Hyderabad: In a fast-changing world, several monuments and structures that represent the past of Hyderabad are now struggling to stay relevant, with the neglect shown by officials and people.
The Telangana Archaeological Museum, which was the first museum to be set up in Hyderabad in 1927 and houses rare artefacts including Buddha’s relics and an Egyptian mummy, lies in a state of neglect. For several decades, it used to attract school students. However, in a technologically advanced world, the museum fails to attract people’s attention and is slowly getting erased from public memory.
Although interactive kiosks and display boards are present, none of them function as visitors navigate through.
Hayat R., a frequent visitor of the State Archaeological Museum, said, “The crowd has forgotten this gem. The museum’s visitors, mostly consisting of students, have diminished. There has been a rapid decrease in the footfall, making the interiors feel ghostly.”
The Shaikpet Sarai, located within the Golconda circuit at Tolichowki, has been an overnight inn meant for weary travellers for at least four centuries. But it is now a crumbling site, weed-infested and moisture-impacted, behind locked gates and municipal apathy
When contacted, GHMC and HMDA officials said they are taking up restoration in a phased manner, citing the recently renovated James Street Police Station. However, they did not set a timeline for restoring the State Archaeological Museum and Shaikpet Sarai.
By
ATHULYA M. ANILKUMAR
