The chill of the morning was gone. A sudden surge of sunshine was vital to
get things done during winter. And so, it was, a sudden raise in temperature.
Such baffling inconsistencies in the weather of the Deccan, within a day would
scare a farmer. But for a student, they did ensure an encouraging sign of
things to come. The workers at the great Public Gardens of Nampally toiled hard
- the image of the city was important, more than anything else. After the
Global Entrepreneurship Summit & the opening of the Metro, the city is about to
host the World Telugu Conference on 15th of December. And I asked one such
toiling worker, the way to the Museum.
Within the sprawling Public Gardens lies an old building, housing the
Telangana State Archeological Museum. The Piece de Resistance of this museum is
an old Mummy - the likes of which scared me as a kid when I visited it as a
school going boy. But now, I was no longer a boy to be scared. And so, once
again, I stared into the glass ceiling.
Egyptians, like many other civilizations had a firm belief of life after
death. However, they took this passion to rituals of epic proportions. All
Emperors, Queen consorts and Royalty, after death were preserved as mummified
bodies. All vital organs were separately preserved in separate jars, and
elabarote rituals followed where the ancient gods of Egypt like 'Ra, Seth,
Horis, Anubis' were invoked to protect the body till the soul reaches the
Egyptian Eden.
About the mummified body, it was not even 5 feet long, and was assumed to be
that of the daughter of the VI Pharoah of Ptolemaic Egypt (c.300-100 BCE).
Allegedly, she died young, aged around 16-18 years. There was, virtually, no
information about the name of this once Princess of Egypt. The way this mummy
made to Hyderabad is a tale of Luck and grandeur of the Nizams. Nazeer Nawaj
Jung, the son-in-law of Mir Mahboob Ali Khan (VI Nizam of Hyderabad) brought
the mummy for an allegedly throw away price of 1,000 Pounds in London, and
then, gifted it to the Nizam. Thus, did the mummified body of the Princess of
Egypt reach this Museum of Hyderabad.
As I stepped down, I was fascinated by the Mummy who could've once walked on
the banks of the Nile alive. And now, this Mummy could'nt hear the ambient
& fiery sound of the new Metro Rail just few feet away. Or can she?
1.Place and Time
@ - Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy Telangana State Museum, Public Gardens,
Nampally, Hyderabad, Telangana
On - Wednesday, 6th of December, 2017.
2. Subject -
"The Curious Case of the Mummy of Hyderabad" on the Mummified Body
of a supposedly Ptolemaic Egyptian Princess preserved at the Museum.
