Yeh Humara Shehar: Goshamahal

Goshamahal is one of the busiest suburbs located in South Zone in GHMC limits. The Major landmarks are Goshamahal Baradari, Dargah Shareef, Hazrath Syed Sultan Mohiuddin, Shah Quadri, Tumu Maisamma temple, Shiv Kumar Lal Police Stadium, Goshmahal old police quarters, Goshmahal Traffic Police Station, Lorry and Transport Operator offices.

The area is famous for bangles stores (chudi bazaar) and other commercial establishments apart from schools, colleges, hospitals, and banks. The major localities are Begum Bazaar, Bartan Bazar, Chatri, old Feelkhana and Malakunta. The neighbourhood areas are Nampally, Jambagh, Mangalhat and Bhadurpura. The Secunderabad Railway Station is 15 km away and the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport is 40 km away.

History
The Goshamahal Baradari is probably the only well preserved palaces built by Qutub Shahi rulers; almost all their palaces were destroyed during the long siege of the kingdom by Aurangazeb. It was built by the last Qutub Shahi ruler, Sultan Abul Hasan Tana Shah in 1684.

Apparently, during Aurangazeb's conquest of the Deccan, he installed his son Shah Alam in the palace, which served as the Mughal headquarters in the south. Later, in the early 20th century the Nizam of Hyderabad handed over the palace to the freemasons of Hyderabad and Secunderabad and it has been in their care ever since.

Goshamahal means a secluded palace for ladies. The windows of the palace with wire mesh work and in the absence of balconies of any sort provide seclusion and privacy. A baradari is usually a palace with 12 doors.
Currently, Goshamahal is well-known as a police stadium located near Begum Bazar close to famous Chudibazar Topkhana.

Problems
AV Ranganath, deputy commissioner of police, traffic, South Zone, said, “The roads and lanes were laid prior to Independence and are very narrow; these need to be widened on a large scale to accommodate the large number of vehicles that include heavy lorries and trucks.”

“The godams meant for transport goods should be relocated elsewhere to ensure free flow of traffic. The traffic movement is dead slow all the time on this busy road,” he added. A spokesperson from the police department, said, “The old police quarters (about 316) developed in 1985, of which majority are in dilapidated condition, are partly functional (only 60 to 70 quarters are being used).

There is a need to renovate or dismantle the old police structures, as per the report on the structural stability certificates obtained from the authorities to make full occupancy and safe living of the police personnel.” Jumerat Bazar, once a famous market centre for Nizam, has now turned into market place for secondhand goods including items of burglary and thefts. However, the local police authorities are keeping a tag on antisocial elements and booking cases on offenders involved in theft cases.