Antiquities Sharing Between Telangana, Andhra Pradesh in Limbo
A total of 1,130 antiquities are yet to be bifurcated. These include arms, weapons, coins, Bidriware, paintings, and bronze objects
HYDERABAD: More than a decade after the formation of Telangana, hundreds of antiquities including punch-marked coins, Ikshvaku-period (225-340 CE) relics, and arms from the Nizam era remain in Andhra Pradesh, awaiting division between the two Telugu-speaking States.
A total of 1,130 antiquities are yet to be bifurcated. These include arms, weapons, coins, Bidriware, paintings, and bronze objects. The identified list comprises 51 textiles, 36 stone sculptures, 473 bronze sculptures, 90 palm-leaf manuscripts, and 73 handwritten works, along with arms from the Nizam and British periods.
Purchased and presented objects earmarked for division include 209 Harappan sculptures, wooden carvings, terracotta figurines, 13 Bidriware pieces, four porcelain and chinaware items, and 5,610 coins acquired for their uniqueness. Also on the list are 1,356 paintings of historical importance, including works purchased from the Hyderabad Art Society.
Before bifurcation in 2014, the undivided Andhra Pradesh housed 3,23,331 artefacts spanning prehistory to the 19th century. Under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, these antiquities were to be shared between the two States, with a committee formed to oversee the process.
“The antiquities were planned to be divided into three categories. In Phase I, stored antiquities were segregated. Displayed antiquities could not be segregated under Phase II, while Phase III covered objects purchased or received through donations, divided region-wise,” explained Dr. P. Nagaraju, member of the reconstituted bifurcation committee.
As per guidelines framed in 2020, antiquities from the Nizam’s period (1914–1956) are exempt from division. However, artefacts dating from November 1, 1956 to June 2, 2014 must be bifurcated in the ratio specified in the Act.
The Telangana committee, first set up in 2018, was reconstituted in 2025 after the death of a member. Andhra Pradesh, which is to receive 49,136 antiquities from Telangana, has also recently formed a new committee.
Telangana Heritage Department director Prof. K. Arjun Rao said the department is prepared for bifurcation, with both States’ committees holding regular review meetings.
