400-yr-old Gulzar Houz restoration sparks debate

HYDERABAD: The 400-year-old Char-Su-Ka-Hauz, or the Gulzar Houz fountain, bites the dust as the historical site stands wholly reconstructed.
Currently, the structure has been barricaded and covered under a green cloth as the remnants of the iconic fountain built during the Qutb Shahi dynasty stands disappeared. Heritage activists express shock over the complete reconstruction of the site under the guise of ‘improving traffic’.
“When I recently visited the place, it was a complete shock as pneumatic drilling machines were used.The old structure is gone and the reason the workers cited was ‘traffic’,” Anuradha Reddy of INTACH told TOI.
The project is done by Deccan Terrain Heritage under the supervision of Quli Qutub Shah Urban Development Authority (QQSUDA). The old limestone structure with a lotus-shaped basin on the top stands completely changed. Anuradha also noted that the structure now stands shrunk and concretized with cement. She advocated that the government conduct a peer review of the fountain and involve other stakeholders.
Char-Su-Ka-Hauz, which means the ‘cistern of four cardinal points’, was built 350 feet away from the four kamaans surrounding it. The structure was built as per the architectural layout drawn by Mir Momin Astarabadi, the first prime minister under Mohammed Quli Qutub Shah’s rule. It also stood as a drinking water source for the Qutub Shahi army.
QQSUDA officials noted that the fountain was in a dilapidated condition due to lack of maintenance over the years and sustained damage leaving the fountain defunct for decades.
“The structure was overgrown with algae and debris from the broken fragments of the fountain inside the three-tier drain made us realize that the dense traffic in the area makes it difficult to maintain it even if restoration is done using limestone. Once completed, it will be a long-lasting welcome point of Charminar pedestrian zone,” a senior QQSUDA engineer said.
Sources said that they are bringing back the original octagonal shape of the fountain which deteriorated over the years and stands circular. The fountain is expected to be functional in another two months’ time.