‘Bhagmati’ goes deeply into the legend at the heart of Hyderabad’s composite culture

Bhagmati: Why Hyderabad’s Lost Queen Is the Soul of the City, by Moupia Basu, delves into the history of Hyderabad with the rigour of a scholar and the sensibility of a poet. She is keenly aware of the limitations of documented history since the texture of the past is preserved by legends, folklore, hand-me-down tales, the character of a place, and the very way of life of a people. Though the unverifiable, often emotional, remnants of our temporal roots are not backed by hard evidence, they cannot be dismissed as mere hearsay or a figment of people’s imagination. Understanding the past is not simply a question of unearthing facts and building a picture of a time through those “solid” findings. The history that resonates with Hyderabadis seems to have a softer edge. Basu succeeds in writing a book that, despite being rich in historical data and records, is suffused with the spirit of the syncretic city of Hyderabad. It speaks as much to the heart as to the intellect:

Hyderabad is no one community’s fiefdom. The city belongs to its people – all its people. They keep the flame of brotherhood simmering. A common cultural identity comprises the character of the city….

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