On October 9 this year, Hyderabad would complete a milestone. It will be 425 years old. As of now after the city was pounded by rains and floods, the GHMC is carrying out the demoilition drive in Hyderabad on the orders of the Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao. While the former CM Chandrababu claims that he has done a lot for Hyderabad, KCR laments that nothing has been done.
Both CM KCR and the Minister for Municipal Administration K Taraka Rao have promised a world class city with International standards. They want to develop it every aspect. While the Metro rail project is going on, multilevel flyovers are being planned to clear the traffic congestion in city.
Right now the roads are in bad condition and the Government is trying to set the matter right. 300 crores have already been earmarked for the city roads. Some rains are expected in October, so keepin this in view the GHMC is waiting for the right time to go ahead with the roads.
When it comes to the History of the city, it was on 9th October in 1591 that the Charminar was built, the first building to come up in the new city of Hyderabad that Sultan Mohammed Quli Qutb Shah had planned.
Since 1100, Golconda was the seat of power in the Deccan plateau, first with the Kakatiyas, then ceded to the Bahamanis and finally the Qutb Shahi dynasty. With Golconda facing infrastructure issues, this was the new king’s plan to move it away from the old fort.
Most believe that the Charminar was built to commemorate the eradication of a plague, that was prevalent at that time. Historian Mohammed Safiullah is not entirely in agreement pointing out that such outbreak of diseases was commonplace in those times and believes that the Charminar was constructed as the epicentre of the new city of Hyderabad.
Over the years, the administration has failed to make the area around the Charminar fully pedestrianised. As a result, the monument has suffered from air pollution.
As Hyderabad celebrates turning 425, it will hopefully also be a moment to spare a thought for the splendid structure that has withstood time, weather and the might of Aurangzeb.
But while these remain the most credible theories around the construction of this exquisite monument, several others abound as well. Each one sounds as possible as the other and it is a delight for anyone with interest in history, to listen to them.
Safiullah points out that October 9, 1591 was the first day of the 1000th year since Islam came into existence and believes that it is quite likely that Charminar was built also to commemorate the occasion. There are several other theories also but right now Hyderabad is turning 425 years old.
Lets hope it will change into a world class city soon.
U.Srinivas
Editor
