Deccan Button Factory’s glory on the wane
Hyderabad: Ever wondered where the glittering buttons of the sherwanis and coats worn by the royals in the Nizam’s era came from? In the lanes of Hussaini Alam in the Old City, where history is said to have its mark in every brick and wall, is the now a defunct Deccan Button Factory. The factory, […]
Hyderabad: Ever wondered where the glittering buttons of the sherwanis and coats worn by the royals in the Nizam’s era came from?
In the lanes of Hussaini Alam in the Old City, where history is said to have its mark in every brick and wall, is the now a defunct Deccan Button Factory. The factory, which saw its busiest days during the Nizam’s era, was once famous for its gold and silver buttons produced for the royals, high-ranking officials of the police and the army.
Established in 1916 during the era of Mir Mahboob Ali Khan, various buttons of coats, sherwanis and royal dresses were produced here by expert artisans. INTACH member P Anuradha Reddy says the buttons were produced exclusively for the royals, high ranking officials of the police and the army with the factory being famous for its ornamental works done using gold and silver threads and metal.
“It was established only for the purpose of making buttons and expert artisans were hired for the task. The machinery was imported from England,” she said.
Historian Mohd Safiullah explained that different buttons of numerous designs were produced at the factory and that the royals preferred the buttons in blue, green and yellow with thin enamel works to make them attractive.
“The trademark of the company was a crossed flag with a star and crescent word ‘Dekkan’, in English inscribed on it. Mostly floral patterns were used in the designs and the buttons were round, square and oval in shape,” he said.
A few dozen workers were employed in the factory and later after the end of the Nizam’s rule, it continued its work catering to specific requirements of the royal families who stayed here and the elite of the city. The buttons were packed in metal caskets, he added.
The factory closed its operations over a decade ago. Recently, a part of the structure was demolished during road-widening works in the area.
Still, most of it is intact and one can have a look at the factory while passing along the Hussaini Alam – Doodh Bowli road.
Now you can get handpicked stories from Telangana Today on Telegram everyday. Click the link to subscribe.
Click to follow Telangana Today Facebook page and Twitter .
