HYDERABAD PALACES - A CITY OF PALACES
Famous Ones: Chowmahalla Palace
Hyderabad is to cities what Taj Mahal is to buildings - a
monument to love. Its founder, Mohammad Quli Qutub Shah founded the
fabulous city in 1591 and named it after his beloved, Bhagmati. Royalty
has always been an integral part of Hyderabad. So it's not surprising that
amidst fourteen thousand shops, mosques and other buildings there were
fourteen magnificent palaces. Some were even storey high and had roof
gardens.
In 1687, the Mughal Emperor, Aurangazeb after his conquest of the
Golconda, went around the city was struck by the height and grandeur of
the palaces. This new dynasty founded by the Governor of the Mughals in
1724, was blessed by a hermit. And the last seven generations added to the
palaces already existing. As a result, Hyderabad became renowned for its
magnificent palaces.
CHOWMAHALLA PALACE
The best place to start one's royal journey is here. The first of the
palaces was built to the south of the Charminar by Salabat Jung in 1756.
Called Chowmahalla - the complex of four palaces, it is believed to be a
replica of the Palace of the Emperor of Iran. In the north was the Darbar
hall where the Nizam held state receptions. The British Viceroys were
entertained here. The ministers and other dignitaries were received in the
palace to the south. The Nizam's personal estate and officers were located
in the eastern palace. The Prince of Wales, who visited Hyderabad in 1921,
described the enchanting gardens and palaces as a part of 'Arabian
Nights'.
There are a number of other smaller palaces in this complex, which have
exhibits including all types of carts like monkey carts, donkey carts,
camel carts, and other carts. And a dining table which can seat a 100
guests. So one can well imagine the kind of spread laid out.
PURANI HAVELI
Here's an old palace with new touches. The Purani Haveli was acquired and
improved upon by the second Nizam after his accession in 1762. Built in
the European style, the central buildings were beautiful period furniture.
Some other buildings were added to it later. The fifth, sixth and seventh
Nizams were born here.
Meet a dandy - the sixth Nizam who lived here all his life. He was highly
fashion conscious and never wore the same dress twice. He had a double
storey, 73m, long wardrobe - the longest in the world. It was reached by a
hand-operated lift.
KING KOTHI
Whims and fancies are a part of royalty. The last Nizam moved away from
the old city when a newly built mansion by one Kamal Khan in the new city,
caught his fancy. However, the initials of the owner 'KK' were inscribed
on various parts of building, including the furniture. Instead of changing
the initials, the Nizam named the palace as 'King Kothi' and lived there
till his death in 1967. A must see on one's royal tour.
PALACES OF THE NOBLES
What the dukes were to the royalty in England, the Paigahs were to the
Nizams. The highest order of nobility, the Paigahs were the only family
into which the Nizams intermarried. They also built numerous palaces.
Presently, the two Paigah palaces have been partially converted into clubs
- the Country Club and the Chiran Club. The palaces built by other nobles
were called 'Havelis' or 'Deodhis'. Malwala palaces were one of them.
Falaknuma Palace
Every traveller's dream- the historic Falaknuma Palace stands on an
elevated site about 4-kms north of the Charminar. It was built in the late
19th century by the Paigah, Nawab Viqar-ul-Umra. Walk into a palace, which
is a masterpiece from start to finish. Designed by an Italian architect,
the marble used was specially imported from Italy. It is said that the
sixth Nizam, on a visit to the palace praised it. According to custom, it
was promptly presented to him.
The breathtaking view and the priceless collection of paintings, Jade,
statues and English furniture are pure magic. Nobody lower than the
viceroys of India ever stayed there. And when the viceroys came to stay,
the Nizam himself placed some of his diamonds as paperweights. Now a
leading group of hotels are planning to turn it into a five-star hotel.
For those who want more of the royal experience, there are other
important palaces, which include the Asmangarh Palace, Basheerbagh Palace,
and Diwan Deodhi - Palace of the Salar Jung family.
BELLA VISTA
Peep into the royal past. In the 'Bella Vista' there lived the most
beautiful belle of her time - the daughter of the last Caliph of Turkey
and the wife of the Crown Prince of Hyderabad.
PAIGAH TOMBS
The Paigah tombs are an excellent example of Indo Saracenic architecture.
Built with lime and mortar, the tombs are beautifully decorated with
marble inlay work. These tombs are truly a living testimony to the majesty
of the past.
HILL FORT PALACE
Imagine staying in a hotel, which was once a palace. The hill fort palace
was built in 1915 by one of the nobles of Hyderabad. To add to the
romance, there's a picturesque view of the Hussain Sagar Lake. The aura
still remains, bringing out the poet in every traveller. This is little
wonder because the junior prince who stayed here in the hill fort palace
was a poet and his nocturnal courts have become quite a legend. His wife,
the niece of the last Caliph was a famed beauty. Today, this hotel is
being renovated and redesigned as a new heritage hotel.
THE RESIDENCY
The Nizams built Palaces and the nobles built Havelis and the British
Built Residency's. In 1798, the British resident requested the Nizam for a
grant of some 60 acres of land for building his own residence. The
resident presented a sketch of the area map on a large sheet of paper.
Unfamiliar with the principle of scale, the Nizam thought that the
resident was asking for his whole kingdom and rejected the request.
Again the resident prepared the plan on a paper the size of a visiting
card. This time the Nizam granted the request readily and the resident
built a magnificent mansion for himself. To top it all, the Resident
married a local Muslim lady and built a special 'Rang Mahal' for her. The
residency was considered the best British mansion in India - next only to
the Governor-General's Residence in Calcutta. At present the residency
houses the University College for Women.
Among the smaller mansions there is the Bhagwan Das Pavilion, which is
built entirely of wood on the pattern of Tipu Sultan's Bungalow in
Seringapatnam.
STATE BUILDINGS
It is not only the palaces and havelis, which are distinctive. The
majesty of the state is also reflected in a number of buildings built by
the last Nizam in the early 20th century. It includes public buildings,
the University, the High Court, the Osmania Hospital, Library and more. As
one crosses the now tamed Musi River, which separates the old city from
the new one, it's like a transition from the medieval to the modern - a
taste of two worlds in one city.
THE MOUNTAIN OF LIGHT
Get a glimpse of royal extravagance. The Koh-e-Noor (the mountain of
light), diamond, which now adorns the royal British crown was mined here.
Originally it weighed 765 carats. When it was first presented to the
Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in 1656, it was valued at 216,000 rupees.
Besides that, the 'Regent Diamond' was also mined here. Originally
weighing 410 carats, now it is only 137 carats and is kept in a museum in
Paris. In addition, the 'Nizam Diamond' and the 'Great Table' also
belonged to this area. When the sixth Nizam purchased the famous 'Jacob
Diamond', he landed in a lawsuit.
The Nizams were impulsive buyers. They didn't buy articles. They bought
shops. One such wooden pavilion bought by the sixth Nizam from Burma can
be seen at the entrance of the Falaknuma Palace.
And if one wants to indulge in shopping here's an opportunity of a
lifetime. Discover royal pearls, jade, and other exquisite jewelry, which
will take one's breath away.
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