Restoring heritage: Stepwells across Telangana receive second lease of life

Under the guidance of Secretary Urban Infrastructure and Development Arvind Kumar, GHMC in collaboration with NIMS has undertaken the restoration of an 1810 stepwell from the Nizam era

Hyderabad: Unearthing the lost heritage of the region, Telangana is witnessing a positive trend of stepwell restoration. Over the last few years, multiple stepwells across the State, including the noted Bansilalpet Stepwell in the heart of Hyderabad, have received a second lease of life.

Under the guidance of Secretary Urban Infrastructure and Development Arvind Kumar, GHMC in collaboration with NIMS has undertaken the restoration of an 1810 stepwell from the Nizam era. The Kumandan Baoli in the Gudimalkapur area was buried under building debris and is expected to be restored to its past glory soon.

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Apart from that, another stepwell is currently being restored in the Adikmet area. Kalapana Ramesh, founder of The Rainwater Project shared more details about this stepwell near Osmania University in a tweet. “It took 1,000 hrs of hard work to remove 450 tonnes of garbage/silt in the 19 mts deep Adikmet Stepwell.”

The 18th-century stepwell named after renowned poet Mah Laqa Chanda Bai, existed even before the university was founded. Thanking OU Vice-Chancellor D Ravinder Yadav, she said that taking up the restoration would set an example for youth in the State.

With initial support from Linkwell Telesystems, Green Team Wanaparthy, Team Pink, and SAHE Hyderabad are also contributing to the restoration of this stepwell. 360LIFE will further conserve and develop it.

De-vegetation and desilting of another historic stepwell in Warangal will also commence soon. The Metlabavi in Shivanagar was recently inspected by Kalpana Ramesh, Warangal District Collector P Pravinya along with Mayor Gundu Sudharani.

In addition to these restoration works a team of nine architects from the Hyderabad Designer Forum also recently concluded research documenting the lost glory of stepwells across Telangana. This study is expected to drive restoration of many other stepwells in the State.

Since the formation of Telangana, the State government has initiated action to revive scores of heritage structures. Stepwells which were popular from the times of the Kakatiyas, became the epitome of the State’s effort to preserve the architectural heritage of the region.

Bansilalpet Stepwell in Secunderabad, Baram Baavi in Narayanpet district, Raigiri Stepwell in Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri, and others in Warangal and nearby areas are today State’s top tourist spots. Some of these even serve as cultural centres where events highlighting Telangana’s rich traditions are conducted regularly.