The University of Hyderabad (UoH) on Monday formally received the artefacts and personal belongings of freedom fighter and poet Sarojini Naidu aka the ‘Nightingale of India’, at the historic Golden Threshold building in Abids here.

The event, titled ‘Preserving the poet’s legacy – handing over of Smt. Sarojini Naidu’s artefacts’, was held at the conference hall of Golden Threshold.

Naidu’s will and the Telangana Government Order No. 1040/Endts.II/A1/2026, dated February 9, 2026, transferring the artefacts to the University of Hyderabad, were formally handed over to Vice-Chancellor J. Anuradha.

Ms. Anuradha, in her inaugural address, recalled her association with the Sarojini Naidu School of Arts and Communication when it functioned from the Golden Threshold. She said preserving the heritage building had been a long-standing aspiration, and described the event as the first step towards bringing the restored space back to life.

Trustees of the Sarojini Naidu Trust handing over the will and the Telangana government order to University of Hyderabad Vice-Chancellor J. Anuradha at the Golden Threshold building in Abids, Hyderabad on Monday.

SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Author and trustee of the Sarojini Naidu Trust, Sheela Reddy recounted how she discovered letters and personal belongings of Naidu in a building of Osmania Hospital and subsequently collected rare letters and artefacts associated with the freedom fighter. She spoke of Golden Threshold as Naidu’s marital home, which was often visited by prominent national leaders, including Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru.

An integral part of India’s freedom struggle, Naidu was the first woman president of the Indian National Congress and the first woman governor of a State in free India.

At the ceremony, the university felicitated individuals who contributed to the preservation and renovation of Golden Threshold. The list included Sheela Reddy, Papa Rao, Vinod Pavarala, Shaik Jeelani and Ch. Hanumantha Rao.

The event concluded with a guided tour of the restored Golden Threshold building, during which guests viewed the preserved artefacts and the restoration work undertaken by the university. Officials observed that the initiative is expected to strengthen Golden Threshold’s role as a centre for preserving and showcasing the literary, cultural and historical legacy of Naidu.

The programme was attended by members of the Sarojini Naidu Trust, university officials and those associated with the restoration of the heritage building.