High Court turns 100 today

Anyone going to the Old City will be charmed by the onion-shaped domes of the iconic High Court at Afzalgunj. The pink and granite building built in typical Mughal-Saracenic style has weathered many a storm, including a fire that engulfed the library in 2009 but has survived and would be entering the 100th year of its existence.

Speaking to The Hans India, C Damodar Reddy, President, High Court Advocates Association, said, "We have planned a grand celebration to mark the occasion. It is a great occasion and we are blessed to be a part of this at this juncture."

Several Supreme Court judges, including Justices NV Ramana, R Subhash Reddy and L Nageswara Rao, would attend the event to be held on the High Court premises from 5 pm on Saturday.

The construction of the High Court started on April15, 1915 and completed on March 31, 1919. Mohammed Safiullah of Deccan Heritage Trust says, "The High Court is unique in more ways than one. It has the largest, biggest and highest Indo-Sarcenic arch anywhere and it is even much larger than the Bulund Darwaza at Fatehpur Sikri, Agra."

Speaking about the building and the culture, P Anuradha Reddy, co-convenor, INTACH Hyderabad chapter, says, "The language of the High Court was Persian and the culture was laced with Persian influences. Likewise, the architecture too has glimpses of the influence."

Prime Minister of Hyderabad state (1853-83) Salar Jung had introduced a regular and efficient judicial system in Hyderabad and also introduced a legal department for framing laws.

About 18.22 lakh expenditure incurred for the new High Court building on a nine-acre land and was inaugurated by Mir Osman Ali Khan, the VII Nizam of Hyderabad, on April 20, 1920.

The HC was initially situated at Pathergatti. Later on, it was shifted to several places in the city before shifting to the present building which construction commenced on April 15, 1915 and completed on March 31, 1919.