Hyderabad: More land of the historic Naya Qila are of the Golconda fort has been handed over the Hyderabad Golf Club (HGC). In the latest development, the entire Bagh-e-Naya Qila area, which houses a few Golconda era monuments, is being cleared by the HGC to create more golf holes for its private members who come to play golf on the ASI land.
A senior ASI official, who did not want to be quoted, said that the sanction to give more land to the Hyderabad Golf Club (HGC) had been given a year ago itself. However, it may be noted that the Naya Qila area is still open and accessible to the public, especially to the handful of historical structures like the 400-year-old Hathiyan Ka Jhad (baobab tree), that are all part of the Golconda fort.
The ASI official, while conceding that more and more land has been handed over the private club as part of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed years ago, said that the public will also have access to the area as usual. “The golf club people will have their security in areas where they play, and we will have our own security for the monuments,” he added.
Though the ASI earlier had been opposing the HGC from taking over more and more areas of the Naya Qila, it seems like the head office has cleared the path for the private association to eat into the historical site of the Golconda fort. Activists who learnt about the development said that fear is that the HGC will take over the entire area and restrict entry to the general public.
“That has already been happening from sometime and this has to be opposed. It is time the ASI also does its job and protects our monuments instead of handing over parts of the Golconda fort to private parties like this. The HGC has members who are politicians, and IPS and IAS officers. So the government itself is involved. It is rather shameful,” remarked an activist who did not want to be quoted.
Hyderabad: Naya Qila in Golconda fort accessible to public, says ASI
The Hyderabad Golf Course association has over the last 4 years built more pathways and holes in areas which it did not have control over. Pathways closer to the Mustafa Khan Masjid have also come up in the last few years as wel.
Moreover, in spite of a year passing since after heavy rains damaged the pathway leading to the ancient Baobab tree or ‘Hathiyan ka Jhad’ (as known in local parlance) in Golconda fort’s Naya Qila, the route still lies damaged and in disrepair. The ASI has been waiting for the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) to finish pipeline works underground earlier and works are yet to be completed.
Golconda fort’s Naya Qila accessible to all
The Naya Qila area of the Golconda Fort is also fully accessible to the public, which the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has also clarified in the past. The site was in the news last year after it was found that security personnel of the Hyderabad Golf Club (HGC) had been wrongly preventing visitors from seeing parts of the Naya Qila like the Mustafa Khan mosque.
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Moreover, in March last year, a scuffle broke out in front of the Naya Qila area when a few drunk men attacked ASI guards and the golf course security personnel who were manning the entry gate. The assailants demanded entry into the Naya Qila and stabbed one of the guards. Aside from that, half of the ancient site has also been taken over by a privately run golf course.
The Hyderabad Golf Course (HGC) has occupied a majority of the Naya Qila area of Golconda Fort and has expanded to 18 holes over the years. The club however has no control over the areas which house some important historical sites like a 400-year-old Baobab tree, the Mustafa Khan Masjid, and bastions like Laila and Majnu.
Naya Qila history
The Naya Qila area is in fact believed to be about over 400 years old, and is a part of the Golconda dynasty’s (which founded Hyderabad in 1591) remaining heritage in Hyderabad. The Naya Qila area, which is now cut-off from the Golconda fort due to local encroachments, was developed into an external fortification after the first Mughal attack (during the time of Emperor Shah Jahan) on Hyderabad in 1656.
It has two huge bastions called Laila and Majnu, of which Majnu continues to be in a state of disrepair after its collapse during monsoons in 2021. The ancient historic site was one of the few places which witnessed damage during heavy rains in 2021 in the fort. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which runs the historical site, was supposed to undertake repairs, but that has not happened so far as well.
There are parts of Naya Qila which are open to the public are the Baobab tree, which is believed to be over 400 years old (it is said to have been planted there by African friars), the Mustafa Khan Masjid (which was built in 1561 and predates Hyderabad), and the Mulla Khyali Masjid, which is believed to be named after the Deccan poet Mulla Khyali.
