Bansilalpet Step Well
History
The Bansilalpet step-well is the one such step-well that is centuries-old and is a part of our heritage. This step-well was earlier filled with garbage and debris, but the campaign to revive the step-well has begun.
This well is between the Nalla Pochamma and YerraPochamma Temple. It is believed that Water from this well used to be drawn for the purification of the goddesses .Also water from the well was supplied to Gandhi Hospital and other residential areas.
The colony was developed by Seth Bansilal, a wealthy benefactor of his era, around the stepwell and a playground with small houses surrounding it in one part of Bhoiguda village, hence giving it’s the name. Some of the houses still carry the numbering that was created at that time. Then the area got rechristened as Bansilalpet. Even as late as 2003, the colony retained its basic structure. In January 1938, when the British Viceroy Linlithgow visited Hyderabad, he made it a point to visit the Bansilalpet Model Village.
Linlithgow was received by among others Seth PannalalBansilal and Seth Goverdhan Lal Bansilal, the sons of Seth Bansilal. Now the grand ceremonial entrance is a tawdry opening occupied by sundry shops selling pan, tea and snacks. The only marker is the foundation stone that was laid by a British Resident on February 13, 1933.
According to an initial study by historians, the well may predate the construction of the residential colony by Seth Bansilal.
This well is between the Nalla Pochamma and YerraPochamma Temple. It is believed that Water from this well used to be drawn for the purification of the goddesses .Also water from the well was supplied to Gandhi Hospital and other residential areas.
The colony was developed by Seth Bansilal, a wealthy benefactor of his era, around the stepwell and a playground with small houses surrounding it in one part of Bhoiguda village, hence giving it’s the name. Some of the houses still carry the numbering that was created at that time. Then the area got rechristened as Bansilalpet. Even as late as 2003, the colony retained its basic structure. In January 1938, when the British Viceroy Linlithgow visited Hyderabad, he made it a point to visit the Bansilalpet Model Village.
Linlithgow was received by among others Seth PannalalBansilal and Seth Goverdhan Lal Bansilal, the sons of Seth Bansilal. Now the grand ceremonial entrance is a tawdry opening occupied by sundry shops selling pan, tea and snacks. The only marker is the foundation stone that was laid by a British Resident on February 13, 1933.
According to an initial study by historians, the well may predate the construction of the residential colony by Seth Bansilal.
Restoration
The step-well in Secunderabad’s Bansilalpet, which was restored recently, caught Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s attention. During his ‘Mann ki Baat’, on Sunday, Modi praised the efforts of officials to restore the structure.
Modi said he was happy as most of the people in India had made water conservation a life mission. “The Bansilalpet step-well is the one such step-well which is centuries-old and is a part of our heritage. This step-well was earlier filled with garbage and debris, but the campaign to revive the step-well has begun.”
Arvind Kumar, municipal administration and urban development special chief secretary, along with some NGOs, had successfully restored the well in January. He said that this was the sixth step-well being restored.
The GHMC along with the NGOs had roped in sanitation workers to remove garbage, silt and debris accumulated over the years.It took five weeks to restore the 33-foot step-well. The authorities decided to inaugurate the restored step-well on August 15, to mark the 75th anniversary of India’s Independence
The MA&UD department has started work to restore all 140 step-wells in and around the city and some of them have already been restored including Bhagwandas Bagh Baoli and Shiva Bagh Baoli near Gudimalkapur.
Modi said he was happy as most of the people in India had made water conservation a life mission. “The Bansilalpet step-well is the one such step-well which is centuries-old and is a part of our heritage. This step-well was earlier filled with garbage and debris, but the campaign to revive the step-well has begun.”
Arvind Kumar, municipal administration and urban development special chief secretary, along with some NGOs, had successfully restored the well in January. He said that this was the sixth step-well being restored.
The GHMC along with the NGOs had roped in sanitation workers to remove garbage, silt and debris accumulated over the years.It took five weeks to restore the 33-foot step-well. The authorities decided to inaugurate the restored step-well on August 15, to mark the 75th anniversary of India’s Independence
The MA&UD department has started work to restore all 140 step-wells in and around the city and some of them have already been restored including Bhagwandas Bagh Baoli and Shiva Bagh Baoli near Gudimalkapur.
• Replacement of broken stone Columns & Beams
• Raking stone wall Joints and repointing in lime mortar
• Making make to order new stone for stepwell columns and beams
• Dressing coping stone over boundary
• Making lime and brick wall with original design
• Retaining wall at the entrance gate
• CRS masonry wall with a grill over it for protection
• Raking stone wall Joints and repointing in lime mortar
• Making make to order new stone for stepwell columns and beams
• Dressing coping stone over boundary
• Making lime and brick wall with original design
• Retaining wall at the entrance gate
• CRS masonry wall with a grill over it for protection