Bid to evict mosque encroachers

The state archaeology and museums department has written to the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and the state government seeking eviction of ten families residing on premises of the Hayat Bakshi Begum mosque in Hayathnagar.

The encroachments have been hampering the department’s plan to take up renovation works on the mosque, which is in a dilapidated state.The department had faced similar problems when it was trying to renovate the Paigah tombs sometime ago.

Mr P. Chenna Reddy, director, State Archaeology and Museums Department, said the families have been staying illegally in the area for many years.“They refused to move out when they were told to do so. We will take up the renovation work once these people are shifted,” he said.

The department’s restoration work involves clearing wild shrubs and debris, strengthening the foundation of the monuments and the peripheral wall on the mosque’s premises using traditional methods.It will also recast the worn-out ornamental works and remove the decayed plaster on the walls. Other works the department plans to carry out are construction of internal pathways with granite slabs, providing public amenities and rest house and interpretation centre.

Hayat Bakshi Begum mosque is a fairly large mosque with a façade of five arches.It was constructed in 1672 during the reign of Abdullah Qutub Shah. It has a large Caravan Sarai and Hathi Bauli, a very large structure in the north-east of the mosque.