Chowmahalla Palace

Chowmahalla Palace at Khilwat, Hyderabad
This palace was once the center of Hyderabad and the seat of the Asaf Jahi dynasty, the Nizams entertained their official guests and royal visitors here. Chowmahalla Palace is located at Khilwat in Hyderabad. The palace was built over 200 years ago and today is open to a few select individuals and corporates who can host dinners, receptions, and cultural evenings. An evening at Chowmahalla Palace in Hyderabad cannot be matched by any other hall or banquet place. The Nizams held all their ceremonial functions here including the accession of the Nizams and receptions for the Governor General. Chow means four and Mahal means Palace. Chow Mahalla, therefore, means four palaces. The palace has two courtyards which are the southern courtyard and the northern courtyard They have elegant palaces, the grand Khilwat (the Durbar Hall), fountains, and gardens. Originally the palace covered an area of 45 acres (180,000 m2), but today only 14 acres (57,000 m2) remain. The palace was awarded the very prestigious UNESCO Asia Pacific Merit award for cultural heritage conservation on March 15, 2010, The plaque and certificate were formally presented to Princess Esra, former wife and GPA holder of Prince Mukarram Jah 8ahadur by UNESCO representative Takahiko Makino.

The construction of the palace was started in the year 1750 by Salabat Jung and neared completion during the period of Afzal ad-Dawlah, Asaf Jah V. The fifth Nizam ensured its completion between 1857 and 1869. The palace is modeled along the lines of the Shah of Iran’s palace in Tehran. Since the palace took such a long time to complete there has been an amalgamation of many styles developed over the decades.
The southern courtyard has been built in the neo-classical style and is the oldest part of the palace. There are four palaces in this courtyard namely; the Afzal Mahal, Mahtab Mahal, Tahniyat Mahal, and Aftab Mahal.
The Northern courtyard has Bara Imam. A long corridor of rooms on the east side faces the central fountain and pool that during the Nizam time housed the administrative wing and Shishe-Alat meaning mirror image. The rooms were once used as guest rooms for officials accompanying visiting dignitaries. Khilwat Mubarak is the heart of the Palace and has many Persian elements like Mughal domes and arches, and ornate stucco work. The grand pillared Durbar Hall has a pure marble platform on which the Takht-e Nishan or the royal seat was laid. The 19 spectacular Chandeliers of Belgian crystal were recently reinstalled tore establish the lost splendor of this regal hall. The other places of interest are the clock tower where the clock has been ticking away for around 250 years, and the council hall which has a rare collection of manuscripts and priceless books. The palace was open to the public on January 2005. For Chowmahala Palace, Hyderabadtimings one can visit their website for more details.