Our Story
Besant Hall is a 122-year-old building, named after a female British scholar Annie Besant. Initially, it had been used as a socio-political, and cultural platform. Besant Hall became an ideal place for academia, cultural, social, and political activities especially when Annie Besant started the Home Rule Movement. The building was initially managed by the members of theosophical society but with the passage of time the caretakers changed its function and used it as a marriage hall and birthday parties, and other commercial purposes which eventually caused it to desolate. It remained in a dilapidated condition for years.
Restored By Trust (2019-Present)
In 2019, Endowment Fund Trust took it over with an agreement, made between EFT, district government and Theosophical society which stated that Besant Hall will be handed over to EFT for 10 years. EFT restored the building with the intention to run it with a purpose that can serve the community. The work of the building has been carried out keeping in view Besant’s original thought.
Annie Besant
Anne Besant (1-October 1847 to 20-September 1933) was a British socialist, theosophist, freemason, educationist, women’s rights, Home Rule activist and a key figure in the Indian Independence Movement and an advocate for Indian nationalism. She initially gained recognition for her work as a writer and a public speaker advocating progressive causes. Her early work as a public speaker and writer for the National Secular Society brought her into the public eye. in the late 1880s, she joined the Theosophical Society, a spiritual organization that sought to explore the underlaying unity of all religions and promote universal brotherhood. She wrote an enormous number of books and pamphlets on theosophy. Her involvement in theosophy led her to India in 1893, where she immersed herself in the study of Hindu philosophy and became increasingly involved in Indian culture and political life. Anne Besant played a significant role in the subcontinent struggle for independence from British rule because she was deeply influenced by the Indian culture and became a passionate advocate for Indian self-rule. She also became the first female president of the Indian National Congress in 1917, one of the few non-Indians to hold this position. Besant’s efforts in education are notable aspects of her legacy.
The name of Besant Hall is dedicated to Miss Annie Besant which was inaugurated by her in 1917. The hall is typically associated with the Theosophical Society’s activities, including educational and cultural events. It serves as a venue for promoting the Society’s values, such as universal brotherhood and the study of spiritual and philosophical ideas. it has been restored by Endowment Fund Trust for the Preservation of the Heritage of Sindh. The Besant Hall Cultural Centre Has a Specialized general library, a children’s library and hosts regular programs on social and cultural issues.
OUR VISION
The premises will be used as a library, both the children’s and scholars as mutually appeared library, cultural hall, community center, sports complex, and a writer’s café. The multifarious function of the hall also includes an open platform for music and art classes and exhibitions. We also invite educational institutes to register and become part of the Besant family. A venue for writers, scholars, and litterateurs to join hands and enlighten the city and embark on a journey for the grandeurs of knowledge.
We look forward to the people joining and helping the institutions to grow. We propose to initiate the revival of Hyderabad’s cultural and academic history, which over the years has been lost. Hyderabad and this center were the place of love, harmony and understanding.
