AP Legislative Assembly building completes 100 years!

As the Telangana bill is heading towards the AP Assembly in next few days, it is interesting that it coincides with the centenary celebrations of the amazing AP Assembly building. However, the Andhra leadership, as usual, turned a blind eye to Hyderabad’s heritage and have decided not to mark the occasion with any celebrations.

The imposing edifice of old Andhra Pradesh Legislative assembly Building was constructed in the year 1913. Originally it was a ‘Town Hall’ in the Nizam State. The citizens of Hyderabad raised funds to build it to mark the 40th Birthday of King Nizam Mir
Mahboob Ali Khan and gave the Building as a Birthday gift to the King. On the request of Nizam, Specially commissioned architects designed this white gem of Hyderabad’s architectural splendour after they specially visited the Rajasthan and inspired by the beautiful palace architecture of the Pink City. The blend of Rajasthan and Persian architecture is evident in this Town Hall of the Hyderabad City.

After the first general elections held in the year 1952 in the Hyderabad State of Independent India, the ‘Town Hall’ was converted into Hyderabad State Legislative Assembly Building. After the formation of State of Andhra Pradesh on 1st November, 1956, the
Hyderabad State Legislative Assembly Building was renamed as Building of Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly and continued till 3rd August, 1985, when a new assembly building was inaugurated.

In 1947 a 1 anna view of Hyderabad Town Hall was issued. This was produced by the lithographic process, litho stamps are generally flatter and duller than off-set printed varieties. Still an attractively designed stamp