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Falaknuma: An aristocratic escape

Whether it’s feasting in one of the palace restaurants or walking around the grounds, Falaknuma is breathtaking, finds Amy Fernandes

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ook up there,” said the driver proudly, pointing to a distant structure in the hills. “That is the mirror to the sky.” As we drove up the winding hill, what looked like a rather nice mansion was quickly turning into a palace, complete with the mandatory stables, a private petrol pump, acres and acres of gardens, some of which still bore the brunt of neglect, and finally the broad gates where the guards welcomed guests with an ‘Adaab’, to Falaknuma, which translates to ‘‘mirror to the sky’’. Unlike other palaces, which will take your breath away at first glance, this one prefers to study you first, then invites you through its mighty gates in a horse-drawn carriage, then walks you up a flight of stairs through a shower of rose petals and stands you in the midst of the balcony where all of old Hyderabad sits at your feet. It doesn’t mean to tease you, it’s just the way the Nizams  lived; every step steeped in luxury, tradition and yes, gorgeous palace intrigue, that shows up in its architecture, decor and artefacts.







The Drawing Room






A brief history tells us that the palace was the dream child of Viqar ul Umra, who served as Prime Minister of Hyderabad in the 19th century. His various travels to Europe, determined that Falaknuma become the showpiece for entertainment rather than a residential space. At the time, the palace was built at the staggering cost of `30 lakhs. In 1897, merely five years after occupying the palace, it was sold to the 6th Nizam, Asaf Jah VI Mir Mahboob Ali Khan Siddiqi for `20 lakhs. Although the Nizam’s official residence was at the Purani Haveli, he would use Falaknuma as his private retreat. How much he ‘‘retreated’’ shows up in a story that says he succumbed after a three-day drinking binge at Falaknuma, where he had fled to avoid one of his wives’ persistent demands of crowning her son the heir apparent. From thereon, the various Nizams up to the 8th, Mukarram Jah have used the palace as their calling card to entertain heads of state and the royal clique. Even today, with the Taj Mahal Palace Hotels having restored it to its pristine glory (taking 10 years to do so), the palace remain a repository of the history and heritage of Hyderabad.





 


The Nizam Suite



 



A tour of the palace is essential for every visitor, and if you really want to know how royal visitors lived, a stay in the palace is how to do it. Whether you stay in a suite (pick 
between the Nizam’s own palatial suite where now the Aga Khan stays when he is in the city and the smaller, but spacious Shehzada Suite), or a deluxe room, all rooms and suites face a lovely, restful courtyard. (A bird’s-eye view will reveal the palace to be shaped like a scorpion. That’s because Viqar ul Umra was Scorpio). 


 




You don’t dine in a palace, you feast; choices are between three spaces: Celeste with its Italian and continental spread and Adaa for its Indian particularly Hyderabadi cuisine. Between the two is a terrace, peculiarly called the Gol Bungalow. Breakfast on a cool winter morning is recommended, but dinner at any cost (and I mean it in the literal sense), is a must, for it is then that the twinkling lights of the city spread below, lull you into a mood mellow with wine and food. My suggestion, leave it to the chef and he will produce a slice of delicacies that used to be in the days of yore. Some guests are treated to a special private dining at the Coronation Hall, where like a true epicure the dialogue is between you, your meal and your exquisite surroundings.





 


The grand staircase







Thus indulged, there is yet one more indulgence you need to dive into: The Jiva Spa.Try the energising or the relaxing massage, depending on how you want to spend the next day there. You can opt to shop for attar and pearls within the premises or take a guided tour of the old city. We chose to walk the palace grounds with historian Mr Prabhakar, whose heart seems to burst with pride at every nook and turn of the palace and the stories that abound. The architecture of Falaknuma works with both, the mindset of the Nizams who used the palace and the architect who built it. There is a feat of physics in the way the grand staircase has been cantilevered. The acoustics of the dining room, 101 Dining, are such that the Nizam could hear a whisper from the far side of the dining room from where he sat. The aesthetics of the laborious detailing on the ceiling that matches the floor in the ballroom is yet another wonder. The choices of art, furniture and decor, all go into giving you a continuous sense of awe. 








101 Dining



But as they say, let the pictures speak for themselves:

 

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