Saidani Ma Tomb

Saidani Ma Tomb
Saidani Ma Tomb, photographed by Lala Deen Dayal in the 1880s
LocationHyderabad, Telangana, India
Coordinates17°25′36″N 78°29′14″E / 17.42674°N 78.48709°E / 17.42674; 78.48709
Built1883; 141 years ago (1883)
Restored2023
Restored byAga Khan Trust and HMDA [1]
Saidani Ma Tomb is located in Hyderabad
Saidani Ma Tomb
Location of Saidani Ma Tomb in Hyderabad
Saidani Ma Tomb

Saidani Ma Tomb, also spelt Saidani Maa Tomb (also known as Maqbara Saidani Ma Saheba), is a tomb located in Hyderabad, India. It is a 19th-century state-protected monument of Telangana.

It is located near Tank Bund on the banks of Hyderabad’s iconic Hussain Sagar.[2]

The tomb in Mughal and Qutb Shahi styles with elaborate stucco decorations and fretwork screens (jalis) was built by Nawab Abdul Haq Diler Jung, one of the richest nobles of the time, in memory of his mother Hazrath Saidani Ma Saheba in 1883, during the reign of Asaf Jah VI.[3][4] Sardar Abdul Haq, who was originally from the Bombay Province bore the title Diler Jang. He was the princely state’s Home Secretary and later became the Director of the Nizam’s State Railways in 1885[5]

The tomb lies underground at the base of the dome and is not open to the public. The structure also has the tomb of Nawab Diler Jung, the son of Saidani Ma, and a Muslim graveyard at the rear.

In 2022, the Telangana government initiated efforts to reclaim the lost glory of Hyderabad by reviving many historic landmarks scattered across the city. The restoration work of the Saidani Ma tomb was undertaken by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture and was completed in October 2023 after several decades of neglect.

  1. ^ Sistla, Dakshina Murthy (24 January 2024). "Aga Khan Trust restores Sadaini Ma Tomb's Baoli on Tank Bund". Retrieved 16 July 2024.
  2. ^ LeadWinner. "Dargah Hazrath Saidani-Maa-Saheba". Department of Archaeology and Museums Telangana. Retrieved 11 August 2018.
  3. ^ Gowri, C. R. Shanker (21 November 2016). "Hyderabad: Historic tomb had been lying in utter neglect over several decades". Deccan Chronicle. Retrieved 11 August 2018.
  4. ^ "The Hindu Business Line : Tomb of Saidani Ma Saheba". www.thehindubusinessline.com. Retrieved 11 August 2018.
  5. ^ Khan, Sameer (19 October 2023). "Hyderabad's Saidanima Tomb restored". Siasat Daily. Retrieved 16 July 2024.