The Deccan Heritage Foundation India is pleased to announce an important multi-year collaboration with Sonata Software Technology Limited for the restoration of the Rang Mahal gardens and pavilion at the British-era Residency in Hyderabad
Thanks to the generous support of Sonata Software, the Deccan Heritage Foundation (DHF) India will be able to restore the Rang Mahal, a charming pleasure pavilion, and its surrounding garden, the final elements in the overall rehabilitation of the British-era Residency complex, now part of the Telangana Women’s University campus, formerly the University College for Women, Osmania University. We are extremely grateful to Sonata Software for its generous multi-year grant.
The Residency complex, situated on a 42 acre campus in Hyderabad, features one of the most important examples of Palladian architecture in Asia. Its construction represents the moment when the English East India Company began to exert its pernicious influence on the local Nizams. At the beginning of the 19th century, the British “Resident” James Achilles Kirkpatrick built this opulent mansion with a magnificent, European styled darbar hall in the middle of an extensive garden with pavilions and pools, and an adjacent cemetery for Europeans. The DHF has joined the World Monuments Fund (WMF) in the rehabilitation of the complex. In 2015, the DHF restored the outdoor plaster model of the Residency, which Kirkpatrick supposedly had built for the enjoyment of his wife, Begum Khair un-Nissa. In 2020, in association with the British Association for the Cemeteries of South Asia, the DHF completed the restoration of the cemetery.
Now, thanks to a generous grant by Sonata Software Technology Limited, DHF India has begun the restoration of the Rang Mahal pavilion and its garden, which were used by the Begum and her entourage. This is an important and final stage in the overall rehabilitation of this historic site. We are grateful to Sonata for underwriting this restoration and supporting the DHF's efforts to conserve the heritage and culture of the Deccan.
Said Srikar Reddy, MD, Sonata Software, ”We are pleased to partner with and support DHF India in its efforts towards the conservation of Rang Mahal Gardens and Pavilion. This is in line with Sonata’s ongoing ‘Sustainability’ initiatives, one of which being Protection of national heritage, art and culture including restoration of buildings and sites of historical importance and works of art; setting up public libraries; promotion and development of traditional arts and handicrafts.”
“The Rang Mahal project fulfils the DHF mission of education and adaptive re-use. The British Residency complex today serves as a campus for the Telangana Women’s University, so the restoration of the Rang Mahal will instill in students a suitable sense of history, bringing the past alive. Courses on heritage management and museology are being developed. When restored, the Rang Mahal will also be an attractive venue for concerts.’’ said Ambassador Latha Reddy, Chairperson, DHF India.
Read more about this project here.
We are proud to announce the DHF’s priorities for 2022-2023, which include two challenging new restoration projects and a publication project
We seek your support for these projects, which will advance the DHF’s mission of supporting local communities and educating the public on the rich cultural heritage of the Deccan region:
