Portion of historic arch of Salar Jung residence collapses in heavy rain in Hyderabad

Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription

The View From India Looking at World Affairs from the Indian perspective.

First Day First Show News and reviews from the world of cinema and streaming.

Today's Cache Your download of the top 5 technology stories of the day.

Data Point Decoding the headlines with facts, figures, and numbers

Health Matters Ramya Kannan writes to you on getting to good health, and staying there

The Hindu On Books Books of the week, reviews, excerpts, new titles and features.

The crumbled portion of the arch of Diwan Devdi. | Photo Credit: Arrangement

A portion of the entrance arch of Diwan Devdi, the ancestral residence of Salar Jungs, collapsed during the rain on Tuesday evening in Hyderabad. The left portion of the arch, where Famous Electricals — a famous electrical shop — used to operate, crumbled at about 5 p.m. However, there are no reports of any injuries. “We had asked the owner of the shop to vacate it just before the portion crumbled. Even traffic was bro by parking a vehicle to ensure nobody would be hurt,” said Khaja Altaf Husain, the owner of the shop on the other side of the arch.

The multi-cusped arch on the Chatta Bazaar used to lead to the inner courtyard of the house of Salar Jung family whose three members became prime ministers during the Nizam’s rule. Ironically, the Salar Jung Museum which was born in the premises with the collection bequeathed by Salar Jung III in 1951 is celebrating its 75th anniversary with a gala event on June 14.

A smaller portion had similarly collapsed during September 2024. “Year after year, parts of the Jilau Khana Kaman keep falling during the monsoon. Despite it being the oldest surviving part of the original Dewan Deori complex built by Mir Alam, it has been overlooked. Several shops, calligraphers and even a restaurant operate out of the Kaman and are at risk. After parts of it collapsed in 2024, a metal reinforcement was added to the passageway of the structure but it was not restored or repaired,” said architect and history buff Sibghat Khan.

“From the visuals, it appears that damage is structural, as the projecting chajja as well as the parapet has collapsed. The structure should be immediately vacated and a thorough inspection must be done to restore it,” he says making a case for conserving the building.