Hyderabad: HMDA begins restoration of Saidanima stepwell

Hyderabad: Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) has started cleaning and restoration works at Saidanima stepwell which is located inside the age-old Saidanima’s tomb on the Hussain Sagar or Tank Bund road.

Due to lack of maintenance, the stepwell was in dire need of repair. The staircase of the stepwell was also damaged and shops that sell wood inside the tomb were reportedly burning waste and wooden material inside the stepwell.

History of the tomb

The tomb of Saidanima was built by Sardar Abdul Haq, who also bore the title Diler Jang (1853–1896). He was originally from the Bombay Province (run by the British crown) and rose to prominence in the erstwhile state of Hyderabad, in the late nineteenth century. Jang became the princely state’s home secretary and then changed course to become the director of the Nizam’s State Railways in 1885.

In this capacity, he traveled to England as well. Jang eventually built a tomb in memory of his mother, Saidanima, which is located north side of the Hussain Sagar’s reservoir bund road, heading towards Secunderabad. It is somewhat in isolation from most historical monuments and is a landmark monument that often goes unnoticed unless one stops for a few seconds and notices his/her surroundings.