Hyderabad Deccan rocks older than dinosaurs and Himalayas

(Hyderabad Deccan) In the year 1933, the famous Bengali poet and writer Rabindranath Tagore came to Hyderabad Deccan on the invitation of Syed Muhammad Mahdi, also known as Nawab Mehdi Nawaz Jang. At that time, the latter was holding the post of Secretary of the Executive Council of Nawab Mir Usman Ali Khan Bahadur.

Mehdi Nawaz Jung hosted Tagore in his gupha-like house ‘Mahdi Nawaz Jung Deodhi’ on Banjara Hills. He had constructed this house just three years ago i.e. in 1930.

‘Mahdi Nawaz Jang Deodhi’ is today called Banjara Bhawan. This house is unique in that it is the first house built of granite stones found in Hyderabad Deccan.

Rabindranath Tagore was so impressed by the architecture of this house, the giant stones spread over the Banjara Hills and the lush greenery that he wrote a beautiful poem titled ‘Kohistan’.

Tagore liked Mehdi Nawaz Jang’s cave-like house and the stones of Banjara Hills so much that he even said that if he had not been entrusted with the responsibility of managing his educational institution ‘Shantiniketan’, he would have always So he would settle here.

The stones that stole the heart of Rabindranath Tagore are still found all over the Deccan Plateau. However, due to the increasing demand for residential facilities in the city and the sprawling network of offices of various types, the number of these stones is decreasing with each passing day.

Dinosaurs and mountain ranges older than the Himalayas

Muhammad Sibghatullah Khan is the co-author of the book ‘Hyderabad Deccan: Illustrated’. Apart from writing on the history of Hyderabad, he also conducts heritage walks under the banner of ‘Deccan Archive’.

Speaking to Independent Urdu, he said that these stones in the hills and rough plains of the Hyderabad Deccan are much older than the dinosaurs and the Himalayan mountain range. ‘These stones are an important part of our natural culture. You will find these only in the Deccan Plateau. Their age is 25 to 45 billion years old.

Mohammad Sibghatullah Khan says that these stones of different shapes are mainly made of lava fragments from the volcano.

‘Billions of years ago this world was hot and liquid. In the meantime, the splashes of lava coming out of the volcano fell on the ground. When these shards cooled years later due to climate change, they took the form of these rocks.

‘Then when the sun continued to fall on the earth, the wind blew and the rain continued, the shape of these stones also continued to change. These stones took different forms. Today, some stones are shaped like frogs, some stones are shaped like mushrooms. Stones in the shape of lions and owls are also seen.’

Muhammad Sibghatullah says that most of the forts in the Deccan Plateau were built on solid rocks or rocky mountains to make it difficult for attackers to climb them.

‘Bhungir Fort is built on a monolithic rock or monolithic stone (a fixed stone). Due to its amazing construction, it is very difficult to climb even today. The fort of Bhungir was built by the Western Chalukya ruler T Vikramaditya in the 10th century AD. Similarly, these stones were also used in the construction of Golconda fort.

Muhammad Sibghatullah Khan adds that the rocks and rocky hills of the Deccan are also quite important for the ecology of the city.

‘When I climbed the hills of Khwajagowda for the first time, I was amazed to see the ecosystem there. I saw water fountains and different kinds of mushrooms there among the stones.

These stones are still used to irrigate streams and ponds with rainwater. That is, when it rains on the mountains, with the help of these stones, this water takes the form of waterfalls and goes into the reservoirs.

‘The Society to Save Rocks’ Hyderabad is an active and well-known organization working for the conservation of rocks and rocky mountains in the Deccan. The organization organizes ‘Rock Walk’ on the third Sunday of every month to create awareness about rocks.

The president of this organization Prof. Fatima Ali Khan told Independent Urdu that the stones found in Hyderabad Deccan are among the oldest stones in the world and are called granite stones due to their special texture.

‘You will see small and giant stones of various shapes here. These rocks have taken these shapes due to the weathering process of millions of years. We have been seeing these stones since childhood, but people who come from outside are stunned to see the texture of these stones.’

Heritage Curator Dr. Haseeb Jafari while talking to Independent Urdu expressed concern that the oldest stones are losing their existence in the cycle of development and expansion of the city.

‘Everyone talks about cutting down trees. But I believe that ten new trees can be planted by cutting one tree. Forests can be regrown. But if you destroy a stone, you cannot bring it back.’

Shrines on rocks and rocky mountains

Prof. Fatima Ali Khan says that the construction of dargahs, Ashura houses (Imam bargahs are called Ashura houses in Hyderabad Deccan) and temples on rocks and rocky mountains have protected these places.

‘There is a famous Ashura Khana in the Maula Ali area called Koh Maula Ali which is built on a monolithic rock. On a monolithic rock in front of it there are Ashura Khanta called Qadam Rasool and Koh Batul. Similarly, the dargahs of Fakhruddin Gatta, Pahari Sharif, Bada Pahar and Mir Momin Ki Pahari are built on rocky mountains. Many temples are also built in such places.

‘People here have been visiting these places for worship or seeking spiritual peace for centuries. The major advantage of building places of worship on stones is that the government can tamper with them and not greedy elements.’

Dr. Haseeb Jafri says that one of the main reasons for the formation of dargahs on stones and rocky mountains in the Hyderabad Deccan is that these places were the abodes of saints who visited here in the past.

‘They preferred to live in these places because they found peace here. Under these rocks and rocky mountains the temperature remained constant throughout the year.’

German woman active for the protection of stones

Frauke Kader, a German woman, has been working for the conservation of rocks and rocky mountains in Hyderabad Deccan for the past 25 years. She is the founder member and secretary of ‘The Society to Save Rocks’.

Professor Fatima Ali Khan said that when Farauke Qadir came to Hyderabad Deccan two and a half decades ago, he became extremely attached to these stones here.

‘But Frauke was saddened to see these stones being so brutally broken by explosives and destroyed forever. They campaigned for the protection of these stones and people kept getting connected.

‘No single person can save these precious stones, but it is the collective responsibility of each and every person to save them. Farauke and we want that the area of ​​Hyderabad where these stones are present in large numbers should be converted into a park so that people can come and see the charms of nature.

Our organization has been fighting for the conversion of Fakhruddin Gutta into a nature park for the last 15 years. The area is full of fascinating rocks, lush jungles and animals. Hundreds of parks like this can be built in the city.’

‘The Society to Save Rocks’ awards organizations that do not damage these rocks while building infrastructure on their premises.

“Recently, our organization has given an award to the Urdu University in Gachibowli. This university has not only preserved the granite stones in its campus but also decorated it with artificial lighting.

Documentary film ‘Uddar Koh Noors’

Uma Magal and Mah Noor Yar Khan are independent filmmakers from Hyderabad Deccan. She is making a documentary on the rocks found in the city titled ‘Udder Koh Noors: The Rocks of Hyderabad’.

Mah Noor Yar Khan told Independent Urdu that his team has researched for two years for this documentary.

‘Some of the things we came to know during the research included the story of the Hindu goddess Renuka Yallama. Renuka Devi wanted to be killed by her son. He took the form of a stone in the Deccan. In other places he assumed fish, water and other forms. This is why the Yallama community worships stones.

‘During the research we came to know, among other things, that many roads in Hyderabad are named after stones like Pathar Ghati, Panja Gatta, Bandla Gowda and Phasal Banda.’

Mah Noor Khan says that the aim of making ‘Udder Koh Noors: The Rocks of Hyderabad’ is to create awareness about these rocks, which are an integral part of the city’s geography, and to try to preserve them.

‘We are not against the development of the city but want the government, architects and builders and other stakeholders to ensure the protection of these stones. We also demand that a rock park should be established in each area and at least one national park should be established in the city.’

Mah Noor Khan said that the work on the documentary is in the final stages of completion and it will be released by the end of February next month.

It took us eight years to make this documentary. The main reason for the delay was lack of funding. A little money has been received from relatives and friends. The film is being made in three languages ​​Deccani, English and Telugu. Animation, Qawwali and rap song have also been used in this film.’

India’s first rock museum

India’s first rock museum has been established in Hyderabad Deccan yesterday. It has 35 types of stones brought from different parts of India, including Hyderabad, on display.

According to a spokesperson of the Press Information Bureau, the official news agency of India, the age of the rocks kept in the rock museum is 5.5 million years to 3.3 billion years.

Apart from Hyderabad Deccan, these stones belong to states like Kashmir, Orissa, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu. The purpose of establishing this rock museum is to inform people about many lesser known facts about these stones.