Sardar Mahal set to sparkle again

Hyderabad: The restoration of the 123-year-old historic Sardar Mahal near Charminar is expected to be completed in the next few months as the work has finally picked up pace. Officials said that 70% of work is already over and now the beautification process is on to turn the Nizam-era palace into a tourist centre.
The palace has a backstory of how the sixth Nizam, Mahboob Ali Khan, built it in 1900 for his consort Sardar Begum as a ‘token of love’. But its unique Indo-European architecture was not to her liking and she chose not to live there.
Ignored by the one it was made for, the palace finally got the attention of present administration. The plan to restore the palace began but everything went to cold storage once the pandemic hit. Finally, work began after government allocated funds last year.
According to the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) sources, the civic body has taken up the restoration project at a cost of ₹30 crore.
“The work is going on at full speed. We have hired structural engineers and heritage conservationists to ensure that the work does not affect the originality of the palace,” an official said.
GHMC officials said that the work is being done on a build, operate and transfer (BOT) model. Apart from repairs, other work includes transforming the indoor premises into a cultural centre. The palace will get a fresh coat of paint and damaged walls and ceilings will be repaired.
“The restoration of the fountain, work at the verandah, scraping of walls etc., have already started. The entire project is being done in two phases. The first is expected to be completed in the next few months and we are hoping to welcome tourists soon,” Prashant Lahoti, co-founder of Kalakriti Art Gallery who is working on the project, told TOI.