Monday, April 4, 2011

Hyderabad War Week - WW2 Raffle


Today's post will be a very short one because I have no information on it at all. It is about a War Fund Raffle issued by Princely State of Hyderabad.

Shown below is front side of Hyderabad War Week Raffle in unused form. It mentions that the total prize of this raffle was 1,00,000 Indian Rupees which had to be divided into 571 prizes. The price of ticket was one Rupee (mentioned in English and Urdu). It also mentions that the raffle was organized by direct and immediate supervision of the "Hyderabad War Week" Committee.

In back side it mentions that the Raffle would close on 15th September, 1945 and draw would take place on 12th November, 1945 at Fateh Maidan. Fateh Maidan is where Aurangzeb pitched his first camp on his victorious campaign against Golconda in 1687. Hence, the raffle was drawn at such place which symbolizes victory. It then mentions various prize details and the fact that it will be paid at the Head Office of the Hyderabad State Bank.

It also mentions that all the correspondence shall be done to Jt. War Secretaries, "Hyderbad War Week", Gun Foundry Road, Hyderabad.

Note the location of address, it is the same place where Head Office of State Bank of Hyderabad is located besides offices of the Department of Archaeology and Museums.

The Gun Foundry is now a tourist place in Hyderabad. The walls of this Gun Foundry made of bricks, lime and mortar, was about 50 feet high. Due to the rampage of time and negligence, the original height has come down to 25 to 30 feet. One can still see specimens of the cannons and cannonballs manufactured in the Gun Foundry, in the Public Gardens and various other places in Hyderabad, bearing inscriptions regarding their manufacture. This is the only existing Gun Foundry as the rest were dismantled.

Set up in 1786 by French General Monsieur Raymond, Gun foundry was one of the several cannon and cannonball factories, in the Hyderabad State. The furnaces, melting of iron castings of cannons and muskets (long-barreled guns) were carried out in more scientific way under the supervision of General Raymond. These foundries cast one of the excellent cannon and made serviceable muskets.

This is the only structure of the surviving foundry established in the 18th century in the then Hyderabad State. The Roman Catholic Cathedral on the main road of Secunderabad was also constructed in Gun Foundry locality somewhere in 19th century. There were many such foundries that were more than 100 years old on the road to Mir Alam Tank and on the Bangalore road, which fell into ruins today.

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