Dr. Anand Raj Varma (1937-2023) was an eminent historian and chronicler of Hyderabad’s syncretic heritage. Hailing from the North-Indian Kayasth community, Dr Varma was well known as the former Principal of Anwar Ul Uloom College and the Hyderabad Metro Rail project’s brand ambassador.
His work as a historian in Hindi and Urdu brought him various awards, including the Andhra Pradesh Urdu University.
In 2004, he wrote a series of essays about Hyderabad’s history for the Hindi newspaper Swatantra Vartha, which then prompted the author to write the three-book series, “Dastaan-e-Hyderabad”. His other books include “Hyderabad – Galli, Mohalle aur Kooche” in Hindi and Urdu and “Hyderabad ka Mukti Sangharsh”.