After facing years of neglect, Hyderabad's 16th century Qutb Shahi Heritage Park is set to transform into a major archaeological attraction
Situated at the foot of the majestic Golconda Fort, the Qutb Shahi Heritage Park, that has 72 monuments including mausoleums spread over 108 acres, has been a victim of monumental neglect.
Ratish Nanda, 42, travels devotedly every month to the Qutb Shahi tombs in Hyderabad, spending four to seven days there on each visit. He has done this for the last 42 months and the most satisfying visit has been the last, in July. On July 18, Eid-ul-Fitr, hundreds were greeted with a 'transformed' 400-year-old Idgah-the outcome of the painstaking work over the last 12 months by Nanda and his 30-member team, including archaeologists and architects, to restore the Idgah to its original grandeur.
Over the years, every Eid, the 16th century monument would be painted white, green and pink, covering the intricate stucco plaster patterns. This time, the team removed some 30 layers of garish paint to restore the Idgah to its past glory. Yet, this effort is just a small part of Nanda's mission that brings him regularly to what is the largest necropolis in the world. Although situated at the foot of the majestic Golconda Fort, the Qutb Shahi Heritage Park, that has 72 monuments including mausoleums spread over 108 acres, has been a victim of monumental neglect.
After Humayun's Tomb in Delhi, the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) has undertaken the restoration initiative and the daunting project has to be completed by 2023. While Rs 100 crore has been earmarked for the restoration project, AKTC will invest whatever it costs.
Held in veneration since the heyday of Qutb Shahi rule (1518-1687 AD), the necropolis is the only surviving complex of this nature where architectural styles used during the span of an entire dynasty of significance are found in one ensemble. "No other ensemble of structures in the Deccani kingdoms of Ahmednagar, Berar, Bidar, Bijapur or Gulbarga includes as many monuments of striking grandeur and complexity reflecting a unique synthesis of architectural styles," emphasises Nanda. "Our work at the heritage park is aimed at ensuring long-term preservation of these 72 monuments within the complex."
Master craftsmen who specialise in lime plaster are using traditional materials, architectural crafts and tools to undo the damage done over years. In the tomb of Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, the fifth sultan of the dynasty and the founder of Hyderabad, sophisticated techniques are being used to address particular structural challenges with the design.
Surfaces of the historic buildings are ornamented with intricate incised plaster work and a few monuments also bear glazed tile work. Although the Qutb Shahi sultans encouraged the development of Indo-Persian and Indo-Islamic literature and culture to make it Hyderabad's real source of pride, latter-day neglect and inadequate maintenance turned it into a site of dereliction and decay.
Common problems include root damage by vegetation growth and changes to the falls at roof level which have compromised the drainage of rainwater. The blackened surfaces of the monuments and the tombs crying for attention with plants growing through the cracks in the domes are evidence of the arduous task ahead. Nanda admits that what began in 2013, after crossing hurdles posed by potential land encroachers, has steadily evolved as a gigantic job egged on by the fact that the site is already on the tentative list for the World Heritage tag.
The AKTC team is steadily growing and is equal to the task at hand. They have rebuilt the entire wall of the Badi Baoli, restored a large portion of the tombs. Conservation work is being carried out in a phased manner to ensure some portions of the historic site are accessible to visitors at any given time. The AKTC has even sent samples of glazed tiles for testing to the Research Laboratory for Archaeology and History of Art at Oxford University to understand the tile composition.
Restorers have had to remove the later interventions on the historic structures which have compromised the form, architectural and artistic details and caused structural damage. "Removal of such interventions is followed by consolidation, partial restoration and integration of various elements based on archival records," says Gamini S. Wijesuriya, project manager, International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property, Rome, an inter-governmental organisation created by Unesco. Wijesuriya has reviewed the ongoing work.
What is significant is that no chemicals are being used for restoration. Conservation works will rely on the revival of traditional building crafts with stone carving, masonry and stucco plaster in lime mortar being the mainstay. The centralised monitoring of lime mortar production has assured the quality of mortar in the restoration work done by skilled craftsmen brought from Rajasthan and Gujarat.
Archaeological excavations are also underway at the site that is a must on the itinerary of visitors to the city. Extensive water features-aqueducts, baths fed with terracotta pipes-have also come to light. "In archival photographs of 1860, it was evident that there was a processional pathway connecting the Golconda Fort with the tomb complex. We have excavated and exposed the pathway," says the Project Archaeological Director K.K. Muhammed.
Internationally renowned heritage conservation experts are impressed by what the AKTC has done so far. "The site activities such as field investigation, documentation and the decision-making process in restoration are cogent. But it is necessary to establish a balance between the restoration of the monuments and the site during relevant phases of activity," says Mohammad Hassan Talebian, director, World Heritage division of the Iran Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization.
For all that to happen, the AKTC and other state government agencies have to work hand in hand to remove encroachments, relocate illegal squatters and persuade local Muslim groups to cooperate in the maintenance of the heritage park and its environs. Funds for the project work are no worry with the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust pledging Rs 12 crore and the US Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Renewal giving a grant of $100,000. The Telangana government, which has requested the Aga Khan Development Network to enhance its presence, is offering to help remove any irritants or hurdles in conservation and landscape restoration.
"The heritage park and the Golconda Fort are key elements in the heritage of Hyderabad and in its evolution and growth as a global city with a rich cultural past," says B.P. Acharya, principal secretary, tourism and culture, Telangana. Besides the grandeur, the heritage park has the potential to improve quality of life while attracting economic opportunities for Hyderabad.
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