Charminar may get a Malaysian-model facelift; authorities plan complete revitalisation of the monument

The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and the Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) department have fast-tracked the administrative steps for the restoration of the iconic heritage structure Charminar. The civic authorities and MAUD Special Chief Secretary Arvind Kumar held a meeting with representatives of a Malaysian organisation that make cities more citizen-friendly, Think City. Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) part in the meeting to discuss the restoration of the monument.

According to officials, a comprehensive master plan for the Charminar Historical Precinct Revitalisation Project was discussed and finalised during the meeting. In addition to cultural and heritage restoration, the focus will be on economic inclusion and integrating it with the local public, Arvind Kumar said. The Think City has done a similar successful project in Penang, Malaysia, he added.

The Telangana government recently scrapped the 24-year-old Charminar Pedestrianisation Project



which was chalked out to give a facelift to the monument. However, it repeatedly failed to meet the deadlines. Last month, the government came up with a new version of the project called the Charminar Historical Precinct Revitalisation Plan, which will look beyond architectural restoration.

The 16th-century building is in bad condition and needs immediate attention. Lime plasters on the inner walls of the building and staircase are peeling off. Since the historical structure witnessed an increase in the number of visitors after the Covid pandemic, the damages have been creating difficulties. Though the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is tasked with maintaining the building, it is alleged that the inner walls and staircase mostly remain neglected.

Located at the heart of Hyderabad, the monument was built in 1591 by Muḥammad Quli Quṭb Shah, the fifth king of the Quṭb Shahi dynasty. It was the first building in erected Hyderabad after he made the city his new capital.