Concealed within the verdant grounds of Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute (BORI), Nizam’s Hall, or Nizam’s Guest House, stands as a testament to a unique collaboration between the Institute and the princely state of Hyderabad. Its walls have seen intellectual discussions, silent research sessions, and the past that is deeply entangled with educational and cultural growth in Pune.
In early 1932, Maharaja Kishen Prasad Bahadur, who was then the Prime Minister (Dewan) of Hyderabad, was supposed to visit the Mahabharata Research Unit at the Institute for an hour or two. However, he completely lost himself in the vast repository of rare manuscripts and books, spending almost an entire day at the Institute. He was then requested to stay at Professor Belvalkar’s house. It was during this visit that he emphasized to Prof Belvalkar the pressing need for a dedicated guest house to accommodate the growing number of visiting scholars.
Maharaja Kishen Prasad was a loyalist and close associate of Nizam Osman Ali Khan. At this point, Mir Osman Ali Khan, the seventh Nizam of Hyderabad, stepped in with a generous donation of Rs 50,000 and also paid Rs 1,000 per year for 11 years for the publication of the Mahabharata by the Institute.
The hall has housed many great scholars and historians, such as Dr AD Pusalkar and PK Gode, who also served as the curators of the institute (Photo Credit Vansh Chauhan)
This contribution, given in 1932, was focused on both the publication of the Mahabharata and the construction of a guest house to host visiting researchers and scholars in Pune, as per Shreeanand Bapat, Registrar and Curator at BORI.
Two small marble plaques beside the door of the main hall clearly convey that when Pune University (now Savitribai Phule Pune University) was established in 1948, its nascent administration needed a home. Dr RN Dandekar, the then Secretary of BORI, suggested to barrister MR Jayakar, the university’s first Vice-Chancellor, that the university office be set up at Nizam’s Guest House. The guest house, with its stately presence and academic ambiance, provided a suitable sanctuary. Barrister Jayakar operated from this complex until 1949, when the university moved to its own campus.
“The hall has housed many great scholars and historians, such as Dr AD Pusalkar and PK Gode, who also served as the curators of the institute,” said Shreeanand Bapat.
“The Sanskrit Commission, appointed by the Government of India in 1956 to look after the preservation and development of the Sanskrit language, primarily operated from the guest house for more than a year,” he further informed. “Also, a giant project on a Prakrit (a group of vernacular Middle Indo-Aryan languages) dictionary was commenced here,” he added.
The guest house possesses a style of architecture that melds Indian patterns with components from classical British buildings. Large balconies, symmetrical facades, fine detailing, beautiful balustrades, high ceilings, and long passageways with airy ambiance define this hybrid style, which reflects the harmonious blending of Eastern and Western designs prominent during the pre-Independence era.
The guest house has a total of eight spacious rooms and two halls on both floors. The hall on the ground floor now accommodates a huge collection of old books and the Institute’s digital initiatives, and the hall above is occasionally used as a classroom for students. Currently, it shelters the Institute’s staff, and a few rooms are also available for rent. Designated as a grade 1 heritage building, it revives a bygone era that educates visitors about the city’s foundational role as an educational hub and its architectural magnificence.