Heritage laws go for a toss in Hyderabad’s iconic OU Arts College
The structure, which has come up recently, has support rods drilled into the wall as well, according to photographs circulated by students and staff, who have been shocked by the utter disregard to heritage from the management.
Hyderabad: Making a mockery of heritage conservation laws and heritage itself, an unsightly structure resembling a glass cage has come up near the staircase of the iconic Osmania University College of Arts & Social Sciences.
The structure, which has come up recently, has support rods drilled into the wall as well, according to photographs circulated by students and staff, who have been shocked by the utter disregard to heritage from the management.
The historic building, which is over 80 years old, is not just an icon for the century-year-old university, but also for the State. Several former students too have come out expressing shock and dismay over the college management’s move to put up such a structure inside the heritage building.
A senior professor of the Arts College said it was complete disrespect to heritage that a glass and aluminium structure could be put up by drilling holes in the iconic building. The excuse of not having space sounded hollow, given the vast campus that the Osmania University boasts of, others said.
On the other hand, speaking to Telangana Today, Arts College Principal Prof. C Ganesh said ‘no construction’ was taken up in the Arts College building.
“As the departments are growing, there is a need for the space in the building. In order to utilize optimum space, a small room has been created for office use. No drilling has been done,” Prof. Ganesh said.
Photographs however tell a different story, with rods being seen connected to the staircase from beneath by drilling holes for screws.
The aesthetic architecture and look of the staircase, itself an iconic spot inside the building, have been lost due to the glass cage, which students and staff say is nothing but an eyesore.
Heritage experts too raise voice
Pointing out that any interventions in a heritage building should not be done without an expert’s suggestion, INTACH Hyderabad convener and heritage expert P Anuradha Reddy said: “Any intervention in a vintage structure of this beauty and value to Telangana must be done with the advice and guidance of an expert group. INTACH is in a position – nationally and statewide – to guide and help the government understand about the structural importance, heritage value and architectural knowledge about a building.”
One of the best examples of Osmanian or Osman Shahi style of architecture – a blend of Qutub Shahi, Asaf Jahi and Buddhist-Jain-Hindu architectures – the building has stood the test of time for over 80 years. Sharing the importance of this structure, well-known historian Sajjad Shahid said: “The building is one of the important developments in the city during the last century. It helped achieve a very distinct identity for the city.”
Like the university, the magnificent Arts College building has its own history and significance. According to the Arts College website, the structure in the pinkish granite stone represents a harmonious blend of the pillar and lintel style of Ajanta and Ellora. The arches were of Indo-Saracenic tradition. For constructing buildings on the university campus, a team of experts comprising Syed Ali Raza, an engineer and Nawab Zain Yar Jung, an architect, had toured Europe and other countries. The team later roped in Belgian architect Monsieur Jasper to make plans. The seventh Nizam laid the foundation stone for the Arts College in 1934 and it was declared open by him in 1939.
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