City-based heritage activists have called for converting the Nizamia Observatory into a museum.
Expressing concern over the current state of the historic observatory, INTACH Hyderabad convener, Anuradha Reddy said, “The two telescopes which were originally placed in the building were shifted to Rangapuram. Hence, there is nothing left to see in the original structure.”
“The increased number of houses and other concrete structures and the hindrance to the vision of the telescopes led to them being shifted to Rangapuram. The machinery is not being used since being shifted,” Reddy remarked.
She further said, “The observatory may not be restored to its past glory. Hence, it is better to relocate the telescopes to the original building which should be converted into a museum. It is essential to relocate the machinery to its original place since most of Hyderabad’s heritage remains in its original location and that’s where the beauty of heritage lies.”
Earlier this week, Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority Commissioner Arvind Kumar said that the authority would restore the observatory after a group of cyclists raised concerns over the dilapidated state of the structure.
The observatory, which housed India’s biggest telescopes and is also known for conducting terrestrial and celestial programmes now lies in a dilapidated state on the premises of the Centre for Economic and Social Studies, faced with pollution from its surroundings.
Its current location was once on the outskirts of the city, where astronomy equipment is placed due to clear skies which helped in precise observations. The Nizam era structure was established in 1901 during Mir Mahboob Ali Khan’s tenure by Nawab Zafar Yar Jung, who was an amature astronomer.
Jung procured the six inch telescope from England and placed it at the Phisal Banda Palace, now the Deccan Medical College. Following Jung’s death in 1907, the finance department of the Nizam government took control of the observatory.
In 1963, the construction of a special dome was initiated to house a 48 inch telescope. The telescope was installed in the dome upon its completion in 1968.
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