by Adonis » Tue Jun 08, 2004 1:49 pm
well did little search on good old google ...it was in nampally ...i dont think its there any more !!because ..
HYDERABAD Sept. 22(2003). It is going to be another day of mourning for heritage aficionados in Hyderabad, with the loss of two more prominent landmarks -- Adil Alaw Mansion popular as Taraporewala Montessori School building in Nampally area and the typical European facade of Musheerabad Jail. Both of them figure in heritage buildings listed for conservation under zoning regulations.
What is shocking in both cases, is the dubious role played by the Government, which even while ordering obliteration of whatever little is left of heritage, wants everyone to believe that it is making a "strong bid" for the UNESCO's World Heritage City status for Hyderabad. The impending demolition of the magnificent heritage award winning mansion and the way Musheerabad Jail office was razed to the ground goes on to expose the Government's commitment towards city's rich built heritage and its claim of promoting "heritage tourism."
The Government, it is reliably learnt, recently granted permission for deletion of the School building from the official heritage list, after the application for the same was rejected twice by the Heritage Conservation Committee. The first of its kind deletion, to be formalised after a notification, would effectively mean pulling down the building. The Taraporewalas' contention had been that the building has become unsafe for children studying there after a part of it had "collapsed in rain." The only way was to demolish the remaining part and raise a new cement concrete structure.
But the HCC turned down the plea, in view of the heritage value of the building. A team of engineers and architects too felt the building was safe; the collapsed portion could be restored to its original glory and reused. Having failed to get the HCC's nod, the applicants seem to have now successfully lobbied with the Government.
The Indo-European style bungalow built in 1920 at one time, belonged to the Rani of Gadwal. Recognised as one of the most important building typifying this style in Hyderabad other than the expansive Residency, it had a massive portico, a classical facade with semicircular arches and windows with overhanging sunshades. A little indiscretion by the Government and all these architectural features are to be lost forever.
The case of the Musheerabad Jail office is much more tragic. It was in August 2001, S. K. Sukumura, the then Director General of Police, Prisons and currently the DGP, wrote to the Hyderabad Urban Development Authority to include this portion of the jail for conservation possibly for its re-adaptation as a prison museum. It was referred to the HCC and at its 29th meeting, the proposal was approved and a Government Order issued in September last year. Barely a year later, the other Government department, Tourism, pulls down the listed heritage building perhaps for another of those fancy commercial projects. So much for the Government's avowed policy of making all departments work in tandem for boosting tourism especially woven round heritage.