बंजारा हाउस . . . . . . . బంజారా హౌస్ . . . . . . . بيت بانجارا
historic landmark private residence
BANJARA HOUSE IS A SMALL SPANISH-STYLE HERITAGE RESIDENCE PERCHED ON ONE OF THE HIGHEST POINTS OF BANJARA HILLS - HYDERABAD'S MOST PRESTIGIOUS NEIGHBORHOOD.
BANJARA HILLS
THE ENTIRE BANJARA HILLS AREA WAS FIRST BOUGHT IN 1927 BY NAWAB MEHDI NAWAZ JUNG, A DISTINGUISHED MINISTER IN THE COURT OF THE LAST NIZAM OF HYDERABAD. HE WAS THE FIRST TO BUILD HIS RESIDENCE HERE AND NAMED HIS RESIDENCE AS THE BANJARA BHAVAN. SOME VERY DISTINGUISHED GUESTS OF BANJARA BHAVAN WERE SHRI PANDIT JAWAHARLAL NEHRU AND SHRI RABINDRANATH TAGORE, WHO WAS SO INSPIRED BY THE SURROUNDING THAT HE WROTE A POEM ABOUT THE AREA.
THE LAST NIZAM SUGGESTED THAT THE AREA BE NAMED AFTER NAWAB MEHDI NAWAZ JUNG, AS HE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS DEVELOPMENT. HOWEVER THE NAWAB STATED IT WOULD ONLY BE FAIR TO NAME THE AREA AFTER ITS ORIGINAL INHABITANTS - THE BANJARAS. IN HIS HONOR, ROAD NO.1 BANJARA HILLS IS ALSO KNOWN AS MEHDI NAWAZ JUNG ROAD.
THIS AREA WAS ONCE A HILLY FOREST, AND WAS LEAST INHABITED IN THE PAST. ONLY A FEW ROYAL MEMBERS OF THE NIZAM'S FAMILY AND SELECT FAMILIES OF NAWAB'S AND NOBILITY RESIDED HERE.
DECKED IN THE VICINITY OF THE HISTORIC CHIRAN PALACE OF THE NIZAM'S (LATER CONVERTED TO KBR PARK), THIS NEIGHBORHOOD WAS ONCE A BIRD-WATCHING MANCHAAN AND HUNTING RETREAT FOR THE NOBILITY OF HYDERABAD.
OVER THE DECADES, THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF BANJARA HILLS AND JUBILEE HILLS, HAVE UNDERGONE A REMARKABLE TRANSFORMATION, EMERGING AS ONE OF THE CITY'S MOST PRESTIGIOUS URBAN AND COMMERCIAL AREAS.
BANJARA HOUSE
TO CELEBRATE THE ENDURING LEGACY OF THIS HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOOD, A FAMILY
OF NOBLE LINEAGE ACQUIRED A SMALL PLOT OF LAND ON THIS HILL AND BUILT THE BANJARA HOUSE - A SPANISH STYLE RESIDENCE CONCEIVED AS A THOUGHTFUL TRIBUTE TO THE AREA'S TIMELESS HERITAGE.
PERCHED ON ONE OF THE MOST ELEVATED POINTS OF BANJARA HILLS, HYDERABAD'S MOST DISTINGUISHED NEIGHBORHOOD, BANJARA HOUSE EMBODIES TIMELESS GRACE AND ARCHITECTURAL BEAUTY. NESTLED AMONG TREES AND IN THE GENTLE COMPANY OF BIRDS, IT CONTINUES TO REFLECT THE SERENE HARMONY BETWEEN NATURE AND HERITAGE THAT ONCE DEFINED THIS LANDSCAPE.
TODAY, BANJARA HOUSE STANDS AS A GRACEFUL REMINDER OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD'S STORIED PAST AND ENDURING CHARM.
GREENING EFFORT
OVER THE DECADES, RAPID URBANIZATION HAD OUTPACED AND VASTLY DEPLETED THE GREEN COVER AND BIODIVERSITY OF THIS ONCE LUSH NEIGHBORHOOD. IN THE IMMEDIATE SURROUNDINGS OF BANJARA HOUSE, THERE WAS A TIME WHEN NOT A SINGLE TREE OR PLANT REMAINED.
ACKNOWLEDGING THE AREA'S FORMER RICHNESS IN GREENERY AND BIODIVERSITY, THE FAMILY TOOK THE INITIATIVE TO RESTORE WHAT WAS LOST BY PLANTING NATIVE SPECIES OF TREES AND PLANTS IN THE LIMITED URBAN SPACE AND PATHWAYS SURROUNDING BANJARA HOUSE. THROUGH THE THOUGHTFUL REPLANTING OF THIS URBAN STRETCH WITH GOLDEN BAMBOOS AND VIBRANT RED AND YELLOW GULMOHAR TREES, THE FAMILY HAS OVER THE PAST 25 YEARS, HELPED REVIVE IN A SMALL AND MEANINGFUL WAY THE NATURAL CHARM OF THIS NEIGHBORHOOD.
TODAY, THE GENTLE RUSTLE OF LEAVES, THE RETURN OF CHIRPING BRIDS AND PLAYFUL SQUIRRELS AND THE RENEWED CANOPY OF TREES STAND AS A QUITE TRIBUTE TO THE FAMILY'S DEDICATION AND LOVE FOR THIS LAND.
BIRDS
BANJARA HILLS IS HOME TO A VARIETY OF RESIDENT BIRD SPECIES, INCLUDING
THE ROSE-RINGED PARAKEET, RED-VENTED BULBUL, AND ASIAN KOEL, ALONG WITH
URBAN SPECIES LIKE THE ROCK PEGEON, COMMON MYNA, TAILOR BIRD, HUMMING BIRD AND THE WHITE-THROATED KINGFISHER. PEACOCKS ARE RESIDENT TO KBR PARK (THE FORMER
CHIRAN PALACE GROUNDS).
AT TIMES THESE BIRDS ARE SIGHTED IN THE
IMMEDIATE NEIGHBROHOOD - OCCASIONALLY GRACING THE SMALL PATCH OF GREEN
TREES PLANTED IN FRONT OF BANJARA HOUSE.
Banjara House is a tribute to
BANJARA HILLS ------------------------- EST. 1927 ------------------------- 98 YEARS HISTORY ------------------------- mehdi nawaz jung
