RESEARCH PROJECT

REPORT
ON

A CASE STUDY ON NAGARJUNA SAGAR PROJECT

(AFFILIATED TO NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR HOTEL MANAGEMENT AND

CATERING TECHNOLOGY,MINISTRY OF TOURISM,GOVT OF INDIA)

NAME:T.GNANENDER REDDY
ROLL NO:1841303109
COURSE:B.SC 3rd YEAR
COLLAGE:IHM SHRI SHAKTI

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 IHM SHRI SHAKTI

Venus plaza, Begumpet, Hyderabad-500016

CERTIFICATE
This is to satisfy that project work titled` A CASE
STUDY ON Chowmahalla Palace”submitted by
Lingam Vamshi Krishna of B.sc.3rdyear bearing
Roll no.1841303109 to IHM SHRI SHAKTI in
partial fulfillment for the award of the degree in
Bachelor of Hotel Management and Catering
Technology by NCHMCT, and the same has been
satisfactorily completed

PROJECT GUIDE INTERNAL EXAMINER EXTERNAL EXAMINAR

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

There is always a sense of gratitude which one

expresses to others for the help or needy service
they render during all phases of life. I would like
to express my gratitude towards those have
been helpful to me in taking this mighty task of
live project to a successful end.

First of all, I consider it a pleasant duty to

express our heartfelt appreciation, gratitude and
indebtedness to principal and to my Facility
Guide
JHANAVI MAM for providing advice throughout
the project work duration.

Secondly I would also like to thank my parents,

hoteliers and friends who helped me a lot in
finalizing this project and making it successful.

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 INDEX
OBJECTIVES
DESCRIPTION
HISTORY
ARCHITECTURE STYLE
CONCLUSION

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 OBJECTIVES
 BASIC INFORMATION ABOUT CHOWMAHALLA PALACE

 HISTORY ABOUT CHOWMAHALLA PALACE

 UTILISATION ON CHOWMAHALLA PALACE

 TOURISM ON CHOWMAHALLA PALACE

 ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS ON CHOWMAHALLA

PALACE

 FUTURE POTENTIAL ASPECTS ON CHOWMAHALLA

PALACE

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 DESCRIPTION
Chowmahalla Palace or Chowmahallat is the palace of the
Nizams of Hyderabad State in Hyderabad, Telangana, India. It
was the seat of the Asaf Jahi dynasty and was the official
residence of the Nizams of Hyderabad while they ruled their
state. The palace was built by Nizam Salabat Jung. The palace
remains the property of Barkat Ali Khan Mukarram Jah, heir
of the Nizams. Other members of the Hyderabadi Nizam
family have also wed here.

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HISTORY
While Salabat Jung initiated its construction in 1750, it was
completed by the period of Afzal ad-Dawlah, Asaf Jah
V between 1857 and 1869. The palace is unique for its style
and elegance. Construction of the palace began in the late
18th century and over the decades a synthesis of many
architectural styles and influences emerged. The palace
consists of two courtyards as well as the grand Khilwat (the
Dharbar Hall), fountains and gardens. The palace originally
covered 45 acres (180,000 m2), but only 12 acres (49,000 m2)
remain today. The palace was restored between 2005 and
2010 under the patronage of Princess Esra.

Southern Courtyard
This is the oldest part of the palace, and has four palaces
Afzal Mahal, Mahtab Mahal, Tahniyat Mahal and Aftab
Mahal. It was built in the neo-classical style.

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Northern Courtyard
This part has Bara Imam, a long corridor of rooms on the east
side facing the central fountain and pool that once housed
the administrative wing and Shishe-Alat, meaning mirror
image. It has Mughal domes and arches and
many Persian elements like the ornate stucco work that
adorn the Khilwat Mubarak. These were characteristics of
buildings built in Hyderabad at the time. Opposite the Bara
Imam is a building that is its shishe or mirror image. The
rooms were once used as guest rooms for officials
accompanying visiting dignitaries.

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KHILWAT MUBARAK
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This is heart of Chowmahalla Palace. It is held in high esteem
by the people of Hyderabad, as it was the seat of the Asaf
Jahi dynasty. The grand pillared Durbar Hall has a pure
marble platform on which the Takht-e-Nishan or the royal
seat was laid. Here the Nizams held their durbar and other
religious and symbolic ceremonies.
The spectacular Chandeliers of Belgian crystal recently
reinstalled to recreate the lost splendor of this regal hall.

CLOCK TOWER
The clock above the main gate to Chowmahalla Palace is
affectionately called Khilwat Clock. It has been ticking away
for around 251 years. An expert family of clock repairers
winds the mechanical clock every week.

COUNCIL HALL
This building housed a rare collection of manuscripts and
priceless books. The Nizam often met important officials and
dignitaries here. Today it is a venue for temporary exhibitions
from the treasures of the Chowmahalla Palace Collection of
the bygone era.
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ROSHAN BANGLA
The Sixth Nizam - Mir Mahbub Ali Khan is believed to have
lived here and the building was named after his mother
Roshan Begum. The present Nizam (Barkat Ali Khan
Mukarram Jah) and his family decided to restore the
Chowmahalla Palace and open it to the public in January
2005. It took over 5 years to document and restore the
palaces of the first courtyard to its former glory. The palace
also has a collection of vintage cars like the Rolls Royce,
which were used by the Nizam Kings.

Time still ticks

The entrance leads you to the Khilwat Mubarak, the durbar,
with its gorgeous windows laced with detailed and ornate
stucco work, and flanked by the timeless clock tower, the
Khilwat Clock that has seen 250 years of Hyderabad and still
ticking – what can be more humbling? Inside the gorgeous
hall are beautifully carved archways with chandeliers of
Belgian crystal, sparkling in multitudes of colours.

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As you walk along the foyers adjacent to the durbar, you can
feel the affluent touch of the Nizams’ illustrious history cajole
you into a world of nostalgia – beautiful furniture, ceramic-
ware, princely dresses and court uniforms, paintings,
correspondence and armoury in chambers lined with
beautiful arched windows, and walls embellished with
framed photographs and paintings boasting of the fine
palates of the connoisseurs of art. But, the best is yet to
come, the guard would remind you, of the riches that lie
beyond the durbar – the four palaces that give Chowmahalla
its name – Afzal Mahal, Mahtab Mahal, Tahniyat Mahal and
Aftab Mahal.

Wheel wonders

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As afternoon creeped into the courtyards of the beautiful
Mahals, with their Persian and Mughal influences
demonstrated proudly by the arches contrasted against
green lawns and blue skies, alive with the flutter of pigeons, I
finally walked into the much-hyped corner of the Palace – to
the Nizam’s collection of vintage cars. You can’t help but
have your jaw drop, so mesmerising is the first glimpse of the
Rolls Royce Silver Ghost, restored to its pristine beauty, with
a nice canary yellow exterior.

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You might need an entire day to soak in the beauty of
everything the palace has to offer, for one can spend a
quiescent hour or two just gazing out of the arched windows
in the hallways at the verandas, or lying in the alluring lawns
brimming with artistic topiary and landscaping. What would I
not give for a few whiffs of Hindustani classical music,
echoing through the quietly proud halls, to celebrate a great
fightback!

CHOWMAHALLA PALACE – A SHOWCASE

OF GRANDEUR LIFESTYLE OF THE NIZAMS
OF HYDERABAD
Between 1967 and 2001, the Chowmahalla shrunk from a
whopping 54 acres to just 12 acres. The land was acquired by
real estate developers, who demolished the 18th century
buildings and erected concrete apartments in their place.
Almost 27 years later, it was Jah’s first wife and Turkish
princess Esra who set out to put an end to the legal disputes
and helped restore the palace to its original glory.

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Today, this opulent 18th century palace compound,
comprising of several grandiose buildings and four garden
courtyards, is revered by visitors. The magnificent durbar
hall, Khilwat Mubarak, where nizams held ceremonies under
19 enormous chandeliers of Belgian crystal is a dazzling sight.
Inside the palace, there are several things on exhibit
including weaponry, arts and crafts, nizam’s personal
possessions and a collection of carriages in addition to a 1911
yellow Rolls-Royce and 1937 Buick convertible.
Painstaking conservation has restored the grandeur of
Hyderabad’s Chowmahalla Palace. While Hyderabad’s
heritage structures and sites are being seen as prime real
estate up for grabs, the restoration of the Chowmahalla
Palace to its age-old grandeur, putting it on top of the city’s
must see bucket list, is a silver lining.
This has been the most extensive effort to restore the Palace
to the state it was when it was built. We have restored the
original colour after trying out 500 samples and colours,” said
Anuradha Naik, conservation architect, working on the
project. The structure dates back to late 18th century when
construction began in 1750. It was completed in the mid 19th

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 century during the reign of Asaj Jah V.

Architecture-Style
The construction of the palace started
in the late 18th century (1750) and
completed in 1869. Hence there is a
combination of many architectural
styles. It has domes and arches of
Mughal style and also have many Persian elements. You can
see stucco work embellishing the Darbar hall. The intricate
carvings done on the walls and ceilings are impressive.
After 1976, however, the palace complex was left untended
and uncared for till Princess Esra, former wife of Mukarram
Jah, stepped in to begin restoration efforts in 2000.
Inspired by the Shah of Iran’s palace in Tehran, Chowmahalla
{which means four palaces} is said to have assimilated the
architectural styles of Persia, Rajasthan, Europe, and Indo-
Saracenic. Although all the four palaces aren’t open for public
viewing, we went walking along courtyards flanked by lush
greenery and ornate fountains and the official darbar that
holds many iconic stories.

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Situated in the Old City of Hyderabad, Chowmahalla is
thronged by hundreds of visitors every day. The sprawling
gardens are filled with curious visitors exploring the charm of
the palace in bits. The four palaces — Tahniyat Mahal,
Mahtab Mahal, Aftab Mahal, and Afzal Mahal are architected
in different colour patterns and significance. It’s rather
unfortunate that they’re not open for visitors, but if you’re
the curious kind, we recommend you peep in through the
grills for a quick glimpse.
The pristine corridors of the palace lead you to halls and
museums that are dotted with paintings, royal portraits,
pictures in sepia and black and white. The museums full of
artefacts, weapons, outfits, crockery, and photographs are
usually open for visitors. The palace can also make your
childhood dreams come — if you’ve ever dreamt of wearing
the royal outfits, you can make it happen. At Chowmahalla,
you can dress up in the outfits of the erstwhile Nizam and get
portraits taken by the palace’s resident photographer.
Whether you’re an art lover or an architecture enthusiast,
Chowmahalla can cater to all your interests. We urge to you
to check the Khilwat Clock, a clock tower which is over 100

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years old. While you’re at it, we suggest you visit the garage
in the premises to see the 1912 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost
{owned by the royal family} which apparently remains as
shiny and glossy and in great shape as it was when it was
brought in. End your exploration at the palace’s canteen to
devour the famous onion samosa at INR 15 a plate.

Note for Travelers

The Palace is located at Motigalli, very close to Charminar. It
is well connected by public transport. The palace open from
10am to 5pm on all days except Fridays and National holiday.
Entry charges are Rs.80. You need to pay Rs.50 extra for
using still camera and Rs.200 for Video camera. There is
ample parking space outside.

To see the place and the surrounding area you will need 2-3
hrs of time. There are some trees and garden area where you
can sit and relax. There is small refreshments store also
inside. If antique or metal items interests, you can purchase
some here.

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 CONCLUSION

The conservation of the Chowmahalla Palace was embarked

upon in the year 2000 and was structured to be executed in
three phases. The first phase involved detailed mapping, a
survey of the existing fabric and the preparation of
conservation reports for both the restoration of the buildings
as well as potential re-use patterns that help evaluate the
usefulness of these historic structures. The second phase
involved stabilizing the buildings under threat of collapse and
carrying out other emergency repairs such as waterproofing
and propping to stop further deterioration. The final phase
involved the actual restoration of the complex and the
introduction of the amenities that facilitate the re-use of
these structures.

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