Hyderabadi senior citizens has joined to remember the older-golden days of their time. The attempt is quite exciting to new generation people. #Khabarlive visited the gatherings and presents the views, excitement, laughs, old slang, pet-words of old Hyderabad and sad memories of some participants.
After the covid scare, they emerged from hiding. They were all in their later years. Some people used a walker, some walked slowly, and some made an attempt. There was a twinkle in their eyes that appeared to suggest, “We may be down, but we’re not out.”
It was an outing for senior citizens. And they definitely appreciated it. No, they didn’t shake a leg or let their hair down. They merely engaged in spirited conversation and reminisced. Old incidents and both nice and unpleasant memories were discussed. They were conversing while enjoying Hyderabad’s yaden aur baten, which exuded an old-world charm and goodwill.
Recently, senior residents gathered at Oxford Grammar School in Himayatnagar in Hyderabad to relive their happy childhood memories, bringing life to the school’s auditorium. This innovative programme giving the elderly a forum to reflect was the brainchild of Dr. Anand Raj Varma, a writer, academic, and social activist. The majority of the discourse was held in Dakkhani, with liberal use of Urdu couplets.
The enjoyable moments of the regal Hyderabad could not be relived. But at least we can grin meaningfully when we think back on the good times. In his introductory remarks, Mazharuddin Javed described how the pandemic had allowed the programme to be put back on the air after a lengthy hiatus of two and a half years. Varma, however, did not appreciate the phrase “extended hiatus.” He made everyone laugh out loud by joking that the event was held “parsun-parsun” in the true Hyderabadi fashion (literally meaning the day before yesterday).
As everyone waited for the programme to kick-start, Varma set the ball rolling with this couplet:
Hum ko hai ishtiyaq uthayenge naqab wo
Unko hai zid taqaza kare koi
(I crave that she lifts her veil/ But she insists that I should demand for it)
There were some youngsters in the audience, and they thoroughly enjoyed it. They were there to learn about the old Hyderabad. “I am here to know more about the life and times in the princely state of Nizam,” remarked a youngster.
People like him were not disappointed. Mohd Ghiasuddin Akbar, Member, Historical Society of Hyderabad, spoke about how people kept track of time in the olden days. He gave a power point presentation on various clock towers and gate way clocks of Hyderabad while Prof. Masood Ahmad, Director, MESCO Institute of Management and Computer Science, took everyone on a tour of the historic city of Hyderabad.
Clocks arrived in India, especially in the princely state of Hyderabad around the 18th century. Nizam III, Mir Akbar Ali Khan, built the Secunderabad Clock Tower in 1860 and it was inaugurated by the British Resident, Sir Trevor John Plowden on February 1, 1897. Akbar threw light on the clocks adorning Charminar, King Koti, Chow Mahalla Palace. He gave a brief history of the Sultan Bazaar Clock Tower, Mahboob Chowk Clock Tower, Fateh Maidan Clock Tower, Falaknuma Gate way clock, Aza Khana Zehra gate clock, James Street Police Station clock, Kachiguda Railway Station clock, Devdhi Shamraj Bahadur gate way clock, St. Joseph Cathedral clock and the Moazzam Jah Market clock.
Through images, Prof. Masood described the historical Hyderabad. He discussed Hyderabad’s development in a number of areas, including education, health, railroads, and architecture. If you want to advance and succeed, don’t forget your past, he said. Narendra Rai, a well-known artist and poet in Hindi, entertained everyone with Dakhani poetry. #Khabarlive #hydnews #hyderabadlive #hyderabadi
