Hyderabad:
A month after a formal request, no measures have been taken to remove dangerous electrical wires that hang on the historic Mukhi House House Museum in Hyderabad.
The curator and administrator of the museum, Naeem Ahmed Khan, presented a letter to the Chief Executive Officer of the Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (Hesco) on April 21, 2025 and requested the relocation of electrical wires with the structure of the museum. In the letter, the architectural and cultural importance of the Mukhi house was emphasized, which was explained in 2018 as part of the Sindh Cultural Heritage (Preservation) Act from 1994, 1994.
The Mukhi house was later converted into a museum and made accessible to the public in 2021. In a densely populated residential area, it is now faced with a serious challenge for the preservation: electricity for houses nearby is supplied via cables that run over the outer walls of the museum and hang on the outer walls of the museum. The letter warned that these power lines not only affect the visual integrity of the location, but also a serious threat to the structure of the building – especially its wooden doors and windows – in the event of an electrical malfunction.
Copies of the letter were also sent to the deputy commissioner of Hyderabad, the deputy director (Heritage/Admin) and the PS to the general director of the Sindh culture, tourism, antique and archive department. Despite the full month, the officials have not taken any measures. Currently, the Mukhi House takes place after years of delay. The museum staff warns that a large part of the museum's outer wall can remain unrestored and unpainted, if not soon removed, which defeats the purpose of the ongoing renovation efforts.
Window to the past
The building was also known as Mukhi Mahal and was built in 1920 by Mukhi Jeth Anand, a prominent member of the Sindhi -Hindu community of Hyderabad. The architecture of the villa combines Renaissance, Art -Deco and Art youth styles with colored glass windows, intrusive wooden details of Indian craftsmen and marble accents.
The house consists of 12 rooms, two large halls and a spacious central courtyard and a smaller courtyard. In a remarkable moment of the story before the partition, India's future Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and his family in the Mukhi House remained – a visit that was now reminiscent of a rare photo in the museum. After the partition, the Mukhi family stayed in Hyderabad until 1957 before migrating to India. The building was then occupied by various government departments, including the settlement office and a girls' school. It also suffered damage in times of political unrest in the city.
It was only during the term of the former Nazim Kanwar Naveed Jamil district to receive the location. In 2008, the Mukhi family gave up the formal property on the condition that they would be preserved and opened as a public museum. The restoration began in 2009 as part of the Archeology Department of the Sindh government, and until 2013 the museum opened its doors to the public.
The Mukhi House is now organizing a collection of personal memorabilia, historical photographs and cultural artifacts donated by the Mukhi family – an attempt not only to preserve not only their heir, but also the broader cultural history of Hyderabad.
The building near Chaari in Homestead Hall is still a popular attraction for local and visiting tourists.
However, the involved power cables, especially in the rear part of the building, will continue to represent the historical charm of the structure and a persistent threat to preservation. If immediate steps are taken to deal with the problem, an important piece by Sindh's legacy can be exposed to further deterioration.