Hyderabad Tourism Places: Chowmahalla Palace

Thursday, 16 May 2013

Chowmahalla Palace

Chowmahalla Palace

Chowmahalla Palace or Chowmahallat (4 Palaces), was a palace belonging to the Nizams of Hyderabad state. It was the seat of the Asaf Jahi dynasty and was the official residence of the Nizam.In Persian, Chahar means four and in Arabic Mahalat (plural of Mahal) means places, hence the name Chowmahallat / four places, or four palaces.All ceremonial functions including the accession of the Nizams.

This is heart of Chowmahalla Palace. It is held in high esteem by the people of Hyderabad, as it was the seat of the Asaf Jahi dynasty. 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 Belgian crystal recently reinstalled to recreate the lost splendor of this regal hall.

Northern Courtyard

The northern courtyard has been painstakingly restored and is now open to the public.
The highlights of this area are the Bara Imam - a long corridor of rooms on the east side that once housed the administrative wing. And the Shishe-Alat or quite literally, the shishe or mirror image which was once used as guest rooms for officials accompanying visiting dignitaries.

The Clock Tower
Clock tower is another impressive construction. It houses what is affectionately called the Khilwat Clock which has been ticking away ever since the Palace was built.

The Council Hall

Council Hall which housed a rare collection of manuscripts and priceless books is where the Nizam often met important officials. Today it is the venue for temporary exhibitions from the treasures of the Chowmahalla Palace Collection that offer you a glimpse of a bygone era.

Named after the sixth Nizam’s mother, Roshan Bangla is another exquisite part of this courtyard. Chowmahalla, where the Nizams held their durbar and other religious and symbolic ceremonies also hosted popular banquets in honor of their Royal Highness's the Prince and Princess of Wales in February 1906.

Collection
The 100 year old Rolls Royce Silver Ghost now estimated at about $4 million lies in splendid beauty at the exquisite Chowmahalla Palace, the residence of the Nizam of Hyderabad, India. In celebration of the Rolls Royce hitting a century the Chowmahalla Palace authorities are planning an event to be held next month. In 1911, Nizam VI had ordered this very same car from the Rolls Royce

factory in Great Britain.

However a couple of years ago this royal yellow car was in a pathetic state. Dr Ameenuddin Khan, Administrator, Nizam’s private estates stepped in and convinced the royal family to do justice to the legendary vehicle by getting it duly restored.