HYDERABAD: In view of the upcoming monsoon season, the Aga Khan Trust for Culture has taken up the restoration and repair works of the 200-year-old Paigah Tombs in the city so that rainfall does not further deteriorate the state of the monuments.
Located 4 km southeast of Charminar, the tombs represent the final resting places of the Paigahs -- the title bestowed by the second Nizam of Hyderabad on Abul Fateh Khan Taig Jung Bahadur in appreciation of his services. The beauty of the mausoleum is such that it has earned the title of being the ‘Taj Mahal of South India’ for its intricate lime mortar work.
However, with time, structural cracks have formed on the monument with growth of vegetation in them. Many of the latticework frames have suffered damages from the time when around 28 families used to live in the two-acre complex.
According to sources, lime concreting works on the ceilings of the tombs of Ghansi Miyan and another unidentified tomb behind the former have been taken up so that there would be no crevices in the structure ahead of rains. Leakages would cause water to seep into the monument, further damaging the structure.
For the uninitiated, Ghansi Miyan was a courtier at the Court of Nawab Mir Nizam Ali Khan, and was a close relative of the Paigah noble Nawab Tegh Jung. His tomb at the monument is placed close to that of his mentor Tegh Jung.
Sources said that the whole process would take another week to complete before the monsoon finally arrives and added that the restoration work of the entire complex would be formally taken up after the end of monsoon.