Hyderabad: While on one hand, the state government authorities are spending crores to preserve the rich heritage dating to Qutb Shahi and Asaf Jahi period in Telangana, a few people have little respect for the heritage monuments and are damaging it.
The century-old ‘Jahanuma Lancer’ arch – the gateway to the once acclaimed Jahanuma Lancer and Palace located near Falaknuma has been damaged by a few persons who constructed a new building adjoining it.
A Twitter user Siraj Khan complained to the GHMC about the construction and damage to the heritage arch located on the western side of the Jahanuma Lancer locality.
“Near Jahanuma Falaknuma. There is one heritage kamaan demolished by someone & constructed a room. We wanted to know who is responsible for this kind of illegal construction. What is the Archeological Department doing?” he asked. He tagged the Minister for IT and MA&UD KT Rama Rao, GHMC, SHO Falaknuma police station and Hyderabad City Police in the complaint made via Twitter.
The GHMC responding to the complaint, asked the local town planning officer to attend to it and immediately do a site inspection and report.
The ‘Jahanuma Lancer’ once housed a light cavalry unit of the Paigahs. The unit, according to historians, was armed with the lance – a long wooden shaft and a pointed metal head, used as a weapon by knights and cavalry soldiers while charging on horseback.
Close to the Jahanuma Lancer locality was the Jahanuma Palace, the residence of Nawab Shams-ul-Umra, one of many palaces owned by the Paigah family. Jahanuma means ‘view of the world’.
After the rule of the Nizams ended, the Jahanuma Palace was pulled down and converted into a colony.
To date, a few families reside in those old houses and dwellings, claiming to be descendants of the soldiers who served in the Paigah army.
Three majestic gates served as the entry and exit points and still have the original big guard rooms, and still stand strong in the Jahanuma locality in the Old City, remnants of an Asaf Jahi rule.
“The impressive main gates led into the compound and were heavily fortified,” an old resident of the locality.
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