Hussain Sagar :  echoes of a sufiyana past

   The Hussain Sagar lies between the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. It is a Qutub Shahi structure built in 1563 by Ibrahim Quli Qutub Shah and engineered by Hussain Shah Wali, a Sufi mystic. The lake is heart shaped. Built originally for the purpose of a tank near Golconda for irrigation and drinking water, its maximum depth is 32 feet, spread across an area of 5.7 square kilometres. 



Map of Hussain Sagar, Hyderabad,Telangana.

By OpenStreetMap - http://www.openstreetmap.org/, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=22643894

     Hussain Shah Wali was  a nephew of Khaja Bandenawaz, a famous Sufi saint of Gulbarga. He had been called to the royal court of the Qutub Shahis by  Sultan Ibrahim Quli Qutub Shah, as it was a practice to have a descendant of Khaja Bandenawaz for protection and well being of the state. Hussain Shah Wali also  cured him of illnesses. He was a peerzada and called Hazrat Khaja Hussain Shah Wali, a Sufi saint and is believed to have performed many miracles.He later became son-in-law of the Sultan after marriage to his daughter, Khairatunissa. The tank also provided a salubrious atmosphere for her during her illness period.

Hazrat Khaja Hussain Shah Wali

It took over three years to complete but remained unfilled for four years. The Sultan then directed Neknam Khan, a noble at his court to make channels from the River Musi to the tank, which was done and the tank was filled.

Hussain Sagar, 1932.

By Unknown - Unknown, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=34894212

   There are many interesting structures around the lake. The lake surroundings have seen many modifications around it over the years. It was fed by the channels from the River Musi, a tributary of the Krishna and was perennially full of water. It was a source of drinking water before the Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar were made. The monolithic giant statue of Lord Buddha is now standing majestically in the lake , installed in 1992. 

The Birla Temple, Sanjeevaiah Park,Lumbini Park, The NTR Gardens, Prasad's Imax, The Paton Tank of Pakistan, Saidani-ma's tomb, various statues of important personalities including Rudrama Devi, Dr.Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan, Asaf Jah VI  are present in the areas and roads around the lake. The road on one side is called the Tank Bund Road, the Tank Bund being the dam of the lake; the one on the other side is the Necklace Road. The Tank Bund Road was originally narrow, but was widened by Sir Mirza Ismail, Prime Minister of Hyderabad in 1946. The area was further beautified and statues of many important personalities  were installed by the Andhra Pradesh Government in 1987-88. The area is thronged by visitors and tourists. Regular sailing events are also held on the lake.  The largest flag of the country, the tricolour, was unfurled at the Sanjeevaiah Park on the 2nd anniversary of the formation of Telangana State, the 29th in India, in 2016. Efforts are on to conserve the lake and maintain its beauty.



Statue of Dr. S. Radhakrishnan on Tank Bund, Hyderabad.

By Bhaskaranaidu (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Lake-view towards evening.

By Cephas 405 - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4792856

Aerial view, Hussain Sagar.

By Arunprakash - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=32178043

Buddha statue, Hussain Sagar Lake, Hyderabad. 

By Tusharg1993 - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28193496



Swami Vivekananda statue, Tank Bund, Hyderabad.

By Bhaskaranaidu (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Necklace Road, Hyderabad.

By Naveenji at English Wikipedia - Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=23038599




Hussain Sagar, Hyderabad.

By Poreddy Sagar (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia
Commons

 

Indian tricolour at Sanjeevaiah Park, Hyderabad.

By Mhdmzml (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons


Lake wetlands, Hussain Sagar, Hyderabad.

By Adityamadhav83 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons


References :

• Chandraiah, K/Hyderabad : 400 glorious years, Hyderabad : Information and Public Relations, 1996.
• wikipedia.org

Posted by :

Soma Ghosh

Ⓒauthor

Golconda diamonds : a glittery past

    Golconda was an important centre for diamonds during the Qutub Shahi reign in Deccan history of India. There were about 38 mines in India out of which 23 were in the Golconda kingdom. These diamonds were a status symbol and rulers and royals wanted to own one. A bustling medieval market thrived at Golconda.

Golconda Fort view.

No machine-readable author provided. Bobsodium assumed (based on copyright claims). [CC BY-SA 2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5)], via Wikimedia Commons

 

Map showing mine areas.

By Ball - A Manual of the Geology of India, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=42974684

The mines were present along the River Krishna. From there the raw stones were taken to the capital where they were cut and polished. Golconda was  thus not only a trading centre but a centre for expertise with diamonds. Trading was done at place called Caravan-i-sahu, near the fort.The diamond market was famous all over the world.The diamonds mined there came to be known as Golconda diamonds. Some of the mines were at Kollur,Partiyala,Gollapally, Mallavally,Ramallakota, Banganapally and Vajrakarur (old name).

Reports of the existence of diamonds had come from the accounts of the visit of Marco Polo the Venetian traveller (1254-1324) during the reign  of Kakaitya queen, Rudramadevi. Later another Venetian Niccolo de Conti who had travelled in the 15th century also reported the same.

Diamond mines in the kingdom of Golconda.

By P. van der Aa, Leyden, Leyden - http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00routesdata/1500_1599/golconda/earlyviews/earlyviews.html, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19044833

Golconda was a trade centre for other precious stones, spices and textiles. The diamond trade drew travellers from far including Europe. Jean Baptiste Tavernier , John de Thevenot and Francois Bernier were merchants who had travelled to Golconda and have left accounts of their travels.  The other visitors included Henry Howard, Benjamin Heyne,James Anderson,H. W Voysey,W.Scott, T.J. Newbold and Alexander Walker over the decades and centuries after Tavernier's visit.



Jean Baptiste Tavernier in Oriental dress,1679.

By Joan Hainzelman - Bibliothèque nationale de France, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2705050

Different types of mines were found. Sometimes it would be a tunnel or a pit or group pf pits in an area. Many workers used to be employed for mining including women, men used crowbars for digging and the women removed the earth. The mines were usually a few feet deep. Diamonds were an important trading item with Asia and Europe and Golconda has been one of the largest producer of diamonds between 16th and early 18th centuries.

The most important diamonds which still elicit interest are an impressive list; this includes the Kohinoor, the Hope diamond, and the Dariya-e-noor. The Sancy diamond is also from Golconda. Other diamonds include the Great Mogul, Golconda Graff, Great Table, Hastings, Idol's eye, Kirti noor, Noor al ain, Ahmedabad diamond,Pitt-Regent,Taj-i-man,Pigot diamond, Orlov diamond,Agra diamond etc.

Most of the Deccani diamonds have left the shores of India, exchanged hands  but the allure and mystique of these diamonds are forever.



The Hope diamond.

By Unknown - http://siarchives.si.edu/collections/siris_sic_8819, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19610890


Dariya-e-noor diamond.
By Unknown - Collection of the national jewels of Iran at Central Bank of Islamic Republic of Iran, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=40817749




The Kohinoor diamond in the British crown.

By Cyril Davenport (1848 – 1941) - G. Younghusband; C. Davenport (1919). The Crown Jewels of England. London: Cassell & Co. p. 18., Public Domain, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=49032641


The Regent-Pitt diamond.
By Ahnode - Nordisk familjebok, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6362452



The Sancy diamond.

By Ahnode (Nordisk familjebok) [Public domain or Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons


References :

• Khalidi,Omar/Romance of the Golconda diamonds, Ahmedabad : Mapin Publishing, 1999.
• wikipedia.org

Posted by :


Soma Ghosh


© author

Charminar : grand monument of Hyderabad

        Charminar is the symbol of Hyderabad; a grand ceremonial monument. It was commissioned by the founder of the city Sultan Mohammad Quli Qutub Shah, the fifth ruler among the Qutub Shahis of the Deccan. The plan of the new city as envisaged by its founder and planned by Mir Momin Astarabadi, his prime minister, had two commercial thoroughfares intersecting at right angles. At the crossing stands the Charminar, a magnificent sight to behold. It is a masterpiece of Qutub Shahi architecture and was completed in 1591. The four huge  arched portals is in the pattern of a quartet each spanning around 11 metres across. At each corner stand the minarets or towers which rise up to 56 metres.They are four-storied. Staircases go up to the balconies and beyond. The Charminar was built to commemorate the eradication of a plague. it is made of granite, limestone, mortar and pulverised marble.

  It is believed that the upper story had a school. Some historians opine that it was used as a pumping reservoir for water from the Jallaplli tank to the palace complex through pipes. It is also believed that the magnificent Charminar only served as a gateway overlooking the piazza into which the royal palaces opened. Guards used to be positioned at the at the Charminar. The western gate served as the gateway of the royal palace.

The western section of the roof of the Charminar has a mosque with 45 prayer spaces with large space in front on whose eastern side are verandahs. A legend says that there is a tunnel connecting Golconda and the Charminar. Another romantic folklore has it that the monument is built at the spot where Mohammad Quli first met Bhagmati who later became his queen.

     In front of the Charminar  is the Charkaman built in 1594 with four arched gateways originally meant to be an open square space, the city piazza. A  fountain-cistern, the Gulzar Hauz originally called Charsoon ka hauz is in the middle of the square. Drummers operated on the eastern gateway, the Naqar Khan-e-shahi, now called as Kali Kaman. The North arch is called the Machchli Kaman(meaning fish arch). The western arch was called Daulatkhana-e-baatil which was decorated with gold tapestry by the prime minister;also a pillar next to it had verses inscribed to protect the royal palaces from evil.

The Charminar is architecturally grand,with its lofty arches and arcaded galleries with foliated balconies. The minarets with circular shafts reach out to the sky. Beautiful stucco decorations are seen inside of the Charminar.

No elephants-led royal processions pass from under the kamans or arches anymore; but on seeing this magnificent monument one can visualise and still hear the echoes of the drums of the royal musicians from centuries ago.

Charminar, 18th century drawing.

By Fullarton's Gazetteer - http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00routesdata/1700_1799/hyderabad/charminarearly/charminarearly.html, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19107417

Archways on the Charminar.

By Divya Gupta - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28672819

Charminar at Hyderabad.

By Gopikrishna Narla (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via  

View near Charminar during the month of Ramzan, 2017.

Image courtesy : Saurabh Chatterjee

Details on Charminar.

By Aishwarya nemani - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=51823618

Sculptural pattern in stucco inside Charminar

By Shijiltv (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Design of alam (standard) inside the Charminar.

By Jonathan Freundlich (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Floral stucco work on Charminar.

By Navneel neeraj - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=51368363

Decoration inside the Charminar.

By Bernard Gagnon - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=35183015

Spiral stairway inside the portals at Charminar.

By Vu2sga (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons



References :

• The art and architecture of the Deccan Sultanates/George Michell and Mark Zebrowski,Cambridge : Cambridge University Press,1999.
• wikipedia.org
• Hyderabad 400 years/Raza Ali Khan,Hyderabad : Zenith Services,1990.

Posted by :

Soma Ghosh

© author

Qutub Shahi tombs : grandeur revisited

   Golconda was an important sultanate of medieval Deccan and the rulers were   the Qutub Shahis who first ruled from Golconda and later Hyderabad.

       The eight sultans of  the Qutub Shahi dynasty were : Sultan Quli Qutb-ul-Mulk (1512–      1543),Jamsheed Quli Qutb Shah (1543–1550),Subhan Quli Qutb Shah (1550),Ibrahim Quli    Qutb Shah (1550–1580),Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah (1580–1612),Sultan Muhammad Qutb      Shah (1612–1626),Abdullah Qutb Shah (1626–1672),Abul Hasan Qutb Shah (1672–1686).

  The tombs of the Sultans along with other important people from the family and associates are at a royal cemetery or tomb complex at Ibrahimbagh near the Golconda Fort. The tombs were built by various kings. The last Sultan is not buried here as he was sent to Daulatabad after the Mughal siege.

    The architecture is a beautiful blend of Persian , Indian and Pashtun influences. The tombs are on a raised platform having domes and surrounded by arches. Surrounding the tombs are gardens. The tombs were much venerated during the Qutub Shahi times. The tombs of the sultans had golden spires over them. People would read from the holy Quran  which used to be kept on pedestals.

Sultan Quli's tomb has the inscription Bade Malik (Big Master) as he was addressed by that name. The tomb is on an elevated surface and the structure is a domed one. There are three graves in this tomb and twenty one more  on the terrace outside.

Sultan Quli Qutub Shah's tomb, 1543.

By Bernard Gagnon - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=34550873

The tomb of Sultan Jamsheed Quli, fashioned from black basalt, is a double height octagonal chamber with arches and projecting balconies. The balconies have rich ornamental balustrades.

Sultan Jamsheed Quli's tomb,1550.

By Karthik Uppaladhadiam (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

    After the reign changed , the tombs did not get as much attention. In the beginning of 19th century, Sir Salar Jung ordered for their restoration. He was an important prime-minister of Hyderabad-Deccan during the Asaf Jahi rule (1724-1948).

     The tomb of Sultan Ibrahim Quli Qutub Shah has two graves in the main chamber and another sixteen on the terrace most probably of his children.

Sultan Ibrahim Quli Qutub Shah's tomb,1580.

    https://www.flickr.com/photos/nagarjun/6781775423

        Mohammad Quli, who was the fifth Sultan founded the city of Hyderabad. He was        a poet,  a great builder who built palaces, monuments like the Charminar , mosques          and laid out many gardens. His mausoleum is raised on a vaulted structure housing the      grave. The bulbous dome has a petalled base.

Mohammad Quli Qutub Shah's tomb,1611.

By Bernard Gagnon (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

   Sultan Mohammad Qutub Shah's mausoleum has a circular dome and the central chamber  is surrrounded by an arcaded gallery with seven exits or openings. The upper storey has five recesses.

Tomb of Muhammad Qutub Shah,1626.

By J.M.Garg - Own work, GFDL, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6677785

    Hayat Bakshi Begum was the daughter of the founder of Hyderabad city, Mohammad Quli, the fifth sultan, wife of Mohammad Qutb Shah and mother of Sultan Abdullah Qutb Shah, the seventh ruler. She was fondly called Ma-saheba.  The tomb is ornate and its parapet displays a frieze of flowers. Arcaded galleries protrude from the corner minarets.

Hayat Bakshi's tomb,1666.

By Khadeeja Henna - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=51876697

Archways at the Qutub Shahi tombs.

By McKay Savage from London, UK - India - Hyderabad - 110 - archways at the Qutub Shahi Tombs, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=23465426

     The tomb of  Sultan Subhan Ali, fondly called Chhote Malik (Little Master)lies near his father Jamsheed Quli's tomb. The other tombs are of the physicians or hakims of the Sultan Abdullah Qutub Shah, Nizamuddin Ahmed Jeelani and Abdul Jabbar Jeelani, tomb of Neknaam Khan who served in Sultan Abdullah's army, tomb of Fatima Sultan sister of Mohammad Qutub Shah. and Kulsoom , his grand-daughter and courtesans Taramati and Premamati.

    An unfinished tomb  started by Sultan Abul Hasan Tana Shah, houses the grave of Mir Ahmed, son of Sultan Abdullah's son-in-law. The royal tomb complex also has the mosque of Hayat Bakshi Begum and the dargah of Hazrat Hussain Shah Wali,Sufi saint and builder of the Hussain Sagar at Hyderabad. A mortuary bath in Turkish style exists opposite the tomb of Mohammad Quli. 

The tomb complex was once called Lagar-e-faiz-athar where songs , dances and the occasional play was staged.The sun still sets and the silhouette of the tombs are seen against the evening sky; the breeze blows whispering tales of centuries gone by.

Enamelled tilework decaration, Hayat Bakshi Begum's masjid, tomb complex.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/nagarjun/6781313761 (Image taken by  Nagarjun Kandukuru)

The royal tombs of Golconda 

I muse among these silent fanes
Whose spacious darkness guards your dust
around me sleep the hoary plains
That hold your ancient wars in trust
I pause,my dreaming spirit hears,
Across the wind's unquiet tides,
The glimmering music of your spears
The laughter of your royal brides,
The royal tombs of Golconda
In vain o Kings,doth time aspire
to make your names oblivion's sport
While yonder hill wears like a tier
The ruined grandeur of your fort
Though centuries falter and decline
Your proven strongholds will remain
Embodied memories of your line
Incarnate legends of your reign.
O Queens, in vain old Fate decreed
Your flower-like bodies to the tomb;
Death is in truth the vital seed
Of your imperishable bloom
Each new-born year the bulbuls sing
Their songs of your renascent loves;
Your beauty wakens with the spring
To kindle these pomegranate groves.

                                                             Sarojini Naidu

References :

• The art and architecture of the Deccan Sultanates/George Michell and Mark Zebrowski,Cambridge : Cambridge University Press,1999.
• wikipedia.org
• poetryarchive.com

Posted by : 

Soma Ghosh




© author