Preserving Charminar from Encroachments
2018 marks 500 years since the Qutb Shahi dynasty was established in 1518 by Sultan Quli Qutb Shah. And 73 years later, his grandson and fourth king of the dynasty founded the city of Hyderabad, with the iconic Charminar being its foundation. Built to mark the new city’s beginning and the end of a supposed plague, the edifice today is Hyderabad’s face.
And 427 years since it was constructed, the Charminar has witnessed the city grow around it, having seen the end of two dynasties. But over time, the iconic structure has been subject to encroachments and disturbances, in spite of it being a national monument protected by the Archaeological Survey of India. While that in itself is not something new, how it has happened over time will is something we as citizens should look at, especially in terms of protecting our heritage.
And to understand that, or guest speaker will be Mr. Milan Kumar Chauley, who is the Superintending Archaeologist with the ASI, looking after all the national monuments in both Andhra and Telangana. Mr. Chauley will deliver a talk and also make a presentation about the Charminar and its surrounding encroachments.
About the speaker: Mr. Milan Kumar Chauley first joined service as a Documentation Officer with Delhi government’s archaeology department in 2002. He joined the ASI in 2003, working for its excavation branch in Bhubaneshwar and Delhi. In 2012, Mr. Chauley became a Superintending Achaeologist directly after writing the UPSC exam, following which he was appointed to the Telangana/AP circle as the same in 2017.
ALL ARE WELCOME!!!