Hyderabad’s iconic Charminar damaged as portion of minaret falls off

A piece of stucco work on the minaret facing the Mecca Masjid on the south-west side gave way and fell off. There were no casualties or injuries reported.

Charminar, the 428-year-old historic monument that stands as an iconic structure in Hyderabad, suffered considerable damage when a large piece of lime stucco work on one of its four minarets fell off at around midnight.

The exact reason for the damage of the minaret was not ascertained. However, historian and heritage conservationist Mohammad Safiullah said it could be due to gales and heavy rain that had hit the city a couple of days ago. (HT PHOTO)

According to the Charminar police, the piece of stucco work on the minaret facing the Mecca Masjid on the south-west side gave way and fell off. Luckily, there were no casualties or injuries reported.

The local people immediately rushed to the spot to have a look at the damaged portion. The police cordoned off the area around the debris and immediately informed the officials of the Archaeological Survey of India, which is the custodian of the monument.

ASI superintending archaeologist Milan Kumar Chauley could not be reached for comment as he was away in Delhi. An official familiar with the development said the piece of the minaret was quite big -- of two-metre length and 88 cm width. The damaged portion also exposed a crack in the minaret, which might result in the collapse of more portions. The authorities are putting up a mesh around the monument.

Though the exact reason for the damage of the minaret was not known, historian and heritage conservationist Mohammad Safiullah said it could be due to gales and heavy rain that hit the city a couple of days ago.

“The ASI has been undertaking conservation work on the Charminar for quite some and they have restored three out of the four minarets besides other structures. Maybe, the portion of the stucco work was not completely restored or there could be a mismatch of material in that particular portion. As far as I know, the ASI officials have done a very good job. The actual reason will be revealed only after a thorough investigation,” Safiullah said.

He pointed out that even in the past, small portions of the Charminar had been damaged due to breakage of limestone pieces and they had been restored by the ASI authorities. However, this time, the damaged portion appeared to be big, raising concerns over the safety of the monument.

The Charminar was built in 1591 by Mohammed Quli Qutb Shah, the fifth king of the Qutb Shahi dynasty. The 160-feet tall monument, which got its name from its four minarets, has been awaiting the World Heritage Monument tag, but it has been elusive due to large scale commercial activity and movement of traffic around the structure.