Objective: Of the three Presidential Retreats, Rashtrapati Nilayam, constructed in 1860, is the southern retreat and is located in Bollarum Cantonment Area, now part of Secunderabad Cantonment. The Nilayam campus with a heritage building, sprawling lawns, beautifully laid out gardens and fruit orchards has multiple attraction points. One of the key attraction points is the flag post. The flag post also marks the historical spot where the annexation of Hyderabad state to the Union of India and taking down of the Hyderabad flag took place.
On 18th September, 1948, Prince Azam Jah handed over the papers to Major General Jyanto Nath Chaudhuri. At the same spot, Sri. M.K. Vellodi took his oath as the first Chief Minister of Hyderabad state. Later, due to the dilapidated condition of the flag post and a probable threat to the main building, it was dismantled. To raise the Replica of this Historic Flagpost, a 5 party MoU was signed on 19th September 2023, between The President’s Secretariat, Rashtrapati Bhavan (PS-RB), India Infrastructure Finance Company Limited (IIFCL), National Culture Fund (NCF), Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) & NBCC(India) Limited.
Under this project, Planning, designing and raising of replica of 120 feet high wooden flag post along with civil, lighting, illumination and Landscape cum horticulture work at Rashtrapati Nilayam”, Secunderabad, Telangana was completed.
The project has been completed successfully and was inaugurated by Hon'ble President Madam on 21st Dec. 2023 at Rashtrapati Nilayam, Secunderabad, Telangana. Hon’ble President on 21.12.2023, inaugurated a replica of the historic flagpole at the Rashtrapati Nilayam on which the national flag was hoisted for the first time in Hyderabad after the princely state acceded to the Indian Union in 1948. Until 2002, as a practice, the National Flag used to be unfurled when the President arrived at the Nilayam, along with the Guard of Honour tradition. Later, it was dismantled due to the dilapidated condition of the Flagpost and a probable threat to the main building. As per Hon’ble President Madam’s wish, the project for the revival of Flagpost was undertaken successfully.