Chowmallah Palace

At walking distance from Charminar it is a must see royal palace built in the neo-classical style covering an area of 14 acres presently. The most splendid seat of the Asaf Jahi dynasty and the official residence of the Nizam of Hyderabad who entertained their official guests and royal visitors here. 

Built over 200 years ago, this Palace is renowned for its unique style and elegance with amazing stone work. It was completed by Asaf Jah V the V Nizam between 1857 and 1869. The palace is now open to individuals and corporates for hosting their dinners, receptions and cultural evenings. The prestigious UNESCO Asia Pacific Merit award for cultural heritage conservation was presented to Chowmahalla Palace on March 15, 2010.

After paying an entry fee of Rs 25, I paid double the charge for my cam. So I’ll let it do most of the talking about this palace.

 

Above the main gate to Chowmahalla Palace, there is a Khilwat Clock.  which has been ticking away for around 250 years. An expert family of clock repairers winds the mechanical clock every week. Great job!

Cannons are seen guarded the palace and three fountains adorned the palace gardens.

As I cross the infinite doors, the cannons and the lush green garden, I reached Khilwat, or the Durbar of the Nizams.

The first thing you would grab your attention is the magnificent resplendent chandeliers in abundance which are lighted only when parties are held.

The grand pillared Durbar Hall has a pure marble platform / throne on which the Takht-e-Nishan or the royal seat was laid. Here the Nizams held their durbar and symbolic ceremonies. The 19 spectacular Chandeliers of Belgium crystal has been recently reinstalled to recreate the lost splendor of this regal hall.

But inevitably, the gaze gets attracted by the chandeliers again, and this time on concentrating long enough you happen to see the most intricate of carvings on the walls and roof.

The main building is only two stories, look up as you walk through the palace and try to imagine how much work has gone into the carvings in the ceiling.

A view of the grounds behind Khilwat from another window in another mini-museum.  view from the first floor where another room had been converted in to a mini-museum. There is a beautiful collection of weapons and carriages as well as furniture and surprisingly European crockery

When I reached these beautiful gardens, I thought that I’ve seen the whole palace. I did not realize that I had just seen half of the place. As I started to capture the other half of the palace, this minaret captured my attention. It looked to me (and till now looks) like a person standing with hands on hips displaying a haughty demeanour.  This palace consists of two courtyards,  southern and northern courtyard. They have elegant palaces, the grand Khilwat (the Durbar Hall), fountains and gardens.

Southern courtyard is the oldest part of the palace, and has four palaces Afzal Mahal, Mahtab Mahal, Tahniyat Mahal and Aftab Mahal.

Northern courtyard has Bara Imam, A long corridor of rooms on the east side face the central fountain and pool that, once housed the administrative wing and Shishe-Alat meaning mirror image.

It has Mughal domes and arches and many Persian elements like the ornate stucco work that adorn the Khilwat Mubarak. These were characteristic of buildings built in Hyderabad at the time.

There are many rooms dotted through this and other buildings which house multiple exhibitions of the Nizam life. You get to see the royal lifestyle of the Nizams here. The way they dressed, ate & drank & drove. Opposite to the Bara Imam is a building that is mirror image. The rooms were once the used as guest rooms for officials accompanying visiting dignitaries.

 

Council Hall building housed a rare collection of manuscripts and priceless books.The Nizam often met important officials and dignitaries here. Today it is venue for temporary exhibitions from the treasures of the Chowmahalla Palace Collection that of a bygone era

Another huge garden adorned this half too and as I attempted to get closer for a better shot, many whistles pierced the calm, the security guards beckoned me back on the track around the garden. Security was really tight, and all the guards were extra helpful once you started talking with them.

Huge outside arch flower fountiain in sky pic

The whistles had not only brought me back on track, but had also raised the pigeons from their siesta. Hundreds of pigeons live in the Chowmahalla Palace.

The main attraction for any car and carriage lovers is the custom built buggie which is displayed right at the back of the gardens, make sure you see it. There also was an entourage of Vintage Cars belonging to the Nizams.

Overall it was a very satisfying way to spend a Sunday afternoon in the old city near the famous landmark – the Charminar.

Chowmahalla is a location that’s unmatchable for exclusivity, and offers an experience guests will never forget.