Chowmahalla Palace or Chowmahallat (from ''chār mahallāt'', in Dakhini Urdu) is the palace of the Nizams of

Hyderabad State Hyderabad State () was a princely state located in the south-central Deccan region of India with its capital at the city of Hyderabad. It is now divided into the present-day state of Telangana, the Kalyana-Karnataka region of Karnataka, and t ...

in Hyderabad, Telangana, India. It was the seat of the

Asaf Jahi dynasty The Asaf Jahi was a Muslim dynasty that ruled the Kingdom of Hyderabad. The family came to India in the late 17th century and became employees of the Mughal Empire. They were great patrons of Persian culture, language, and literature, the famil ...

and was the official residence of the Nizams of Hyderabad while they ruled their state. The palace was built by Nizam Salabat Jung and remains the property of the Nizam. Some members of the Hyderabadi Nizam family have wed here. The word ''chār'' or ''chahār'', and its variation ''chow'', means "four" and the word '' mahal'' means "palace" in Urdu, Hindi and Persian. All ceremonial functions including the accession of the Nizams and receptions for the

Governor-general Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy t ...

were held at this palace. The UNESCO Asia Pacific Merit award for cultural heritage conservation was presented to Chowmahalla Palace on 15 March 2010. UNESCO representative Takahiko Makino formally handed over the plaque and certificate to Princess Esra, former wife and GPA holder of Prince Mukarram Jah Bahadur.

History

Nizam's Chowmahela Palace, Hyderabad, India

While Salabat Jung initiated its construction in 1750, it was completed by the period of

Afzal ad-Dawlah, Asaf Jah V Afzal ad-Dawlah, Asaf Jah V Mir Tahniyath Ali Khan Siddiqi (11 October 1827 – 26 February 1869) was the ruling Nizam of Hyderabad, India, from 1857 to 1869. Realm Asaf Jah V's realm was divided into five subahs and sixteen districts; each su ...

between 1857 and 1869. The palace is unique for its style and elegance. Construction of the palace began in the late 18th century and over the decades a synthesis of many architectural styles and influences emerged. The palace consists of two courtyards as well as the grand Khilwat (the Dharbar Hall), fountains and gardens. The palace originally covered , but only remain today. The palace was restored between 2005 and 2010 under the patronage of

Princess Esra Princess Qhabl Begum Sahiba Esra Birgen (born 1936) is a princess belonging to the Asaf Jah Dynasty of Hyderabad state by marriage. She was married to Prince Mukarram Jah. Princess Esra is a princess by marriage, not by birth. She is credited ...

Southern Courtyard

This is the oldest part of the palace, and has four palaces Afzal Mahal, Mahtab Mahal, Tahniyat Mahal and Aftab Mahal. It was built in the neo-classical style.

Northern courtyard

This part has ''Bara Imam'', a long corridor of rooms on the east side facing 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 Stucco or render is a construction material made of aggregates, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as a decorative coating for walls and ceilings, exterior walls, and as a sculptural and a ...

work that adorn the Khilwat Mubarak. These were characteristics of buildings built in Hyderabad at the time. Opposite the Bara Imam is a building that is its shishe or mirror image. The rooms were once used as guest rooms for officials accompanying visiting dignitaries.

Khilwat Mubarak

This is heart of Chowmahalla Palace. It is held in high esteem by the people of Hyderabad, as it was the seat of the

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

Clock Tower

The clock above the main gate to Chowmahalla Palace is affectionately called Khilwat Clock. It has been ticking away since 251 years. An expert family of

horologists Horology (; related to Latin '; ; , interfix ''-o-'', and suffix ''-logy''), . is the study of the measurement of time. Clocks, watches, clockwork, sundials, hourglasses, clepsydras, timers, time recorders, marine chronometers, and atomic clo ...

winds the mechanical clock every week.

Council Hall

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

Roshan Bangla

The Sixth Nizam, Mir Mahbub Ali Khan, is believed to have lived here and the building was named after his mother Roshan Begum. The present Nizam ( Barkat Ali Khan Mukarram Jah) and his family decided to restore the Chowmahalla Palace and open it to the public in January 2005. It took over 5 years to document and restore the palaces of the first courtyard to its former glory. The palace also has a collection of vintage cars, including the Rolls-Royce, which were used by the Nizam Kings.

References

External links

''The lost world''
article by William Dalrymple about the last Nizam of Hyderabad and the restoration of Chowmahalla Palace *Travel guide issued by Authority: The Administrator, H.E.H The Nizam's Private Estate {{Hyderabad topics Hyderabad State Heritage structures in Hyderabad, India Tourist attractions in Hyderabad, India Royal residences in India Palaces in Hyderabad, India Palaces of Nizams of Hyderabad