Hyderabad: An institution or place inherently becomes our heritage when over a period of time it adds value to our communities. And one such place that has become important in that manner over the last three decades is Sajjad Sweets at Darul Shifa, which unfortunately has also come in the crosshairs of the metro rail’s expansion in the Old City of Hyderabad.
The shop, which is trusted by a lot of households in and around Darul Shifa for supplying good quality sweets, especially during the month of Muharram, is also unfortunately slated for demolition to pave way for the Hyderabad metro rail. While it is unsure when the demolition works will begin, about 30 feet inward from the shop has been marked for the metro along with others on the same side.
“Sajjad sweets is a trusted place in the Old City at Darul Shifa especially for all religious events like Muhammaram and other times. People take Tabarruk also from here,” said Asif Ali, who stays in the area. The shop was started about 30 years ago by his father.
Syed Faraz, son of the proprietor, said that people often take huge parcels of food items abroad from Sajjad Sweets regularly. “Someone recently took 20 kilos of Tabarruk (food) to Chicago. We started international services 18 years ago due to demand from customers. We supply food items for important Majlis’ take takes place here,” he told Siasat.com.
Apart from the sweet shop, other important places like the the 173-year-old Munshi Naan is also slated to be razed for the Hyderabad Metro Rail in the Old City. The owners of Sajjad Sweets are now looking to rent a new place for their store, and are worried as they may not be able to find a place once they get a notice to vacate for demolition.
Since they are not the property owners, tenants such as themselves will be left in the lurch if they are not able to find a new place and restart their businesses. “One of the reasons why Sajjad Sweets is important is because it is a very trusted place. Lot of homes make sure that since food comes for religious events, it is made in a hygienic way. This is a very important factor and is what makes that sweet shop important,” said another local from Darul Shifa.
Hyderabad metro in Old City to pass via Darul Shifa – Purani Haveli
Telangana chief minister Revanth Reddy on September 29, 2024, approved the Metro Rail’s phase II corridors which includes the metro’s lines connecting Hyderabad to the airport, and also a line connecting the Chandrayangutta to MGBS line for the Old City.
A total of 116.2 kilometres has been approved for the new corridors. The line to the airport will pass via the Aramghar. The Metro Rail for the Old City in Hyderabad will essentially pass via the Darul Shifa – Purani Haveli area, affecting some of the historical monuments along the route. The affected monuments belong mainly to the Shia Muslim community. Aside from that, Munshi Naan will be demolished for the road expansion.
