Hyderabad: The Victoria Memorial Home (VMH) was built in 1903 by the sixth Nizam Mir Mahbub Ali Khan. Originally it was called Mahal-e-Saroornagar and meant to serve as a palace.
“Like all palaces, the Mahal-e-Saroornagar too has its own history. The Nizam visited the palace when it was under construction and fell sick. Considering it as an ill-omen, the Nizam abandoned the idea of staying in the palace. It remained unfinished and deserted for some time,” said historian MA Qayyum.
Queen Victoria, the first empress of India, passed away next year and the then British resident, Sir David Bar, requested the Nizam to set up an institute in memory of the Queen.
“The building was named as Victoria Memorial Orphanage, he added. The building continues to house the underprivileged.
The rectangular building is much like the sixth and seventh Nizam era buildings with arches and domes placed in middle and corners.
The building is rectangular in shape and 420 feet in length, 285 feet in width and 32 feet in height.
In January 1953, Jawaharlal Nehru visited the place. He was impressed by the facilities and appreciated the management. On his suggestion, the word orphanage was replaced by home. Hence Victoria Memorial Home.
