HYDERABAD: An architectural projection at the main gate of Chowmahalla Palace, which houses the famous clock tower, collapsed after heavy rains lashed the city on Saturday. The ‘chajja’, a decorative balcony on the Khilwat clock tower, collapsed and fell on Motigali street. Along with chunks of lime plaster, wooden beams also got dislocated due to the rain. No one was injured, and no further damage was inflicted on the age-old structure.
Speaking to Express, the palace’s conservation architect Anuradha Naik said, “The portion that collapsed was to be taken up for restoration in March, but plans got delayed due to the lockdown. As of now, emergency repairs may be taken up on that portion to prevent further damage.
However, a full-scale restoration will be taken up only after the monsoon subsides.” Restoration works are not taken up during the monsoon as lime plaster takes a long time to set and dry, and during monsoon the time gets stretched further. Sources clarified that there was no damage to the main palaces -- Afzal Mahal, Mahtab Mahal, Tahniyat Mahal and Aftab Mahal.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, Director of Chowmahalla Palace G Kishan Rao said, “This occurred due to heavy winds and rain, but it was a small accident. We have already cleared the rubble on the streets, and will take up restoration once the rain subsides.” Though date of construction of the palace is not known with certainty, its earliest description dates to the 1750s.
It was once spread over 45 acres, and had two courtyards. The palace has been witness to important durbars convened under Hyderabad’s Asaf Jahi dynasty, including the coronation of Mukarram Jah in 1967 as the titular Nizam. Such incidents are not entirely unfamiliar to Hyderabad.
In May 2019, a chunk of one of the four minarets of the iconic Charminar collapsed. A month later, the top portion of the 19th century ceremonial arch Moula Ali Kaman collapsed after suffering structural damage due to heavy rains. In September during the same year, a portion of the Golconda Fort gateway, Moti Darwaza, collapsed due to heavy rains.