Khursheed Jah Devdi will soon get back its lustrous vintage look

QQSUDA official said, given its heritage value and historic backdrop, there are plans to use it for exclusive gatherings and organise appropriate cultural events and performances

Hyderabad: Khursheed Jah Devdi, the centuries old building located west of the Charminar, will soon get back its lustrous vintage look with the restoration works reaching the final stage.

The State government had allocated a budget of Rs.12 crore for the restoration of the heritage building and the works have been in progress for the last one year. Once the works get completed, the building will soon be opened to the public in the next few months.

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The structure was built by Paigah noble Nawab Fakhruddin, and it was inherited by his descendant Khursheed Jah Bahadur, who made certain extensions to the structure. It is one of the best examples of Palladian architecture that can be seen in European countries.

A lot of research work was taken up before the restoration works commenced at the building. The replacement of the broken pieces of flooring were completed and the cracks in the iconic building were carefully repaired using a composition of lime mortar plaster and wherever necessary bricks.

Extensive repair works were undertaken for the woodwork in the building.

The building is a Grade-II B protected structure under Hyderabad Urban Development Authority regulations. Its interiors were once adorned with expensive carpets and exclusive chandeliers. The devdi had many impressive fountains and the water was supplied to it from the Jalpally lake located at Pahadishareef through a dedicated pipeline network.

The building, a three storied structure, is one of the palatial houses where the Paigah lived and managed to escape the bulldozers of the land mafia.

The officials of the Quli Qutb Shah Development Authority, which is overseeing the project, said the project work should be completed in the next few months. The plan is to use the restored building as a tourist place considering its proximity to Chowmahalla Palace and Charminar.

“Given its heritage value and historic backdrop, there are plans to use it for exclusive gatherings and organise appropriate cultural events and performances,” said an official of QQSUDA.