Hyderabad, the city of Nizams, is not just one city at all. It used to be called a twin city for long and beyond 1990s, the family has grown to three. Old city of Nizams- known for its cultural heritage. Cyberabad- Chandrababu Naidu's brainchild and the first IT hub in India. And somewhere between both the eras, Britishers left their mark in the form of Secunderabad.
Secunderabad in its modern form was founded after the then Nizam's defeat to East India Company in 1798 AD, and the vast land north of Hussain Sagar was allocated in 1806 for setting up a British cantonment, for safety of Nizam's regime. We know very well today how accepting the safety from British East India Company turned out for any Indian ruler. Demarcated by the famous man made Hussain Sagar lake, Secunderabad is most famously known for its well planned layout, a vast Army cantonment area and the eponymous railway station. All of these- of course a gift from British empire.
But there is one more often neglected cultural impact left by our erstwhile English rulers- the Old churches of Secunderabad. With the exception of the St John's Church built in present day West Marredpally in 1813, these churches came into existence much later than the city's birth as accounted for above. The St Mary's cathedral was built in the year 1850 and still stands majestic despite the test of time. Wesley's Church from 1853, The All Saints Church from 1860, and the Methodist Church built around 1882 are the other glorious constructions of their era. Some more legendary entries to this club, located in utmost tranquility are Trinity Church near Bolarum and Wesley Garrison Church next to Trimulgherry Telephone exchange.
The trickling of missionaries on the heels of cantonment, and subsequent construction of churches has an interesting history behind it. It is said that the Christian missionaries were called into the city with the express purpose of saving the souls of the ‘white’ soldiers and the officers. The magical powers of the natives were whispered in hushed tones across the world and there were already many instances of the ‘White Mughals’ (read William Dalrymple's famous novel on true story) on record. Good, well bred Englishmen, who had surrendered to beautiful Indian women and had converted, especially to Islam. Somewhere there was this fervent belief that with a church on the premises, such happenstance would be reduced!
Whether or not was this belief true, it certainly paved way for Secunderabad to boast today an unique and unparalleled cultural heritage. Something not many step-brotherly cities can boast of.
This story is based on the researched article published by my friend Mrs. Shyamola Khanna, a veteran journalist, freelance writer and soft skills trainer. If you too are a history buff, you may find her at https://www.linkedin.com/in/shyamola-khanna-095b711a
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