The 115-year-old structure of Aziz Bagh still stands resplendent at Noor Khan bazaar near Salarjung museum. Complete with its old fixtures and architecture, the house is a slice of old preserved as if in a time warp. Built in the year 1899 by Nawab Aziz Jung, the house has been home to seven generations of Jungs, all poets and writers.
A prolific writer, the Nawab was able to construct the house with the money generated from the sales of his books. Aziz Bagh currently hosts Hasanuddin Ahmed, a third-generation Jung and a poet, and his family. The retired IAS officer tells us more about the history of his family and their Aziz Bagh.
The history
“Our ancestors belonged to the Nawayath clan from Arabia who travelled to India 600 years ago. Moulvi Mohammed Nizamuddin was the first Jung family member who migrated to Hyderabad from Nellore. He was a Chief Justice of Civil courts,” begins Ahmed. The moulvi’s son Nawab Aziz Bagh Bahadur came to Hyderabad when he was eight years old and went on to become a close associate of the then Nizam. He was known for his poetry and writing skills and many of his books were published. His sons, four in all, were also working under the Nizam in high positions until the princely state was annexed by the Indian government. Later, they went on to continue their work for the Indian Government, recounts Ahmed.
The building
The bagh is a double-storey building with an architectural mixture of neoclassical and gothic revival styles, surrounded by lush greenery. The exterior pointed arches, ionic pillars and coloured portico showcase the influence of ancient style while Anglo-Indian and even Victorian elements temper the interiors with stained glass windows and polished marble flooring.
The ceilings of the building are constructed in madrasi style with long wooden beams forming the framework. The ground level hosts the dining and drawing, besides a staircase that leads to the upper storey. The drawing room is filled with pictures of the family, who clearly once enjoyed a princely stature. A walk through the house is a delight for any fan of vintage as Ahmed has retained all of the original fixtures; from the antique old-style fans with long stems to the glass lampshades and a movable mirror decorated with minton tiles. The house is sprawling as most old structures are, with a dining area big enough to accommodate more than 20 people. Wooden shelves laden with crockery decorate either side of the walls in the dining, giving off a gothic impression.
Old techniques like using jute mats to cool the floors in open areas like the verandahs are still used.
The present
From mirrors with minton tile-frames, stained glass chandeliers to teak furniture, the house harkens a bygone era.
Talking about the keeping intact the antiquity of the house, Hasanuddin Ahmed says, “It give me immense pleasure to see the house intact like this for so many years and the credit of maintaining it goes to my wife.”
A poet like his grand father, Ahmed also has quite a few publications to his name, including a translation of the Bhagwad Gita into Urdu. However, his pride seems to stem from being able to continue the legacy of his family.
“This is one of the oldest buildings which is still so nicely preserved and and all the costs are borne by myself and family. Aziz Bagh was one of two buildings which were picturised by Suzzane Slasin and Stadfford Cliff in the book ‘Indian Style’ that was published in 1990. The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH)honoured it with the INTACH award on July 27, 1997 and declared it as a protected heritage monument.”
Despite the accolades, maintaining the house is very cost-intensive and the government ordinance restricting renovations to protected structures does make living quite cumbersome. “No help has come from the government. It was only INTACH which gave a sum of `5,000,” laments the 90-year-old.