File picture of restoration works in progress on the Qutb Shahi Tombs Complex in Hyderabad.
A group of citizens has launched a signature campaign to spread awareness on the importance of preserving the cultural heritage of Hyderabad and the ongoing controversy over the conservation of the Qutb Shahi Tombs Complex. They plan to submit a representation to Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, seeking his intervention.
The group includes former Heritage Conservation Committee member Sajjad Shahid, journalist Ayoob Ali Khan and academic Oudesh Rani Bawa. Their initiative follows allegations against the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC), which has been restoring the complex since 2013, when the Congress was in power in the undivided Andhra Pradesh.
According to the group, the AKTC was invited by the then Congress government to conserve the tombs and has restored over 80 structures using traditional materials. They highlighted that the project, regarded as an important conservation effort, has received international recognition, including the 2022 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Award for Cultural Heritage Conservation.
They noted that a letter dated September 24, 2024, addressed to the Telangana High Court, alleged damage to the tombs. The court took cognisance and issued notices to the government and the AKTC in March. However, the group pointed out that the project had undergone peer reviews and regular official inspections. In the petition, they urged the government to verify the author’s identity.
“Rallying public support is crucial. People show interest in heritage issues occasionally—like during the Irrum Manzil case—but then go quiet. A favourable court order comes, and later nothing happens. We must constantly monitor and protect our heritage,” Mr. Shahid said, adding that the petition is available for signing at LaMakaan in Banjara Hills.
Published – March 31, 2025 08:06 pm is
