Hyderabad: The beauty of the 340-year-old Hayat Bakshi Begum mosque of Hayathnagar, has been marred by buildings adjoining the premises and grass.
Though a protected monument and listed under the state department of archaeology and museums, some structures have come up along the mosque’s boundary wall.
Most occupants claim to be unaware of any rules barring them, and add that no authority ever stopped them.
Constructions now hide the 5-acre premises of the mosque and renovation work has halted midway.
No one from the department of archaeology has visited the mosque since work stopped around six months ago.
The mosque is named after one of the most famous royals of the Qutub Shahi times, the only child of Mohammed Quli Qutub Shah, Hayat Bakshi Begum.
The works were taken up with funds from the 13th Finance Commission grants. The '1-crore grant was to restore the minarets, plastering sarai rooms, and the roof, among other things.
In 2012, former CM Kiran Kumar Reddy had directed the department to make an estimate for complete renovation.
Works at the sarai in were halted stating non-availability of funds. Out of the 133 rooms, only 40 have been repaired, and the Hathi Bowli lies in ruins and is now filled with garbage and silt.
