By Omim Maneckshaw Debara
Talk on Heritage of Hyderabad cannot be done without remembering the two main persons responsible for identifying and notifying the heritage structures.
They were Late Dr. V K Bawa, the then Founder Commissioner of HUDA.
The Heritage Conservative Committee was formed by Andhra Pradesh government in 1981 to retain architectural, historical and social value of buildings. Hyderabad Urban Development Authority with the assistance of Ford Foundation had listed almost 160 buildings in Hyderabad, now Telangana State as heritage structures. Almost 70% of heritage buildings are in private hands. Heritage structures include buildings, monuments, rock formations etc.
By notifying such structures, Heritage Conservation Committee in collaboration with INTACH works to retain their architectural, historical and social importance and tries to convince the owners not to destroy the listed heritage structures for the commercial potential of their properties. The buildings are graded as Grade I, Grade II & Grade III.
However, experts feel due to lack of support from the State government it has become difficult to preserve the status of these buildings. Various buildings such as Ravi Bar, Adil Alam Mansion, Central Building Division, Montys Hotel, and IAS Officers Association & Devdhi Ranachand – Ahotichand have been demolished but the names of these buildings are still being retained on the list. Why? There is no explanation.
Victoria Zenana Hospital
Victoria Zenana Hospital building is more than a heritage structure. It is replete with medical history. It also witnessed the growth of modern medicine in Hyderabad. The hospital helped in saving the life of lakhs of women during pregnancy and childbirth. For more than a century the Zenana hospital building remained the landmark for Hyderabadis. It also witnessed the growth of modern medicine in Hyderabad. In fact the hospital saw legendry woman doctor working there including the world’s first qualified women anesthetist Dr Rupa Bai Fardonji during the 1900.
The Hospital was constructed in 1907, long before the birth of the modern-day Osmania General Hospital. The ruler was Nizam VI, Mir Mahbub Ali Khan. While most of the city was ravaged by the great deluge of 1908, the hospital remained intact. In fact, the building saved many lives from the flash floods. The foundation stone was laid by the Princess of Wales in 1905.
The Victoria Zenana Hospital was the second biggest hospital in the princely state of Hyderabad after Afzalgunj Hospital, the predecessor of Osmania General Hospital.
In the first four years of its formation, the hospital treated about 1,700 in-patients and thousands of outpatients. Afzalgunj Hospital had a separate ward for women but Victoria Zenana was the first exclusive hospital for women and their maternity cases. The building was constructed in typical Asaf Jahi style of architecture which is also known as Osmanian Style of Architecture. The building needs to be protected. Unfortunately, none of the Asaf Jahi buildings are included in the state protected list.
Yet another heritage structure is set to fade into history as the state government has given its nod for demolition of the remaining portion of Victoria Zenana Hospital. A portion of the building was pulled down earlier to make way for parking for the public that visit high court. The remaining structure will now face the axe for construction of multi level Parking. The hospital was shifted to Petlaburj after the premises was handed over to the high court for expansion.
The hospital premises have a fountain that dates back to the Qutub Shahi period. It was kept intact after the wards of the hospital were demolished to make way for parking for the high court vehicles. The fountain should also be preserved as it is as old as Charminar. Incidentally, the place where the hospital building now stands was a Qutub Shahi palace called Nadi Mahal. The number of patients admitted in Victoria Hospital was traditionally greater than its bed capacity,” according to the Bulletin of Indian Institute of History of Medicine (Vol XX).
Work on demolition of this is likely to begin in the next few weeks wiping out the first exclusive hospital building for maternity cases in Hyderabad.
My appeal to the Telangana State government, the High Court and the public of Hyderabad is to stop the destruction of the historical and architectural of a beautiful aspect of Hyderabad.
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