Hyderabad - Taj Hotels : Taj Falaknuma History
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2000 feet above Hyderabad, Taj Falaknuma Palace's 60 beautifully refurbished and lovingly restored rooms allow you to journey into the clouds and into the glided ages, where grandeur and excess is celebrated and savored in equal measure. The former residence of the Nizam of Hyderabad, Falaknuma Palace has been rightfully leased by the Royal Family of Hyderabad to the Taj Group of Hotels Resorts and Palaces with Royal Family members having personally supervised part of the Palace's refurbishment. Guest can now experience the famed Nizam's hospitality which was once the sole preserve of royalty.
Falaknuma Palace is also known as the ’mirror of the sky‘ (Falak - Numa means 'Like the Sky' in Urdu) because at 2000 feet, it was built in the clouds and reflects the ever-changing moods of the sky. Set in 32 acres of land and spread over 19400 square meters, the Palace was commissioned by Sir Nawab Vikar-Ul Umra, a Hyderabadi nobleman from the Paigah family. Each was the ruler of their own court, built their own breathtaking palaces and each commanded their own private army. The Falaknuma Palace was so costly to build that even Sir Viqar Ul Umra had to borrow money to complete it and realized that he had gone beyond his means.It caught the eye of the seventh Nizam of Hyderabad, Mahbub Ali Pasha, Sir Vikar's brother-in-law, who was rumoured to be so smitten by the Palace that Sir Vikar, his prime minister, had no choice but to succumb to time-honoured tradition and offer it as a gift or ’nazar‘.
Built in 1894, it took ten years and four million rupees for its magnificent, physical evolution in the shape of a scorpion. Designed by British architect William Mard Marret, the Palace took a rumoured 22 years to perfect and has been owned in turn by Sir Vicar-Ul-Umra, PM of the State of Hyderabad, Nizam Mahboob Ali Pasha and Mir Osman Ali Khan Bahadur.
Bought over in 1895 and used as the residence of Nizam VI until 1911, Falaknuma Palace later went on to be used as a royal guesthouse for dignitaries, including free India's first President Dr. Rajendra Prasad who availed of its famed, lavish hospitality in 1951. The echoes of visiting European monarchs, the Duke of Windsor, heads of state and distinguished governors can still be heard in this newly refurbished inner sanctum of Hyderabad.
Piecing together Falaknuma’s past glory was perhaps the biggest challenge of the restoration. These came with other challenges like retaining the eclectic blend of Renaissance architecture, Baroque style, French charm, art deco sensibilities and other inspirations that were woven into the décor of the palace — yet retaining its true-blue Nizam flavour. The restoration was extensive — sourcing the perfect upholstery to redo the sofas and chairs, choosing fresh drapes to match the taste of the Nizams, polishing the marble, repairing damaged pieces, recreating broken structures, and blending in new wings and spaces for more rooms, extra landscape, and additional restaurants.
The Falaknuma Palace has other unique things to its credit. It includes the largest collection of Venetian chandeliers. It is said that it took six months to clean a 138-arm Osler chandelier and the palace has 40 such chandeliers adorning the halls.
Since 1995, The Taj Group of Hotels has sensitively restored the palace not only to accommodate the privileged in 60 glamorous rooms and suites, but also to accommodate the extravagance of the ’then‘ with all the comfort of the ’now‘. The renovated hotel was opened in November 2010.
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