The erstwhile official residence of the Nawab of Arcot, Muhammad Ali Khan Wallajah, during the 16th century, will soon become a permanent place for the Arcot site museum that is now functioning from a rented accommodation in Arcot town, around 15 km from Walajah. “The bungalow will be advantageous for the museum due to its central location in the town, bringing in more footfall, especially school students, to know the region’s rich past,” J. Ranjith, curator in-charge, Arcot site museum, told The Hindu.
Local historians said that Arcot, which includes present-day Walajah, Melvisharam and Vellore towns, was the capital of the Carnatic region when Zulfiqar Khan was the Nawab appointed by Aurangazeb in 1690. Since then, buildings and other structures in the region, especially during Carnatic years, were mostly influenced by Mughal architecture. The dilapidated bungalow remained the official residence for Nawab Ali for many years before he decided to move to Madras to be closer to the British army. He vacated the bungalow after he built his Chepauk palace in 1768.
