It is one of those perfect sunset moments. Standing at the edge of the balcony;
it is impossible not to feel elevated by the grandeur of the location. At a
height of 2000 ft. above the old city of Hyderabad, one can see the Old City
distinctly recognized by the Charminar tower in the distance. This is a
property so very different from the many beautiful palace properties in Rajasthan,
owing to its architecture, interior design, rare objéts and of course, its
unique history and incredible story.
Laid out in the shape of a scorpion, Nawab Vikar-ul-Umra (birthsign:
Scorpio), the Prime Minister of the Sixth Nizam started building it in 1893 as
a lavish residence for himself, the palace took 10 years and four million
rupees to complete, back then. The foundation stone was laid in 1884, but the
building wasn't completed for almost another decade. In that time the prime
minister was forced to borrow funds to finish it – money he had no chance of
ever earning. The story goes that to save face his wife suggested a shrewd
plan. Inviting his master Mehboob Ali Pasha, the sixth Nizam, to stay, the
prime minister waited to be extolled for creating such a glorious pleasure
dome. And when the praise was lavished, Viqar ul Omra offered the building to
the Nizam as a gift. Accepting graciously, the ruler reimbursed the full cost –
a pittance to a man of such colossal wealth. (
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| The facade by day |
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| The facade by night |
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| The entrance to the palace ground |
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| Golden Light |
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| The Coronation Room |
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Marble Skies as seen from the inner courtyard
Watching the sun set languidly into the cityscape, and
hopelessly enjoying being bathed in the glorious, divine light, I was
transported to another era. An era of pomp and splendor, extravagance and
beauty, art and perfection; of tehzeeb and khaandaan. Our generation (for the
most part), has been prey to the pitfalls of rapid urbanization in our cubby
holed existence. For us Mumbaikars, we remain confined to choose between small
apartments at exorbitant prices. Most of the modern buildings and construction
projects that tower into the sky are eye-sores, with little regard to design
and aesthetic. I too, live in a tall building but it’s location and view makes
up for a lot! Fortunately, my neighbourhood is dotted with old colonial homes
and structures, some of them tucked away in hidden, leafy by-lanes. Most of
them are crumbling and decaying, but there are some that have been restored painstakingly.
I silently thank the owners of these properties, each time I pass by, for they
have invested in heritage and history. From Cuffe Parade, I drive to work,
which is in Lower Parel (or are we calling it Upper Worli these days? I really
am not sure…), which depicts all that I don’t appreciate in modern development.
Ugly buildings that have come up virtually over night, razed trees leaving
spaces devoid of greenery, uneven roads, unplanned neighbourhoods and massive,
overflowing garbage dumps that dot the area to be viewed as pieces of
sculpture!!
I understand the expense and labour and meticulous approach
required to build something. The Taj took 10 years to renovate the palace into
a palace hotel. Unlike most palace hotels that have been newly built or simply
redone, this one has undergone intensive restoration by the Taj group, under
the very guidance of Princess Esra Jah (royal consort of HEH Prince Mukarram
Jah Nizam Eighth). After a hiatus of about 60 years and ten whole years of
restoration later, it is finally set to welcome guests into its marvelous
structure, rechristened The Taj Falaknuma Palace.
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| Dinner 101 - The room has the perfect acoustic so that one can be heard from head to head without having to raise one's voice |
I enjoyed the property as the curious, awe-struck visitor
when I was there last weekend for a wedding. The lucky couple had meticulously
planned their wedding in this palace venue and the marriage proceedings were
nothing short of Magic for all those who were a part of it. The first night was
al-fresco in the oval-shaped inner courtyard with music and dancing under the
stars! It was impossible not to feel alive and enchanted when one was
surrounded in such an atmosphere. Post midnight, the dancing continued into the
Coronation room or as I prefer to remember it – the Red Room. Quite the spot
for an after-party, wouldn’t you say?
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| Sky Full of Stars |
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| Party Time! |
The wedding ceremony took place the following evening at
dusk and once again twilight cast a spell on the guests as the sky turned from
a hot, white to a burning orange, then into a tangy red and finally the colours
dissolved into a inky blue. The post-nuptial celebration took place in the
lawns with the spectacular palace as its background. Between the celebrations,
many guests took the 45 minute long palace tour where the guide shared
anecdotes and details on the property and its elements of royal finery; making
the time spent there more meaningful.
If I had to choose, I would perhaps choose the Jade Room as
my favourite space – marrying French sophistication with art deco design motifs
and Chinese-Oriental jade antiques, I could have sat there and day dreamed for
a long time to come.
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| Green & Gold - Texture and Colour Balance |
As a modern Indian, there is much to be proud of in terms of
heritage and past glory – I certainly hope more enlightened and moneyed
individuals and enteties step forward to partake in restoration projects before
it is too late. We are rich in every artistic resource – past and future – now
would be the time for people who have been bestowed with talent and resource to
come forth and work towards making India a better place to live in. Basic pride in even our personal domicile would be a super place to start! (Gosh, I didn't realize I was unconsciously campaigning the Swach Bharat Abhiyan here…)
I will leave you with the Magic that was and that will be –
And if you were to ask me
After all that we've been through
Still believe in magic
Oh yes I do
Oh yes I do
Yes I do
Oh yes I do
Of course I do
