The ‘Taj of the South’ isn’t a loving token by a sultan to his begum. Instead it is the final resting place of the Paigah clan, close associates of the Asaf Jahi dynasty who were known for their marvelous architectural designs like the Falaknuma Palace and Paigah Palace. The family to which the princess of Nizam was married, they held the title Shums ul Umrahi which means sun among the masses. Great patrons of art and architecture, one can see their unique style in every construction of theirs, something that they carried forward to their tombs as well. Located at Santosh Nagar, the tombs were once sparkling exhibits of exemplary architecture, but now lie in ruins.
The tombs
The Paigah tombs is the place where seven generations of the Paigah family rest. Known for maintaining the security and defence of the Nizam, their tombs are now fair game to encroachers and vandalism. What was originally an almost 40 acres ground of serenity, is now a mere two acre land with 27 tombs of the royal family.
The main tombs in this complex are of Asman Jah, Khurshid Jah And Sir Vikar Ul Umra who served as prime ministers to the princely state of Hyderabad. The tomb of Sir Asman Jah attracts tourist as it has the finest marble inlay work and in its halcyon days, sported an intricately etched semi-precious stone. The stone was known to change colours according to the seasons – green in monsoon, white in winter and yellow in summer – but is missing now.
Another interesting tomb is of Amir-e-Kabir. The structure has fine carvings of Urdu inscriptions on either sides. Richly decorated with floral and foliage motifs, a canopy is supported with pillars. These pillars have several arches fringed again by smaller semicircular arches.
The third jewel in rough is the resting place of Begum Kurshid Jah. Carved in marble, the tomb was decorated with many precious stones embedded in it. But as time passed, these stone went missing. However, the tomb still continues to attract the tourists with its floral inlay work.
Architectural Style
The tombs are designed in a mixture of Mughal, Greek, Persian, Asaf Jahi, Rajasthani and Deccani style. The delicately carved mausoleums, enclosed in pierced marble facades and canopies are simply beautiful. The tombs have a rectangular marble fence done in trellis-work sporting a variety of geometrical and floral designs. Each of the four flanks forming the rectangular fence has different motifs. The geometrical designs are unique and are perforated with screens that show great craftsmanship of the time. The walls are decorated with different designs in carved marble, some resembling pineapples, drums and serpents and arched alcoves. Several of the walls flaunt designs of flower vases out of which emerge a variety of flowers.
Decrepit graveyard
These stunning beautiful tombs have been in sore need of preservation and restoration. Besides the vandalism, the general structure of the tombs seems ready to crumble. The inlay work and the stucco work are vignettes of the Nizam history and superior architectural dexterity.
Though listed as a heritage sight, the Paigah tombs hardly reflect the status. Obaid-ur-Rehman, a relative of the Paigah family, says, “The Paigah tombs are better than the Qutub Shahi tombs in terms of architecture and they should be maintained by the government.” An alumnus of Nizam College, he rues the lack of respect for the history and heritage the tombs represent. “It was during Chandra Babu Naidu’s time as Chief Minister that the place got a facelift and some restoration work was carried out. But it soon returned to it’s old state of ruin,” he adds.