siasat.com spoke to also said that the state government does not have a good track record when it comes to saving monuments. The issue of the historic Zenana Hospital building, situated just beside the High Court, is a good example. It took pressure and a strong letter to the chief justice of the Telangana HC, which finally stopped its demolition.
Similarly, other monuments in the past, including the Osmania General Hospital’s original heritage structure, have also faced the threat of demolition. While restoration projects are a great initiative, due process should be followed to ensure that monuments are not fundamentally altered. How the state government continues is to be seen.
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