Historical High Court Building built by the Nizam of Hyderabad

Navrang India June 20, 2019

High Court bldg. built by the Nizam, Hyderabad.thewire.in
Telengana High Court buldg. built by the Nizam, Hyderabad. en.wikipedia.org
What is so special about The High Court of Telangana in Hyderabad, Telengana state, India? It was founded by the 7th Nizam H.E.H Mir Osman Ali Khan as  the  High Court of Hyderabad for the then Princely State of Hyderabad, Deccan. This historic structure is one of the impressive  buildings in the city, built in red (pink granite) and white stones (Sandsones) in  Mogul- Saracenic style and is on the southern bank of Musi river. Inaugurated nearly a century ago - April 20, the main building of the High Court was built  in the year 1919 by the then Nizam's Government accommodating six judges, besides  enough space for the office staff, record rooms and Advocates' Hall.  It was renamed  later as the  High Court of Andhra Pradesh, as it was set up on 5 November 1956 under the States Reorganisation Act, 1956.  Hyderabad Deccan  was acceded by Government of India on 17 September 1948 after the Nizam's rule. The Andhra Pradesh High Court was referred to  as the High court of Judicature at Hyderabad  after the  bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh state. On 1st January 2019, Telangana High Court was bifurcated into Andhra Pradesh High Court and Telangana High Court after the formation of state of Telangana.
The main gate of High Court, Hyderabaden.wikipedia.org/
The  building plan was drawn up  by one Shankar Lal of Jaipur, an eminent engineer and architect of  repute in those days and and by  a local engineer Mehar Ali Fazal. An interesting fact is the court  building stands on the ruins of the Qutub Shahi palaces, Hine Mahal and Nadi Mahal.  Building work was done under the care of its chief engineer Nawab Khan Bahadur Mirza Akbar Baig. The work began on 15 April 1915 and was completed on 31 March 1919. On 20 April 1920 the High Court building was inaugurated by the seventh Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan.
High Court buldg. built by the Nizam, Hyderabad  thehansindia.com
During the Silver Jubilee Celebrations in 1936, a silver model of the High Court with a silver key was presented to the Nizam VII Mir Osman Ali Khan by the Judiciary.  The silver model  of the buildings  perfectly carved in a thick sheet of silver weighing about 300 kg is now in the Nizam's Museum in Purani Haveli.
A nasty fire broke out  on August 31, 2009 in the judges' library on the first floor of the main building. Cause: an electrical short-circuit. This historic building was repaired and renovated to preserve its heritage value and old glory and the  renovated conference hall and judges lounge were inaugurated on October 13, 2011.  In 1956 the court could accommodate only 12 judges. There are currently 20 Court Halls and 24 Chambers located in the High Court main building and Annexe buildings and there is a proposal to increase the number of court rooms and chamber as there has been continuous increase in court litigation's.  This building  with hoary past is a renowned landmark in this part of the city.
Tit-Bits:



1937 richest man in the world: Sir Nizam Osman Ali Khan.notoiletpaper.com

Sir Nizam Osman Ali Khan. princemaak.hubpages.com

Nizam H.E.H Mir Osman Ali Khan en.wikipedia.org
Above images:  His Exalted Highness Nawab Sir Mir Osman Ali Khan Siddiqi, Asaf Jah  GBE (6 April 1886 – 24 February 1967), was the last Nizam (ruler) of the princely state of Hyderabad, Deccan then the largest princely state in British India. Between 1911 and 1948 he ruled the state until it was taken over by the Indian govt. after freedom from the British. He was  once featured on the cover of Time magazine of 1937 and labelled as   one of the wealthiest people of all time -  the 5th richest man in history and the richest Indian ever. Being an effective ruler with charitable disposition he gave due importance to  education, science and development. Electricity, railways, roads and airways were developed during his reign. He was the founder of the famous  Osmania University, Osmania General Hospital, State Bank of Hyderabad, Begumpet Airport, and Hyderabad High Court. Two reservoirs, namely Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar were built during his reign, to prevent another great flood in the city.His  philanthropy was quite well-known; he donated millions of rupees to various educational and religious institutions all over India. He was equally known  for his eccentricities, as he used to knit his own socks, and borrow cigarettes from guests. He had a large fleet of expensive motor cars and was a patron of Rolls Royce cars. 



https://english.sakshi.com/telangana/2019/04/19/centenary-celebrations-of-high-court-building-in-hyderabad-tomorrow
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mir_Osman_Ali_Khan