Falaknuma Palace: Nizami Opulence for the Commoners
What a visitor to Hyderabad today sees as a luxury five-star hotel that was once the abode of the Nizams, was falling into ruins by the 90s. With over ten years of meticulous efforts from Princess Esra Jah, India’s famous RMA architects, London-based design firm WATG, textile expert Martand Singh, and the Taj Group, it was revamped and restored to its former glory.
Falaknuma Palace overlooking Hyderabad in 1880. Source: British Library/ Official photographer of Nizam and India Lala Deen Dayal
Perched above Hyderabad at 1800 feet above sea level, the Falaknuma Palace is presently one of the most memorable icons of the city. Its name in Urdu translates to ‘mirror of the sky’, which is reflected by its pristine visuals atop the Kohetoor hill.
In March 1884, Sir Vicar-Ul-Umra, prime minister of the then Nizam of Hyderabad Mahboob Ali Pasha, stood on the hill and envisioned Falaknuma as a residence for himself, shaped like a scorpion, which was the zodiac of the Nizam. Designed by the Italian architect William Ward Marret, the palace, constructed on 32 acres of land, took ten years and four million rupees to complete. The Nizam purchased the mansion in 1895 as Sir Vicar-Ul-Umra was on the verge of bankruptcy and lived there until 1911. Later it became the royal guesthouse for the seventh Nizam, Osman Ali Khan, whose taste is expressed in the baroque interiors of the palace. Constructed in the Palladian style with elements of Tudor and Italian architecture, the mansion hosted many important dignitaries, the last of whom was Dr. Rajendra Prasad, India’s first president, in 1951.
Right from a carriage ride to the palace entrance, a rose petal shower on arrival, rooms bathed in royalty, memories of the Nizam’s past, peaceful strolls across gardens that overlook the monuments of Hyderabad to having evening tea in the opulent Jade Room amidst the Nizam’s riches, this restoration opened up opportunities for everyone to relish the royal Nizami lifestyle and is considered as one of the best examples of its kind in the Indian context.
The difficulty with heritage monument restoration is the necessity to preserve historical details while incorporating modern amenities to make it future-ready. A comfortable environment with natural ventilation and lighting is already created by the introverted planning of Falaknuma with its eight-foot-wide corridors, shaded pathways, soft landscape, 2.5-foot-thick stone walls with stucco plaster, and large ventilators, restricting the need for air conditioning to only certain areas like the Hookah Room and the exquisite dining hall with 101 seats. The dining room's seven-part, 80-foot dining table is the longest in the world and has identical green leather chairs, except the one for the Nizam, which has a higher armrest.
The refined details, scale, and opulence of the spaces could not be compromised during the process. The princess wanted to “restore the main palace, retain the opulence, and enhance the grandeur with the key idea of engaging authenticity with pragmatism”. The lobby itself had frescoed blue walls, murals depicting landscapes, and chequered marble flooring with a white marble fountain held up by cherubs. The library was inspired by the one in Windsor Castle, complete with 5976 personal books of the Nizam in nine languages, Venetian chandeliers, inlaid furniture, custom artefacts, and refined woodwork. With the use of ten types of leather, 32 types of Italian marble, and over 22 species of wood, even mundane elements like the staircase exhibit royalty. It took West Wood Floorings two years to repair the elaborate parquetry in some of the halls similar to the original color and feel.
To refurbish the lavish carpets, French tapestries, and upholstered furniture, materials were sourced and dyed multiple times. Even the exterior walls were painted over 15 times until the grey matched the colour of the overcast sky.
This extensive restoration process which started in 2000 was completed over three phases, the first one being a fabric survey, mapping of areas that needed repair, sourcing the materials, finishes, and techniques, and preparing reports. The second phase consisted of the stabilisation of existing services along with the integration of facilities like a spa and gym in a similar style as the rest of the spaces. The third phase included the actual refurbishment of the physical fabric, installation of amenities, mending of damaged structures, and sourcing natural products from France, Belgium, Italy, and Japan to restore paintings, sculptures, frescos, and relief work. The courtyards, which were in a neglected state, were completely transformed into aesthetic and useful spaces. Care was even taken to improve the stained-glass work in the dome of Gol Bungalow, which overlooks the cityscape of Hyderabad.
For the reader:
- Baroque architecture refers to European architecture in the 17th and 18th centuries with ornate details
- Palladian architecture refers to works of/inspired by Andrea Palladio. Major elements are symmetry, proportion, and the use of classical Greek architectural elements.
- Tudor refers to a specific shape of archway and woodwork details in interiors, characteristic of the Tudor style
- Italian architecture includes Baroque and gothic movements, referencing elements like arches and ornamentation used in the palace
- Soft landscape refers to live horticultural elements used in landscape
- Fresco is a technique of mural painting on freshly laid lime plaster
- Cherub refers to a winged angelic creature attending to God according to Abrahamic religions
- Parquetry refers to the inlay work of blocks of wood in geometric patterns, especially in flooring
Prince Mukarram Jah received the palace through gift deeds from the Nizam at the same time that Princess Esra Jah wed into the Asaf Jahi dynasty as his first bride. The Nizam's death in 1967 led to financial squabbles and legal disputes over the inheritance, which were reflected in the palace's poor care. Things worsened when Mukarram Jah got divorced and left the city to live on an Australian sheep farm. 30 years later, he approached Princess Esra, who was residing in England with her children, to handle the restoration of the Falaknuma and Chowmahalla palaces, which had become completely decrepit.
In an interview with Architectural Digest, Esra Jah reminisces about the times when she had seen these gems of the Nizami culture at their peak. Upset with their deteriorating condition, she teamed up with the Taj Group and RMA architects for the extensive (and expensive) task of restoring their lost aura. In 2010, the palace was opened to the public as a luxury hotel part of the Taj Group, where people could now indulge in the royal splendour. The locals who had taken the train to the Falaknuma station for work and seen the state of disarray of the palace, now speak of the restoration in awe!
Condition of tapestry in the rooms before restoration. Source: Taj Group
Before and after stills of courtyard and corridors. Source: Taj Group
Cover Image Caption
Left- Marble staircase to Jade room, top middle- rooms, top right- Jade room, Bottom right- Entrance Foyer. Source: Taj Group
Exterior lawns before and after restoration. Source: Taj Group
Gol Bungalow before and after the stained glass dome was repaired. Source: top- Taj Group, bottom- Flickr/Ravin Singh
Wood flooring before and after restoration. Source: West Wood Floorings
The pool in one of the secondary courtyards before and after restoration. Source: Taj Group
Front entrance of Falaknuma Palace at night. Source: Taj Hotels
Top left- Nizam’s study, top right- Library, Bottom left- 101 Dining room, bottom right- Durbar Hall. Source: Flickr/Naren/Anila Lalwani/D Campolongo
Influence of Palladian, Tudor, and Italian styles in Falaknuma’s architecture. Source: Flickr/ left: Carrie right: Saurabh Chatterjee
6
Share