HYDERABAD: Looking at one's city through fresh eyes, CE tags along for a walk organised by The Deccan Archives only to discover, or shall we say rediscover, the timeless charm of Hyderabad that enraptures both residents and visitors with equal force
What does it mean to know a city? Is it enough to know the names of buildings and roads? Being new to a city can be both enriching and daunting, especially if it is a city like Hyderabad, that has undergone significant changes in character, design, and demography, to the extent that it becomes almost unrecognisable after several decades. However, to every novice explorer, the city leaves clues of its history or histories and with that, confers a sense of responsibility to discover, share and preserve this heritage.
Sibghatullah Khan, with his initiative, The Deccan Archives, aims to share this responsibility in the form of heritage walks. Usually held on weekends, these walks act as an explorer’s compass, giving direction to one’s pursuit of a city. Be it the one to Purani Haveli– the old Asaf Jahi mansion located in the heart of the Old City, or to Arts College at Osmania University, one of the most iconic monuments in Hyderabad, these walks help unravel the mystery of Hyderabadi culture.
But what is of the essence in going on a walk with complete strangers? Perhaps, the city itself is no longer strange. A strong sense of familiarity and a great uniting force runs through the group that finds itself every Sunday morning traversing through the lanes of an ever-changing city.
“I realise that I do not know my own history,” says Kavya, a fellow walker at Osmania University. “My grandfather taught at the Arts College but I still find my way to this place through these walks because I get to know so much,” she added, emphasising on the importance of knowing and preserving one’s heritage.
Clad in a white kurta and an Afghani cap, Sibghat leads the walks, sharing information, both exclusive and amusing. An architecture student at Aurora’s Design Institute, he began writing blogs about the history of Deccan back in November 2018 and gradually developed an elaborate team committed to documenting and archiving Deccan history. In a span of four years, his team has organised over 70 heritage walks and gathered around 20,000 followers across social media platforms. Besides walks, The Deccan Archives also holds workshops on Urdu poetry and photography, lectures, and exhibitions.
“At first, the biggest question before us was, would anyone be interested in our work and in Hyderabadi history, specifically with the way we wanted to tell it—without distortion and overly romanticising it. But thankfully, at every walk we have at least 30-40 people coming in, new faces every time, waking up early on a Sunday morning,” he says, hiding his wealth of knowledge behind a shy demeanour.
Sibghat says he owes the strength of his initiative to Anuradha Reddy, Co-convenor of INTACH (Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage), Hyderabad. “I would have never been able to expand my work to its present level without her. She brings access to unexplored and restricted places, which differentiates our walks from others,” he said.
The walks are not only a way of sharing history but also preserving and protecting the shared heritage. “An aspect of this initiative is that we help raise awareness about places like Khajaguda, when the rocks at the heritage site were being demolished, we were a part of the fight against it,” he added.
But history is not only about places and their buildings. It is also of the people. By interacting with the locals and experiencing the city from their perspective, one can gain a deeper appreciation of their values, customs, and way of life. A heritage walk can shed as much light on the lives of people as it can on physical places.
“Heritage walks offer an opportunity to share knowledge and memories that my generation has accumulated over time,” says Anuradha Reddy, INTACH Co-convenor. “For instance, my mother used to play badminton for Hyderabad state, and she would run over the hill from Walker town (now Padma Rao Nagar) to Arts College, which I used to cycle to. When you are on the ground, cycling or walking, you connect and become familiar with your surroundings. You start collecting memories that become an integral part of your life, especially when you live in the same place for a long time,” she added, underlining her own lineage from the administrators of Nizam’s estates.
“We’ve amassed a vast bank of memories that we need to share. When I stayed with my grandparents, I asked them to tell me a story. They would always end up telling their life stories instead of fairy tales. As they were involved in the administration of Samasthans, they had a bounty of experiences to share. With time, the built heritage and culture of Hyderabad have suffered and become diluted. It is crucial to share our cultural heritage and preserve it as part of our identity,” she added. “Every individual that finds themselves on these walks, with the willingness to know about Hyderabad, is a Hyderabadi,” says Reddy.