Public Gardens, Hyderabad

Public Gardens, historically known as Bagh-e-Aam, is one of the oldest public parks in the region, with origins dating to 1846. It was established during the reign of the fourth Nizam, Nasir-ud-Daulah, and later developed further under successive Asaf Jahi rulers. Originally spread across about 54 acres, the garden included a seven-acre pond and later housed Hyderabad’s first zoo. The zoo animals were moved to Nehru Zoological Park after it opened in 1963.

The grounds contain several important civic and royal landmarks. Jubilee Hall is linked to the seventh Nizam’s 1937 Silver Jubilee Durbar, while Shahi Masjid, completed in 1933, remains an active mosque. The Telangana Legislative Assembly building began as Mahbubia Town Hall, funded by citizens to mark the 40th birthday of the sixth Nizam, Mir Mahbub Ali Khan, with construction completed in 1913.

Public Gardens also serves as an educational and cultural complex. The Telangana State Archaeology Museum, opened at this site in 1930, displays Buddhist relics, coins, sculptures, and a 2,000-year-old Egyptian mummy purchased by Nawab Nazeer Nawaz Jung and later gifted to the seventh Nizam. These institutions support the garden’s role in education, culture, children’s activities, and public events.