HYDERABAD: Once a quiet, revered corner in the Telangana State Museum at Public Gardens, Hyderabad, the Jain Gallery — home to one of the state’s finest collections of Jain art and iconography — now lies in a state of disrepair and abandonment. Closed for over five years due to roof damage and water seepage, the once-celebrated gallery now faces permanent heritage loss as invasive roots from unchecked rooftop vegetation snake through its walls.
The Jain gallery was established in 2004 under the initiative of senior archaeologists and historians to bring together rare Jain sculptures, inscriptions and artefacts scattered across Telangana — from Karimnagar, Warangal and Nalgonda to Adilabad and Khammam — into a single, curated space. The intent was noble: to aid research, heritage education, and religious pilgrimages. But despite its significance, today the gallery is closed to all visitors, its structural condition deemed unsafe even for staff.
According to sources familiar with its history, the gallery is housed in a portion of the museum building originally constructed in 1924. Though repairs were undertaken in 2004, the ageing material — comprising lime mortar, iron girders, and brick — could not withstand the test of time. Water seeped through the ceiling, pooling on the floor, weakening the roof’s structural integrity and prompting fears of collapse.
“Humidity and moisture have already begun to affect the stone surfaces of the sculptures,” a retired senior official told TNIE on condition of anonymity. “Over time, this leads to fungal growth and surface weathering,” he added.
