“Lives of great men all remind us
H.W. Longfellow, ‘A Psalm of Life’
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time;”
Chowmahalla Palace Part-III, Hyderabad, India
An exhaustive series for sure, but to do justice to an exquisite jewel, like Chowmahalla Palace Hyderabad, I present to you the concluding part featuring the Southern Courtyard of the complex. Afzal-ud-Daula rebuilt the existing buildings in this courtyard in the late 19th century. These palaces hosted the French troops and their Resident, Colonel Fraser, in the mid-18th century. An explosion in a powder keg had destroyed much of these at the end of the eighteenth century.
This courtyard was the entrance to the Palace from the Chaderghat Residency through the Purana Pul. Redesigning the Chowmahallat restored the power balance between the British Resident and the Asaf Jahi ruler. The earlier Mughal imprint on this area of Hyderabad gave way to the distinct Deccan Muslim political authority.
The Chowmahallat Design
Constructed prior to the Northern complex, it has four buildings in each direction of the water body in the centre – The Chowmahallat style. Two sets of complementary pavilions face each other as Jawaab (Answer, or in this context – reflection). The overarching architecture is Neoclassical, though. An attempt to integrate the imported British design with Deccan identity.
The single-story pavilions on the east and west are Mahtab (Moon) Mahal and Aftab (Sun) Mahal. In plan and design, they are mirror images of each other. But, the architectural elements come from different styles, reflecting the Sun and Moon character.
Aftab Mahal has Ionic columns and Palladian mouldings whereas Mahtab Mahal has lobed arches on double baluster columns. The exterior is in plaster instead of the traditional teak to emphasize the linkage with the British Residency.
We know not much about the usage of these palaces except that the western pavilion served as the home school for the sixth Nizam Mahbub Ali Khan under the British tutors, Claude and John Clerk. In the twentieth century, it became the administrative offices. The Nizam used the eastern pavilion for formal Durbars.
Afzal Mahal and Tahniyat Mahal
A grand double-story pillared hall, Afzal Mahal is the largest pavilion on the south of this courtyard. The portico has six large Corinthian columns and daintily crafted Neoclassical garden vases. The verandah has a marble statue of wrestlers engaged in combat. Interiors inspired by the architecture of the Chaderghat Residency have Palladian detail in carved plasterwork and a second-floor gallery encircling the central Durbar hall. French furnishings and Turkish chandeliers adorn the drawing-room as a testimony to the lavish lives lived by the royals.
Across the reflecting pool, is the scaled-down Deccan version of the Afzal Mahal. Called Tahniyat Mahal, for Mir Tahniyat Ali Khan, another title of Nizam Afzal-ud-Daula, it served as the venue for the formal entertainment of visitors. It is interesting to note that these two are not mirror-images. This pavilion is not open to visitors and is the residence of visiting royals.
Further behind the Southern Courtyard are gardens and buggy-house with a display of yesteryears’ transport. The palace complex hosts many exhibits of the Nizam finery, scriptures, armoury, photographs, etc.
As I walked back after tracing the footprints of royals in three fruitful hours within, my deepest gratitude to the museum officials to have allowed me to photograph this glorious monument.
