After 20 years, 216YO Koti’s British Residency restored to its pristine glory

Hyderabad: When you see it from a distance, you wonder for a second if it is a replica of the White House in Washington DC. As you get closer, you see the details- the Corinthian capitals on the eight circular columns, the richly ornamented pediment with the British Coat of Arms embossed in the middle, and the two lions on either side of the entrance stairs.

Yes, you guess it right. It is the British Residency in Hyderabad's Koti.

Inside the building awaits a durbar hall with brass and crystal chandeliers, high mirrors, and parquet flooring. The ceiling of the durbar mall is done with paper mache artwork. Further walking in, the grand staircase takes you to the first floor where the history and the details of the restoration project are on display.

Almost after 20 years of restoration work, the British Residency is back to its old charm. The 216-year-old monument is now open to the public. The restoration work was carried out by Principal Conservation Architect Sarath Chandra and his team, with the help of Osmania University, the Department of Heritage, the Telangana government, and the World Monuments Fund, a private, international, non-profit organization working on the preservation of historic architecture and cultural heritage sites.

History

British Residency was built at the time of James Achilles Kirkpatrick, who was a British Resident in Hyderabad between 1798 and 1805. According to historical records, Kirkpatrick is believed to have built the mansion for himself and his Indian wife Khair un Nissa.

The building, designed by Samuel Russell was the place where the British Residents, Kirkpatrick, and his successors stayed. The British Residents were senior officials posted in the capitals of the princely states who were responsible for keeping the ruler of the princely state in his alliance.

The British Residency is the first structure in Hyderabad with a European neo-classical architecture style, reminiscent of the White House in Washington DC. The building was symbolic of the grand wealth and power of the British. According to sources, around 17 British Residents stayed here.

Until 1947, the building acted as a seat for British Residents. Later, the building was taken over by the Seventh Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan and after the latter annexed the Hyderabad state to the Indian Union in September 1948, it was handed over to the Osmania University, which has been operating its women’s college on the campus. In 2002, the monument came under World Monuments Fund Watch List and in 2014, they were tasked to restore the neglected structure.

The building became popular after it was featured in the book White Mughals by Scottish historian William Dalrymple in 2002. Recently, conservation architect Anuradha S Naik also wrote a book 'Architectural Masterpiece in Hyderabad' about the architectural history of the residency.

Note: If you wish to visit the British Residency in Koti, you can get further details regarding timings and entry fees from here.

Cover photo credits: Asif Ali Khan