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Saturday, June 19, 2010

The Paigah Tombs – History in marbles.


Ask any Hyderbadi ‘where are Paigah tombs?’ 9 out of 10 guys will not know the location! Many of them may not have even heard the name! My daughter and myself knew it is somewhere in old city but did not know the exact location. Even the Andhra Pradesh tourism guys did not have a clue of this marvelous marble heritage. It is a pity! After spending about an hour or so in old city and after checking with at least 20 people we discovered the great Paigah tombs! It is almost invisible by the encroachment of numerous buildings all around.



Once you enter through the dilapidated gate you can see the stunning collection of tombs in marble! There is no one inside, barring a man and his family; I guess he is the watch man and no ticket is to be bought to enter this place. Totally isolated! Of course, it is very good for photography because you can shoot anything, without the disturbance of stupid people who do not bother to cross you when you are shooting something. This is something many people need to learn, especially in India! 


Paigah tombs were built during the eighteenth century by Nawab Taig Jung Bahadur and Later by his son Amir e Kabir I. Paigah were nobles who enjoyed closeness to the Nizam of Hyderabad and they had the responsibility of security and defense of the state. The tombs are an array of mausoleums built for Paigah family. These tombs bear witness to the rich historical legacy of India, fine carving and intricate mosaic work of Muslim architects and their creations in India.


Abdul Fateh Khan Tegh Jung was the founder of the Paigah nobility.

The style of architecture is unique to the Paigah tombs. The tombs are magnificent structures, decorated in stucco work, and represent the Moghal, Greek, Persian, Asaf Jahi, Rajasthani and Deccani style of architecture. The geometrical designs in the Paigah Tombs are unique and are perforated with screens with great craftsmanship.

From the photographs one can understand the beauty of this structure. One can observe the intricate work on marbles with inlay work. They were studded with precious stones. Of course, today nothing is there as they were all stolen and even what remains is stunningly beautiful. It is very sad that such a wonderful monument is totally neglected by every one!!!
Hyderabadis, please take a note this fantastic pieces of architecture and try to preserve it!
Created with flickr slideshow.

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