KHILWAT

 Where are all those lavish days gone, when the royalty was at its peak , Hyderabad was a city of royals and nobles who were titled as nizams  and  Where are all those lavish days gone, when the royalty was at its peak , Hyderabad was a city of royals and nobles who were titled as nizams  and piagahs all of whom built some magnificent palaces , buildings , mosques  , kotis etc. .

   I happened to go to chowmuhaLLA PALACE , ALSO KNOWN AS Khilwat in Urdu , it was the official palace of Nizam the sixth Mir Mehboob ali khan , and other nizams before him , located in old city a few miles  from charminar , and adjacent to Osmania hospital . The Khilwat was the center of administration when royals were active. As you enter, you’ll see large garden, and at the bottom of the area a mansion designed in indo European style with a tinge of rajputana designs, the garden is really beautiful with big lawns and designed trees everywhere, as you keep going  a cool breeze of air passes through you, Even in  May when heat is at its peak , the palace was quite cool, the trees and grass wet from pouring water, just watered by the gardener, the fresh air changes the whole atmosphere  of whoever enters  .

As I was wandering around the facility, I saw another gate and just at the entrance, there was another gate a few kilo meters away. There are about three main quarters in the khilwat , all of whom had the royals residing. and around the corners there were small houses were servants lived , at the Backyard of the palace there was a stable were horse s were kept , but later on during the time of sixth nizam it was renovated into a car parking , a big parking was constructed were all of the nizams cars were assembled , the nizam took any of those cars according to the occurrence , the cars included many vintage ones  , some of them even manufactured especially for the nizam , the sixth and the seventh  nizam were especially enthusiastic car collectors , the ceremonial Rolls-Royce  was the most distinct one in all of them  , it was for the parade and marches or public appearances., a special seat was made for the nizam were he could wave at the public without getting up from his it , the little though worn out is still very attractive .The parking is really huge so huge that it could accommodate a few Boeings .

NIzams rolls royce

                                                  

the car was custom made especially for nizam the seventh

The next palace was quite far away I had to walk a good 10 minutes   to reach the main section , the middle one was the main palace were the last two nizams would Addressed the public and administered the state ,  left and right were the galleries of old photos , all the generation of the Asif jahi dynasty , their achievements , their constructions , their demography , photos with the renowned personalities of that time ,  their relation with the British , photos with early leaders of the congress ,  the first telegraph telephone , postal services , railways and most important the first airport ever to be built in south India , was by the nizams . Hyderabad was nothing but a hard work of Nizams which clearly was seen here.

The next room was of memento’s given to the Asif jahi dynasty by different people and groups , it had a silver Charminar , mecca masjid ,a layout  moaazam jahi market , and a curtain with Asif jahi flag on it ,  a moon which was designed on the name of the first Asif jahi king Qamar , which in Urdu means moon . Which later became the symbol of the Nizams. There was also many quranic scriptures, there was a shirt with complete Quran written on it. Another was a medium sized blanket which had scriptures in Arabic, it was written below that whenever a new  royal child was born he was wrapped  in that blanket after the bath so that he was safe from devils planning’s , they thought that the royals would easily get into satanic influence , which they somehow did when they grew up .

The next room  was of crockery and utensils of the era , plates and saucers which had The photo of  sixth nizam on it , a huge flower pot , paintings of the nizams and cups , his walking sticks his boots , gloves his pens and monograms , his stamps etc. .A chandelier and small crystals around it, depictions of his hunting expeditions, his associations and folks etc.  All these were kept in beautiful displays.

                                                                                          

the family photos

The final one had all artillery and the weapons, this was the most interesting of all the rooms, it had almost all sorts of swords, arrows and shields. The nizams had one of the biggest army , who had defeated Marathas and the Mysore regiment  , they also helped the British in world wars  so this was un doubted the best part of the palace , the Nizams had spears which were technically fast travelling than any one , made of light wood , it could  go at long distance with less effort . the swords were majestic , especially the ceremonial swords which were used during the swearing of the nizams  , a few steps left t were the  rifles , the bolted rifles which were used in 18th and 19th century , we had to put gunpowder in it and a bullet and mince it thoroughly . When fired it would release huge smoke with heavy back repulsion.

The assassinating gun was most interesting, it was just the size of your palm, just bang into some one and no one would know. The cutting dagger which would open three folds when inside the flesh was also amazing, the armor shields to protect from swords and arrows, the helmets. The chains etc.   Were all a military unit of the Nizams.

                                                                                                                      

                                             

                                        

                                                                                             

           

             

As I was going on to the garden before the last room , there were people talking , about how almost seventy percent of artifacts were missing , and only a few of small things remaining , which were also sold  illegally to the private collectors . The chowmuhalla was locked for about five decades before it was officially opened, and when it was opened it became an open pray for, art smugglers and private dealers who could get a good price of these antiques in national and international markets. All of the valuables disappeared in short period, and before governments official orders came up for restoration of the palace, what remained was what we see in the museum.  It’s really saddening that our rich history is getting derailed away by some opportunists and corrupt people who belong to our own country and govt. So forth no measures had been taken on searching those artifacts, not even a complaint registered, such a pity.

                                                                         

Our historical monuments are our assets, our identity, if we let loose our identity we let loose ourselves.

All in all chowmuhalla or khilwat was a great experience  , it depicts the time which was not far away  from ours but still it is no more , the big halls , the gardens , designed windows , magnificent divan’s ,

The great HA;LL WAYS , beautiful tapestry , cool grass , criss croos trees , elevated chandeliers , vintage cars , old accessories , pigeons flying in the open space with a echoing sound  , far distant a few men playing an old qawwali , it sounds so deep and sweet that it shakes some ancient memories  in your soul

The memories which you never thought existed, those smells and sounds, and that soothing air coming from century old trees, it is UN describable.

If you are a Hyderabadi , and has some connection with this city , you will find Khilwat a soul soothing experience.