Hyderabad: Heritage lovers are getting ready to celebrate World Heritage Day 2025 on Friday. However, many historic buildings and sites in Hyderabad have been left abandoned and are in poor condition. Among these are the Health Museum and Jubilee Hall in Nampally, which have been closed for decades.
In the past, Public Gardens, also known as Bagh-e-Aam, was a peaceful place in the city where people could relax away from noise and pollution. The Health Museum and Jubilee Hall are located inside these gardens. The Health Museum was once used to teach people about human health and even displayed pictures of the famous Ajanta and Ellora caves. Now, the museum is no longer maintained, and its exhibits have been shifted to the Telangana State Archaeology Museum. The area is now filled with parked vehicles, which ruins the beauty of the place.
Heritage activist Mohammed Abid Ali said it’s time for the state government to act. Although the government promotes tourism, it has not taken care of important heritage sites. He urged the government to provide funds and reopen places like Jubilee Hall and the Health Museum. He said it was sad that he had never seen these places open, even when he was a student. He added that these sites once offered valuable learning opportunities that many schools still don’t provide. He believes these places should be regularly open to both tourists and students.
Another heritage activist, Mohammed Haseeb Ahmed, said Jubilee Hall is a symbol of Hyderabad’s royal history and beautiful architecture. However, it is now mostly used for official government events and is rarely open to the public. He said this is a missed chance because the hall could become a popular tourist spot with guided tours or a heritage center. He also said that the Health Museum, though outdated, has a vintage charm and shows how health education was done in the early 1900s. With some updates, it could become an exciting place for students and tourists to learn about science and history.
Jubilee Hall has a rich history. It is one of Hyderabad’s best examples of Indo-Islamic architecture mixed with colonial styles. It was built in 1913 to celebrate the 25th year of the rule of the sixth Nizam, Mir Mahboob Ali Pasha. The building is known for its beautiful arches, domes, and royal appearance, and is located in the Public Gardens.
The Health Museum, located nearby in the same area, is often overlooked. It was started during the Nizam’s time to teach people about health and cleanliness. The museum includes old-style displays, models of the human body, and educational panels that explain health topics.
