SOURCE :- SIASAT NEWS
Hyderabad: The Telangana Heritage Department has asked the ongoing work at Darul Shifa to be stopped immediately as it was being carried out with cement mortar without following guidelines by a contractor hired by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC). The ‘restoration’ work had ended up damaging ancient inscriptions on the historic monument that was built around 1595.
The issue was raised earlier this month by activists, who said that a historic inscription at Darul Shifa, dating back over 400 years, was damaged in the name of development during ongoing renovations at the site. Following this, an appeal was made to the Telangana Heritage Department to take the monument under it.
In a memo dated May 19 to the GHMC Commissioner, the Heritage Department director stated that a Deputy Director was sent to the monument to inspect Darul Shifa.
“In this regard, it is to inform you that as per the request made by the above individual Sri. N. Narsingh, Deputy Director (Engg.) of this department has inspected the above Monument and reported that the works taken up by the contractor works such as Scraping & removal of old deteriorated lime plastering and attending the cement plastering without taking any precautions i.e., historical stucco works eroded and plain plastering is attended (Work photos enclosed) and requested that the original structure built with the lime mortar and the present works should also to be attend in the same manner,” it stated.
The Heritage Department director also pointed out that works had been taken up by the GHMC without following the guidelines of archaeological norms. Hence, the GHMC has been asked to instruct the contractor to stop the works immediately and to take up the works using lime mortar instead of cement mortar to avoid legal problems.
The memo also stated that the Heritage Department’s Engineering Wing will provide necessary guidance for the works as well.
History of Darul Shifa
Darul Shifa (house of healing) was built around 1595 as the first hospital and medical school after Hyderabad was founded in 1591 by Mohammad Quli Qutb Shah (Qutb Shahi dynasty, 1518-1687). The city was designed by architect Mir Momin Astrabadi, and the damaged inscription in question dates back to the founding period and is attributed to Mir Momin.
It is one of the few sites from the original city that still stands, as most of the city built by Mohammed Quli Qutb Shah was destroyed by the Mughal army under Aurangzeb when they attacked the Golconda kingdom in 1687.
The site today is a very important place for worship for the Shia Muslim community, as Darul Shifa is believed to house one of the most important relics of Islam and witnesses one of the largest processions during the month of Muharram. While it ceased to function as a hospital after the end of the Qutb Shahi dynasty, it continued to hold religious significance during the later Nizam period.
‘Need scientific approach to heritage’
At a press conference on Wednesday, May 7, activist Hyder Ali Hashmi said that within the entire structure, there was only one surviving historic inscription dating back nearly 400 years that was attributed to Mir Momin Astarabadi. The inscription contained Surah Al-Fath (48), Ayat 10, which translates to “the hand of Allah is above all hands,” he said.
“Around five years ago, the inscription was found in a severely damaged and deteriorated condition. A team of heritage activists traced, documented, and digitally scanned it to identify and preserve the original text. Two days ago, during reconstruction work, the historic inscription was allegedly wiped out in the name of renovation,” Hashmi said.
SOURCE : SIASAT
