Hyderabad

Hyderabad : Lakdi-ka-pul to get a lakdi ka pul

Sometime around 1890, a bridge was constructed in the then modern part of Hyderabad using large wooden beams to support the load-bearing part. In common parlance, it came to be referred to as Lakdi-ka-pul, a literal translation in Hindi/Urdu of a wooden bridge. 

“It was built during the reign of the sixth Nizam, Mahbub Ali Pasha. That’s because the railway line that passes through was laid in 1874 and you needed a bridge to cross over. This was used mainly for pedestrians though horse carriages and bullock carts also would use the lakdi ka pul,” says Mohammed Safiullah, Historian.

That entire area is now known as Lakdi-ka-pul with even the Hyderabad Metro Rail and the local MMTS railway stations named after it. In order to put an image to the name that has an old world charm, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has commissioned the installation of a signature wooden bridge in the area. Given the average Hyderabadi’s desire to connect to his cultural past, it is bound to become a popular selfie point soon. 

“The idea is to bring back the charm and give a recognition and life to the name,” says Musharraf Ali Faruqui, Additional Commissioner, GHMC. 

With each pillar about eight feet in height, the bridge is made of fibre and has been given a wooden look. It will be inaugurated in a couple of weeks. 

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