Saidanima's tomb - a beautiful memorial for his mother

Saidanima's tomb - a beautiful memorial for his mother

           Nawab Diler ul mulk built a beautiful memorial for his mother Saidanima. He was a noble during the rule of Nawab Mir Mehboob Ali Khan, Nizam VI of Hyderabad. Saidani Ma Tomb or Saidani Maa Tomb, is a tomb located in Hyderabad near Hussain Sagar. The tomb in Mughal and Qutb Shahi styles with elaborate stucco decorations and fretwork screens (jalis) was built by Nawab Syed Abdul Haq Diler Jung for his mother Hazrath Saidani Ma Saheba in 1883, during the reign of Asaf Jah VI. Syed Abdul Haq, was conferred with the title Diler-ul-Mulk by the Nizam VI for his administrative capabilities. He was the son of a hereditary chieftain in the Deccan: joined the Bombay Government service before he was 20 but later joined the Hyderabad service.Sir Salar Jung I sent him to England to obtain an alteration in the guarantee which the Nizam VI had given on his State railway and for effecting this, he was rewarded and given a mining monopoly in the Nizam's state, from which he made a personal profit of nearly a quarter of a million: but, after the publication of the facts in 1888, he suffered some political downfall but tried in vain to regain his position in the Nizam's service, he died in May, 1896. However the tomb that he made for his mother is an amazing structure and he too lies buried in the same site, near his mother.

Saidanima's tomb, image, photo by Raja Deen Dayal,1880s.

The structure is constructed on a raised square platform an intricately engraved dome, flanked by well designed minarets. The facade has five arches;the parapet wall has two tier style. There are floral designs on the structure and small niches  in the parapet wall. Conch shaped ''kalasha'' motifs are seen on the tomb.The ground floor and first floor display beautiful combination of Qutubshahi, Asafjahi and European elements. The tomb-monument is very fine with intricacy of patterns with dainty decorated elements.

Saidanima's tomb, image,21st century.

References and image attributions

• Wikipedia.org
• wikisource.org
• telanganamuseums.in
• Images are from Wikimedia Commons

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Soma Ghosh

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