Historic mansion wallows in neglect at Hyderabad

Hyderabad: The Mahbub Mansion in Malakpet is one of the few palaces, which in spite of its derelict state still looks beautiful but the inner parts are failing apart. In a classic case of missing the wood for the trees, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) is building a boundary wall and Rs 7 lakh was also sanctioned.

What was once spread over 42 acres is now in two acres with 70 per cent of the monument damaged. Officials say by building the boundary wall, further encroachment could be stopped. Mohammed Saifuddin Shafi, corporator says, "The works are going on at fast pace. The work on the entrance to the mansion is completed with a sanctioned amount of Rs 4 lakh in 2019."

Malakpet MLA Ahmed Bin Abdullah Balala gave a representation to conserve the monument and also to start a Government Polytechnic college. There are several houses around the palace and residents hang clothes on the wired fencing. Trees are growing from the crevices of the old monument.

Minister KT Rama Rao along with Home Minister Mohammed Mahmood Ali too visited the area and took note of the state of the mansion. "During rains, pieces of the mansion crumble and huge cracks were formed in walls and the rain water also logged inside the palace," said Naheeda Begum, resident near Mansion.

Mahbub Mansion was an occasional home for the Asaf Jah VI, Mir Mahbub Ali Khan and his wife Sardar Begum who loved to watch horse racing at the Malakpet Race Course through curtains made out of gold threads.