Hyderabad: A piece of Charminar’s plasterwork broke from one of its minarets on Thursday, as heavy rain lashed the city. It fell on the sheet roof of the Bhagyalakshmi temple. There was no damage to the temple, and no one was injured.The ornamental piece in the shape of lotus petal, made of plaster, fell from the third balcony of the south-eastern minaret, above the temple. It was stated to be from the Nizam era, and not part of the original monument.Police said the incident occurred at around 4 pm, and said not many people were around since it was raining heavily. “The piece fell to the edge of the temple’s shed, but caused no damage to the temple. Visitors were not near Charminar because it was raining,” said a police constable from the Charminar police station.”Sometimes hairline cracks in the stucco absorb water and increase weight. It leads to detachment,” said an official of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), who requested not to be named. The official said the piece was an outer plaster layer and is not a structural part of Charminar.“This is a minor issue. Restoration will be carried out soon,” the official added.Plaster pieces of Charminar’s minarets falling down are not new. In 2010, the same lotus petal ornamental piece fell off from the same south-eastern minaret. No one was injured, and ASI authorities claimed the piece was not a structural part of Charminar and said the repair will be done in a week.ASI authorities said the ornamental layer dates back to 1924, when the Nizam re-plastered the monument. “In the last 10 years, only some plastering work has been done, not on the entire Charminar,” the official added.Officials said full restoration of the iconic structure is scheduled to begin in April or May of 2025.
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