Chowmahalla Palace Entry Entry Ticket Price is Rs.80 per person for Indians and Rs. 200 for foreign persons.
The Chowmahalla Palace is a magnificent edifice located in the heart of Hyderabad that once served as the seat of power of the rulers of the Asaf Jahi dynasty. This palace is the official residence of the Asaf Jahis, more popularly known as the Nizams of Hyderabad while they ruled their state. The literal meaning of this place is “Four Palaces” as “Chow” means four in Urdu and “Mahalel” meaning palaces. The fourth Nizam of Hyderabad, Salabat Jung commissioned the construction of the Chowmahalla Palace way back in 1750. the construction was finally completed during the rule of the fifth Nizam of Hyderabad, Afzal ad-Dawlah between 1857 and 1869. Initially, the palace was spread across 45 acres, but at present, it stands at just 12 acres. Chowmahalla Palace was presented with The UNESCO Asia Pacific Merit award on March 15th, 2010 for cultural heritage conservation.
The grand Chowmahalla Palace epitomizes spectacular architecture and is considered as one of the top historical places in Hyderabad. The palace reflects the influences of many architectural elements such as Indo-Saracenic, Persian, European, and Rajasthani styles due to its long period of construction. It is believed that the Chowmahalla palace draws inspiration from the Shah Palace of Tehran in Iran. The palace comprises of two courtyards – South and North, lush gardens, splendid fountains along with spellbinding structural design. The Southern Courtyard has four palaces – Aftab Mahal, Afzal Mahal, Mahtab Mahal, and Tahniyat Mahal built in the neo-classical style of architecture. Under the patronage of Princess Esra, the palace was restored between 2005 and 2010. The Northern Courtyard has Bara Imam, a long corridor of rooms and opposite to it is the stunning structure Shishe-Alat, meaning mirror image.
The Chowmahalla Palace has Clock Tower Khilwat Clock that resides above the main gate of the palace; Council Hall housing a treasured collection of priceless books, rare manuscripts and today it is a venue for temporary exhibitions; Roshan Bungalow, the residence of Mir Mahbub Ali Khan, the sixth Nizam of Hyderabad was named after his mother Roshan Begum. A souvenir shop where you can purchase colorful and carved items, showpieces, jewelry, etc. In fact, the most important structure in the Chowmahalla Palace is the Khilwat Mubarak or Durbar Hall considered as the heart of the palace. It is an elaborately pillared hall where the Nizams held their royal court. Takht-e-Nishan, the royal seat laid on the marble platform can be seen in this hall even today. On any given day, the palace used to have around 7000 attendants.
The first thing to offer a peek into the architectural excellence is a huge water fountain in front of the palace. Intricate carvings on the walls and ceilings; Glass chandeliers with different designs are not to be missed. The green landscape contrasting the white and yellow motifs of the palace presents a hypnotic sight. The palace even boasts of a fleet of vintage cars that were used by the Nizams including the 1912 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost. The Khilawat clock has been functioning for more than 250 years now. The Durbar Hall contains 19 mesmerizing Belgian Chandeliers. Various kinds of Qurans such as handwritten and inscribed in gold are showcased in the Quran section. The Chowmahalla Palace regularly hosts a number of events such as heritage walks, the annual music and dance festivals.
The Chowmahalla palace is currently owned by the present titular Nizam of Hyderabad, Mir Barkat Ali Khan Mukarram Jah who made the palace open to the public in January 2005. The other attractions near to Chowmahalla palace include Charminar (1.4 km), Mecca Masjid (1.5 km), Salar Jung Museum (2.2 km), Nehru Zoological Park (4.5 km). The palace is open on all days of the week except for Friday and public holidays. The timings of the Chowmahalla Palace are from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The nearest metro station to the palace is Charminar metro station at 1 km distance. It almost takes 3-4 hours to complete the tour of the Chowmahalla Palace.
Important Points:
- Chowmahalla Palace Entry Entry Ticket Price is Rs.80 per person for Indians and Rs. 200 for foreign persons.
- Rs.10/- per Child (Below 12 Yrs) for Indians
- Rs.50/- for Still Camera
- Rs.100/- for Video Camera