HYDERABAD: Come 2021 and the old chapters from history will open up. Chronicles from the city of Hyderabad from the time of its foundation 430 years ago are to be celebrated as ‘Hyderabad Heritage Fest – 2021’ which starts on January 11.
The date marks the urs (death anniversary) of Muhammad Quli Qutub Shah, the fifth sultan of the Qutub Shahi dynasty who is said to have laid the foundation of Hyderabad in 1591. “On that day itself, we will announce the dates of the celebrations pertaining to the history of a particular heritage structure. Other than celebrating the 430th year of the foundation of Hyderabad, we are also going to celebrate the 215th year of the foundation of British Residency and 525 years of Golconda,” informs Gopal Krishna, the founder of Hyderabad Trails that organizes heritage walks in the city.
It’s with Hyderabad Trails that Vasaamaha Architects has joined hands to organize the ‘Hyderabad Heritage Fest – 2021’. Shares Vasantha Sobha, conservation architect associated with the organization, “This is going to be a one-year-long festival. We will have heritage walks, seminars, and more. Our organization will be handling the documentation and technical aspects of it all. We are also looking for volunteers. Our aim is to generate awareness about our heritage.”
This is also the 525th year of the Qutb Shahi dynasty. It’s when the Bahmani kings appointed the first Qutb Shahi as a subedaar. “That’s how Golconda became a provincial capital; it was just a fort earlier. We have marked this also as part of the celebrations. We will be declaring the entire schedule on January 11 itself,” adds Gopal. His brainchild Hyderabad Trails is known to celebrate ‘Shahr-e-Ishq’ which focuses on the lover stories of the ancient times of Hyderabad.
In April they also conduct ‘Jashn-e-Hyderabad’ which celebrates the birthday of the last Nizam and that of Sultan Quli Qutub Shah. While the event focuses on the foundation day of Hyderabad, the exact date, unfortunately, is not clear. Explains Gopal, “It is because earlier lunar calendars were used. But there are documentations and citations that support the same.”
