The old city is under curfew.There are policemen in most of the streets.An outburst of communal violence have disrupted the normal flow of life in this part of the city where you are never away from the links that connect to its past , its history.
Wayside monuments , crumbling mausoleums , sarcophagi , they are all there to be seen for those who wish to see. Here I am going to describe one such historically significant construction barely a stones throw from where I live: The Paigah tombs .
The people who write guidebooks to Indian cities should be burned at the stakes.In all probability you could pick up half a dozen guide books on Hyderabad , which says Paigah tomb is a historical site where Paigahs , cronies of the old Nizams are interned.I bet none of the books ever says where they are located , and there wont be any pictures of it, leaving the reader and traveler totally clueless.In fact I could not even find any pictures of the place online, and this place is supposed to be under government care.
So by sheer luck I got to know , that this place is near where I live.Just 5 minutes walk.One Sunday afternoon , I finally decided to go an explore the place.On entry I met the guide who is also the security guard.He insisted that footwear to be removed before entering into the graveyard.
The graveyard is a simple affair with an open roof.There is some ornate decorations on top of the walls.These graves seemed to be of people of lesser stature in the Nizams court.Once you walk across the graveyard, there is an open courtyard.
There seems to be a few families living inside the complex.The guard mentions that they are caretakers.Well , to me they didn't look like caretakers , more like they were just living there.On side of the courtyard there is building with a proper roof and marble flooring.The higher ups seemed to be buried there.The guard can go on explaining these for quite a long , like this fellow who is buried here was the owner of Begum Bazar, this fellow was owner of Saifabad , and this fellow wakes up every day at 2 o clock in the night and goes to the masjid.
One you reach the end of this roofed structure , there is pond or tank behind which is a small mosque .The mosque seems to be used for active worship.Towards one side of the mosque is a dilapidated structure containing more graves.
Beyond that is another building , totally covered by vegetation and in dilapidated state.The guide refused to let me go into there.He insisted there were snakes and much more in there , and it would be positively dangerous to go in.I just think that is a place of disputed ownership with private parties , they might have gotten some restraining order to prevent visitors being brought in there.
As you travel around old city , you can see many such things.I wish if I had time and interest to go to all such places, once the old city returns to peaceful times.
Posts
