Walking in Hyderabad: Rediscovering history from Jahanuma to Falaknuma

In a single morning, Rebecca and the other walkers were transported into a world where Hyderabad’s gardens, palaces, and storied landmarks whispered tales of grandeur and quiet splendour.

Imagine the thrill of stepping back in time, exploring Hyderabad’s history with only a century-old map to guide you. That was the essence of a recent map-walk organized by Deccan Archives and INTACH Hyderabad on October 20th.

Armed with a digitally stitched map crafted from seven smaller maps two dozen walk participants ventured into the winding lanes from Jahanuma to Falaknuma, rediscovering Hyderabad’s hidden history in the lanes and bylines of its 433-year-old legacy.

The walk began at the lofty arched gate of what is now the Falaknuma Bus Depot—a modest yet powerful symbol of the grandeur that once defined the Jahanuma area. In its prime, this site was a lush garden, a serene sanctuary in the bustling cityscape, with towering trees and well-laid paths welcoming visitors. Today, urban development has transformed it, but the grand arched gate remains, a silent testament to the opulence of a bygone era. This gate, one of only three surviving structures in Jahanuma, now marks the bus depot entrance, though it once welcomed visitors to a secluded paradise. Nearby, an opulent palace once crowned the area, demolished nearly 70 years ago, now survives only in the photographs captured by Raja Deen Dayal, a renowned photographer employed by the Nizam.

Movers and shakers

Maps are the movers and shakers and have evolved remarkably, from simple sketches to today’s digital tools, helping us navigate and understand our world. Early maps—hand-drawn scrolls and rare artifacts—served not only as guides but also as snapshots of cultural perspectives and exploration. Ancient cities like Babylon, Alexandria, and even Hyderabad mapped out temples, markets, mosques, palaces, etc. As civilizations grew, so did the need for accurate mapping, culminating in nautical charts that guided ancient mariners and explorers like Marco Polo and Columbus. By the 20th century, national surveys and aerial photography brought standardized maps, and GPS in the 1970s revolutionized navigation further. Today, tools like Google Maps make navigation seamless, showing how our desire to explore and understand the world has only grown.

Envisioning the palace

This map-walk through the Jahanuma landscape offered a rare chance to envision it as it once was—a panorama of gardens, palaces, and military grandeur. The Nizams, Hyderabad’s ruling dynasty, left their mark on the area, with opulent spaces and historical landmarks. A significant spot preserved within the map is that of the Jahanuma Lancers, an elite cavalry of the Paigah nobility. Their post, marked by grand gates, sprawling stables, and guardhouses, recalls a time when these streets were patrolled by Hyderabad’s aristocratic military units. Today, Jahanuma is but a shadow of its former self, but the name endures, carrying its legacy forward for anyone keen enough to notice the beauty of its remnants.

This map-walk aimed to revive Hyderabad’s forgotten history, guiding participants through streets filled with stories of lost heritage. The maps used in the walk were crafted during the elaborate Hyderabad Municipal Survey (1912-1915), initiated after the devastating Musi River flood of 1908. Under the guidance of Sir M. Visvesvaraya, often hailed as the Father of Indian Engineering, the Nizam administration launched this map survey to redesign Hyderabad. This massive effort led to transformative urban developments—slum clearances, riverbank reinforcements, bridges, roads, and housing, laying the foundations of modern Hyderabad. These 112-year-old maps capture the city’s meticulous planning to balance beauty with functionality, addressing the needs of a growing urban population.

Boulevards of a bygone era

As we map-walked the boulevards of a bygone era, we came up with many curious names and constructions like the Dewal [temple], Tope Khana [house of canons], a lone Regimental School building still standing in its unique edifice, an old church has lost its original structure was rebuilt with a high dome. The tomb of Captain Johan looks like an obelisk, Madan Khan Masjid, Tikri Biryani Shah amidst ancient rocks and boulders, etc. All these have been marked and numbered on the poster-size map given to all the walkers to understand the past and present sites.

The route took us by the gates of the Jahanuma Lancers and then to the peaceful Bibi-ka-Chashma, a small mosque nestled at the base of the Falaknuma hill. This last pit stop of modest structure holds a unique place in Hyderabad’s heritage, its tranquillity contrasting with the urban surroundings. Near its entrance stands a venerable Moulsari tree, easily estimated to be over a century old, traditionally planted outside places of worship. Known for its resilience, the Moulsari seeds are often used as prayer beads, symbolizing strength and endurance in this sacred space.

American Rebecca is impressed

Among the walking participants was Ms Rebecca from Boston, USA, who found the walk a mesmerizing journey through Hyderabad’s layered past. As an art history student, she described feeling captivated by each stop. She delightedly explained. “One of the most fascinating spots for her was Bibi-ka-Chashma, a Qutb Shahi-era complex with a freshwater spring revered for its healing properties. Walking through this historical landscape of Jahanuma, I gained a deeper appreciation for Hyderabad and its rich, multi-layered history, shaped by diverse communities.”

In a single morning, Rebecca and the other walkers were transported into a world where Hyderabad’s gardens, palaces, and storied landmarks whispered tales of grandeur and quiet splendour.