Hyderabad House is an
official residence
An official residence is the House, residence of a head of state, head of government, governor, Clergy, religious leader, leaders of international organizations, or other senior figure. It may be the same place where they conduct their work-relate ...
in
New Delhi
New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the capital of India and a part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament House ...
,
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
. It is the
State Guest House
A state guest house is a building owned by the government of a country which is used as an official residence for visiting foreign dignitaries, especially during state visits or for other important events.
Americas
Canada
* 7 Rideau Gate in O ...
of the
Prime Minister of India
The prime minister of India (IAST: ) is the head of government of the Republic of India. Executive authority is vested in the prime minister and their chosen Council of Ministers, despite the president of India being the nominal head of the ...
.
It is used by the
Government of India
The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, c ...
for
banquet
A banquet (; ) is a formal large meal where a number of people consume food together. Banquets are traditionally held to enhance the prestige of a host, or reinforce social bonds among joint contributors. Modern examples of these purposes i ...
s, and as a venue for meetings with visiting foreign dignitaries. It was designed by
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
architect
Edwin Lutyens
Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens ( ; 29 March 1869 – 1 January 1944) was an English architect known for imaginatively adapting traditional architectural styles to the requirements of his era. He designed many English country houses, war memori ...
as a residence for
Mir
''Mir'' (russian: Мир, ; ) was a space station that operated in low Earth orbit from 1986 to 2001, operated by the Soviet Union and later by Russia. ''Mir'' was the first modular space station and was assembled in orbit from 1986 to&n ...
Osman Ali Khan
Mir Osman Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VII (5 or 6 April 1886 — 24 February 1967), was the last Nizam (ruler) of the Princely State of Hyderabad, the largest princely state in British India. He ascended the throne on 29 August 1911, at the age of ...
, the last
Nizam of Hyderabad
The Nizams were the rulers of Hyderabad from the 18th through the 20th century. Nizam of Hyderabad (Niẓām ul-Mulk, also known as Asaf Jah) was the title of the monarch of the Hyderabad State ( divided between the state of Telangana, Mar ...
.
History
Hyderabad House was built for
Mir Osman Ali Khan
Mir Osman Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VII (5 or 6 April 1886 — 24 February 1967), was the last Nizam (ruler) of the Princely State of Hyderabad, the largest princely state in British India. He ascended the throne on 29 August 1911, at the age of ...
, the last
Nizam of Hyderabad
The Nizams were the rulers of Hyderabad from the 18th through the 20th century. Nizam of Hyderabad (Niẓām ul-Mulk, also known as Asaf Jah) was the title of the monarch of the Hyderabad State ( divided between the state of Telangana, Mar ...
. It is situated next to the
Baroda House, the erstwhile royal residence of the
Maharaja of Baroda
Baroda State was a state in present-day Gujarat, ruled by the Gaekwad dynasty of the Maratha Confederacy from its formation in 1721 until its accession to the newly formed Dominion of India in 1949. With the city of Baroda (Vadodara) as its ...
and currently the zonal headquarters office of
Northern Railways
The Northern Railway (NR) is one of the 19 Railway zones of India and the northernmost zone of the Indian Railways. It is headquartered at Baroda House in New Delhi.
History
Officially notified as a new railway zone on 14 April 1952, ...
.
After Indian independence in 1947, the palace was taken over by the Indian Government from the
Nizam
The Nizams were the rulers of Hyderabad from the 18th through the 20th century. Nizam of Hyderabad (Niẓām ul-Mulk, also known as Asaf Jah) was the title of the monarch of the Hyderabad State ( divided between the state of Telangana, Mar ...
. It is currently used by the
Government of India
The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, c ...
for
banquet
A banquet (; ) is a formal large meal where a number of people consume food together. Banquets are traditionally held to enhance the prestige of a host, or reinforce social bonds among joint contributors. Modern examples of these purposes i ...
s and meetings for visiting foreign dignitaries.
It has also been a venue for joint press conferences and major government events.
Architecture
Spread over 8.77 acres, and built in the shape of a
butterfly
Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the Order (biology), order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The ...
, in
Indo-Saracenic architecture
Indo-Saracenic architecture (also known as Indo-Gothic, Mughal-Gothic, Neo-Mughal, or Hindoo style) was a revivalist architectural style mostly used by British architects in India in the later 19th century, especially in public and government ...
. The entrance hall of the palace, a
dome
A dome () is an architectural element similar to the hollow upper half of a sphere. There is significant overlap with the term cupola, which may also refer to a dome or a structure on top of a dome. The precise definition of a dome has been a m ...
with an entrance hall beneath with
symmetrical
Symmetry (from grc, συμμετρία "agreement in dimensions, due proportion, arrangement") in everyday language refers to a sense of harmonious and beautiful proportion and balance. In mathematics, "symmetry" has a more precise definiti ...
wings at fifty-five degree angle, is the outstanding feature. It has 36 rooms including a
zenana
Zenana ( fa, زنانه, ur, , bn, জেনানা, hi, ज़नाना) literally meaning "of the women" or "pertaining to women", in Persian language contextually refers to the part of a house belonging to a Muslim, Sikh, or Hindu f ...
, four of which have now been converted into dining rooms. It is located to the northwest of the
India Gate
The India Gate (formerly known as the All India War Memorial) is a war memorial located near the Rajpath on the eastern edge of the "ceremonial axis" of New Delhi, formerly called duty path. It stands as a memorial to 84,000 soldiers of the Br ...
.
With the exception of the
Viceroy's House
The Rashtrapati Bhavan (, rāsh-truh-puh-ti bha-vun; ; originally Viceroy's House and later Government House) is the official residence of the President of India at the western end of Rajpath, Raisina Hill, New Delhi, India. Rashtrapati Bh ...
, it was the largest and grandest of all palaces built in Delhi by Edwin Lutyens during 1921-1931. The Nizam’s sons disliked the building, finding it too western in style for their taste and was seldom used.
See also
*
List of official residences of India Below is a list of official residences of India.
Union
State
Union territories
See also
* Raj Bhavan
* Raj Niwas
References
{{reflist
Official residences in India,
Lists of government buildings, India
Lists of buildings and structures ...
*
Jodhpur House
The Jodphur House is the former residence of the Maharaja of Jodhpur in Delhi. As of April 4, 2020, travel was restricted in this region due to Covid-19.
It is located on Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Road. It is used by the Ministry of Defence (India) ...
*
Jaipur House
Jaipur House is the former residence of the Maharaja of Jaipur in the city of New Delhi, India. It is situated at the end of Rajpath, facing the India Gate.
History
It was designed by Charles Blomfield, after construction of Lutyens' Delhi, ...
*
Bikaner House
Bikaner House is the former residence of the Maharajah of Bikaner State in New Delhi. It is located close to India Gate.
History
After the British Raj set up the Chamber of Princes, the rulers needed a residence in the capital city. A number ...
*
Baroda House
*
Patiala House
*
Dholpur House
Dholpur House is the former residence of the Rana of Dholpur in Delhi. It is located next to India Gate on Shahjahan Road.
It was constructed in the 1920s in the Art Deco style. The walls on the exterior are painted in white.
Today the Unio ...
References
Further reading
*
* ''Delhi'' By Patrick Horton, Hugh Finlay
External links
Deccan Herald featurePanoramio photo{{coord, 28.616141, 77.227948, type:landmark_region:IN, display=title
Official residences in India
Hyderabad State
Government buildings in Delhi
Royal residences in Delhi
Works of Edwin Lutyens in India
Palaces of Nizams of Hyderabad
State guesthouses