Deja-vu

I am back on the blog after a long break. Been very busy. But could not stay away from writing today. It has been a strange day and therefore this post will have nothing to do with my major themes of travel/history/architecture and infectious diseases.

Today I reached Hyderabad for a meeting and learnt that I would be staying at the Golconda Resorts. It is a fabulous property next to the Gandipet Lake on the outskirts of Hyderabad. The ambience is nice, the rooms are wonderful, the staff is helpful and the morning walks are peaceful.

But the last time I stayed here, it was 26/11 and Mumbai was attacked. I remember sitting glued to the TV in my room, horrified of what was happening. India was under attack and we seemed like jokers to the world. A few terrorists had killed with gay abandon and held the country to ransom for three days. It was India’s 9/11. It hurt our psyche and changed us forever.

As I checked into Golconda Resorts, I could not but help remember the last visit. I had this strange premonition that this day would be historic. It was indeed.

Sachin Tendulkar has scored 200 runs in a one-day cricket match against South Africa. Today, India has come together to rejoice in one of the greatest sporting feats. No one had broken the 200-runs barrier in a 50-overs match. There are only 300 balls to be played and one expects an opening batsman who stays the entire time to face roughly 150 balls. Sachin did it in 147 balls. And he did it against South Africa, which is currently one of the best bowling sides in the world.

 
My only regret is that I was traveling and could not see Sachin's historic innings live. Well done, Tendy. Thank you for all the good times you have given us. Thank you for uniting us as a Nation to rejoice in your feat. This is not just your moment. It is ours too.

We will not and must not forget 26/11, but we should also remember 24/2. I will always remember Golconda Resorts for these bitter-sweet memories.

In celebration of the Minaret

The Swiss, long known for religious tolerance, have just voted to ban the minaret, an important but not essential part of Islamic architecture.

An Op-Ed column in the New York Times of Dec 6, 2009 nicely comments on the social and political aspects of this story.

What is the purpose of minarets in Islamic buildings? Some believe that towering minarets are made to establish Muslim supremacy. Perhaps, but they serve far more practical functions. Minarets associated with masjids (mosques) are used to call the faithful to prayer. This was a practical option in the days when personal watches were not so common, but not one any more. Minarets also serve an air-conditioning  function - as the sun heats the dome, cold air is drawn in through the open arches (or windows) and hot air is released from the minarets, cooling the structure. Remember High School Physics - warm air is lighter than cold air and rises to the top.

Without going into the politics of the minaret, I celebrate the stupidity of the Swiss with pictures from my archives.  There are masjids with minarets and there are also masjids with no minarets. Many tombs and forts in the Indian subcontinent, which serve no religious function, also have minarets to enhance their architectural style.

Take a look.

Minarets on Masjids


From my Turkey files - 1. Sultanahmet Cami (Blue mosque), Istanbul; 2.  Yeni Cami (New mosque), Istanbul; 3. Eyup mosque, Istanbul; 4. Iznik minaret (notice the blue tile work from the city where the colour turquoise was discovered).

From the Indian subcontinent

Badshahi Masjid, Lahore, Pakistan - Built in 1673 by the sixth Mughal Emperor, Aurangzeb, it is remarkably similar to the Jama Masjid of Delhi. Sorry, I don't have Delhi's Jama Masjid in my digital files yet.

Faisal Mosque, Islamabad, Pakistan - Built in 1986, it adds a modern architectural style in Pakistan's capital city.

Moti Masjid (Pearl Mosque), inside the Red Fort, Delhi, India - This personal masjid of Emperor Shahjehan has small minarets that served neither the purpose of calling for prayer nor were symbols of power. They were ornamental, adding only to the beauty of this masjid.

Minarets on Tombs

Humayun's Tomb, Delhi, India - Humayun was the second Mughal emperor. Clearly these minarets serve only an ornamental purpose on his tomb.

Gate of Akbar's Tomb, Sikandra, near Agra, India - Akbar was the third Mughal emperor. Notice the similarity between these and the minarets of the Taj Mahal (see later)

Jahangir's Tomb, Lahore, Pakistan - Jahangir was Akbar's son and the fourth Mughal emperor.

Shahjehan's Tomb, Agra, India - Shahjehan was Jahangir's son and the fifth Mughal emperor. He is buried beside his wife, Mumtaz Mahal, in the beautiful Taj  Mahal. In this wide angle view from across the Yamuna river, the Taj Mahal is flanked by a masjid on the right (look, no minarets!!) and an identical structure on the left built just for the purpose of maintaining symmetry.

The Taj Mahal has one of the most elegant minarets you will find on a building. They are tall, but not overbearing on the structure. I am always reminded of a painter's fingers when I look at them. See if you agree.

Itmad-ud-daulah's Tomb, Agra, India - This is a small, ornamental tomb belonging to a nobleman in Jahangir's court and his father-in-law. Notice the small minarets that accentuate the corners of this tomb that stands, like most other mughal tombs in the middle of a charbagh - a four-cornered garden.

Minarets in Forts

The Red Fort, Delhi, India - Will the ramparts of the Red Fort be as beautiful without the minarets, which serve no religious purpose?

Golconda Fort, Hyderabad, India - A small structure close to the highest point of the fort has two exquisite minarets in a style seen in Qutub Shahi tombs (see my Hyderabad photo essay).

Other Minarets

Two other minarets stand out in the architecture of the Indian subcontinent.

Qutub Minar, Delhi, India - This is clearly a minaret of power, built on the ruins of Lal Kot, the citadel of Tomars and Chauhan, to celebrate the victory of Qutubuddin Aibak over Prithviraj Chauhan. Construction of the Qutub Minar was started in 1193 and was finally finished in 1386 by Firozshah Tughlaq. The inspiration for the Qutub Minar was the Minaret of Jam in Afghanistan. Is this famous minaret named after Qutubuddin Aibak, the first Sultan of the Slave Dynasty or after Khwaja Syed  Muhammad Qutubuddin Bakhtiar Kaki, a Sufi saint venerated by Aibak's successor Iltutmish?

Charminar, Hyderabad, India - Sultan Muhammad Quli Qutub Shah built Charminar (four minarets) in 1536 as a thanksgiving to the Almighty for the end of the plague outbreak in his city. Though it was built to be a mosque, the mosque is hidden in one corner of the topmost level; it is the minarets that are overpowering and a defining feature of this structure. My picture below shows the Charminar from the adjoining Makkah Masjid, whose minaret is seen in the foreground.

It is not just muslims who have used minarets on their buildings. When the British built their new capital on Raisina Hill in New Delhi, they put minarets on the facade seen today on buildings of the Noth Block and South Block, which house important ministries of the Government of India. Check out my picture of the North Block, all decked up for India's Republic Day.

I thank the Swiss for their inspiration. They make great chocolate, but right now make no sense.

Hyderabad - A Photo Essay

Hyderabad, the city of Nizams, pearls and biryani, is also the most rapidly expanding of Indian cities, a hub of high technology companies, but still full of charm and tradition.  As always, the pictures are all mine, from a trip in July 2009.

In its most recent history, the region was ruled by the Kakatiyas and then the Bahmani sultans, the latter possibly of Tajik-Persian descent, and possibly the first Islamic and Shi'ite kingdom in South India. The Bahmani Sultanate, which broke away from the Delhi sultanate during the rule of Muhammad bin Tughluq in 1347, itself broke up into 5 states - the Deccan Sultanate in 1518. Golconda was one of these, rules by the Qutub Shahi dynasty. The grand Golconda fort was the power centre and a few miles away stand the beautiful Persian style Qutb Shahi Tombs.

The Golconda Fort walls and ruins

 City from the Golconda Fort

 

 Makkah Gate, Golconda Fort - The old Sultan used this gate  to leave the Fort for the Hajj pilgrimage after abdicating the throne to his successor.

 

Hyderabad, according to popular lore, was established by Sultan Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah after he fell in love with Bhagyamati, a Hindu Banjara girl. After her acceptance into the royal fold, she was named Hyder Mahal, and thus the name Hyderabad. Another theory is that Hyderabad is the 'City of Hyder', named after Ali, the fourth Khalifah (Caliph) of Islam. The city was established on the banks of the Musi river in 1591. Today, the river is no more than a drain, but thankfully its cleaning and preservation work has started.

The Qutb Shahi Tombs are fine examples of carved stonework set in a large garden, and are a rare example of almost the entire dynasty buried in one area. An elaborate hamam, with great natural lighting, and reminiscent of the baths of Central Asia, is also within the precincts and was used to wash the dead before burial.

Tomb of Hayath Bakhshi Begum

The Mortuary Bath - built by Sultan Quli Qutb ul Mulk (1st king) along with his own tomb

Tomb of Sultan Muhammad Qutb Shah (6th king)

Tomb of Kulsoom Begum (daughter of Muhammad Qutb Shah)

 

Graves on the platform of Sultan Quli Qutb ul Mulk Tomb. In background are the Tomb of Kulsoom Begum and Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah

 

Tomb of Sultan Muhammad Qutb Shah (6th king)

 

 Tomb of Sultan Muhammad Qutb Shah (4th king)

 

Aurangzeb's Masjid at the Qutb Shahi Tombs; Aurangzeb is said to have prayed here during the siege of Golconda in 1687

 

Golconda was finally captured by the Mughal king Aurangzeb in 1687 and was governed from Delhi through Governors, who in time gained autonomy. In 1724 Asaf Jah I, Nizamul Mulk (Governor of the country) established control over Hyderabad and the Asaf Jahi Dynasty. His descendents, the Nizams governed Hyderabad till 1948, when the State of Hyderabad joined the Union of India.

The Chowmahalla Palace of the Nizams is a neo-classical palace modeled on the Shah of Iran's Palace in Tehran. Its construction was started by Salabat Jung (4th in succession) in 1750 and was finally completed by the 5th Nizam, Asaf Jah V, in the period 1857-68. With elegant gardens and fountains, the palace has two courtyards - the northern courtyard housing the administration and the southern courtyard housing four palaces - Afzal Mahal, Aftab Mahal, Mehtab Mahal and Tahniyat Mahal. Its construction over a long period ensures a number of architectural styles. The jewel of the Palace is Khilwat Mubarak, the Durbar Hall of the Nizams.

Northern Courtyard, Chowmahalla Palace

Northern Courtyard

 

 Khilwat Mubarak

 

 Khilwat Clock; entrance to Chowmahalla Palace

 

 Durbar Hall

 

The Throne

 

 Entrance to the Southern Courtyard

 

Southern Courtyard

 

Palace details, Southern Courtyard

 

The old city of Hyderabad is crowded but a shopper's delight, with its pearl and saree shops and the Laad Bazaar with glittering shops selling shiny bangles, a Hyderabad trademark.

Laad Bazaar

 

 Beautiful Hyderabadi Bangles

 

Two special buildings dominate the old city - the Charminar and the Makkah Masjid. Sultan Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah (5th Qutb Shahi king) built the Charminar after he shifted his capital from Golconda across the Musi River to Hyderabad. This is a monument of gratitude to Allah for sparing the city of the plague outbreak in 1591. It is actually a masjid (mosque), which is hidden on the upper floor, but the structure is dominated by four beautifully ornate, strong yet aesthetic minarets with exquisite carvings.

The Charminar

The Makkah Masjid, so called because Sultan Muhammad Qutb Shah (6th king) commissioned it using bricks made from earth brought from the Islamic city of Makkah (Mecca). The work began in 1617 and was finished 77 years later by Aurangzeb in 1694. Next to the masjid stands a simple but elegant structure that houses the graves of the Nizams.

Makkah Masjid (right) and the Mausoleum of the Nizams (left)

The lovely minarets of the Nizam mausoleum

Here rests the Asaf Jahi dynasty (the Nizams)

 

Pigeons are in plenty at the Makkah Masjid, with Charminar in background

 

Sultan Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, a poet of great versatility and distinction in Persian and its forms later developed as the Urdu language, and in Dakhni (Southern Indian), dialect prayed at the inauguration of his new city.

Mera shehar logan soon mamoor kar
Rakhya joon tun darya mein min Ya Sami
(O God, fill my city with people, as you have the river with fish)

His wish seems to be granted. Hyderabad is teeming with people and more wanting to move there for the opportunities it offers today.