History, art enthusiasts gather at Nizamia Observatory to celebrate Hyderabad’s rich heritage
Urban Sketch Meet participants from all around the city gathered on sunday in the magnificent Nizamia Observatory, which is just one kilometer from the Punjagutta metro station. Together, the communities of Beyond hyderabad, Urban Sketchers, and Photo Walkers staged the event. Around a hundred people attended the event, including about 50 urban sketchers, 30 photo walkers, school-aged children, and other participants from all walks of life and age groups. Along with discussing pre-colonial history, the occasion gave sketchers and photographers a place to celebrate their creative endeavors.
Srihari Akkiraju, a 68-year-old man who was sketching a rough outline of the Nizam-era building while he was attentively listening to the history, said: "It's such a nice morning to meet all these creative individuals in the city, so eager about studying the history. A five-year-old was busy sketching the building while her mother nisha thought on how important it is to teach children about history. It's vital for the youngsters to have a deeper grasp of history and to stay in touch with their roots, she added, adding that hyderabad is more than just a busy metropolis.
The observatory was founded in 1907 near Phisalbanda by Nawab Zafar Yar Jung Bahadur, the then-Defense minister for Mir Mahboob ali Khan, the Sixth Nizam, and was given the name Nizamia Observatory. Later, it was relocated to Ameerpet. A new observatory was constructed in Rangapur village, outside of hyderabad, as the city grew and Ameerpet became more urbanised. Published in national and international journals were the research projects and data that were gathered by the observatory.