Taj Hotels, which is taking part in BITE 2010, will open the doors to a magical new experience when The Falaknuma Palace, one of the most remarkable sights of Hyderabad, India, reopens as a grand palace hotel.
Built in 1884 and situated on a 200-ft-high hillock, Falaknuma Palace, meaning the heavenly abode, is a rare blend of Italian and Tudor architecture.
The magnificent palace is being converted into a 65-room hotel, scheduled to open this month following the first phase of restoration and refurbishment which will preserve its history – for example, the original suite of the Nizam, the 101 Dining Room and the original Mughal and Japanese gardens created by the Nizam have been be retained.
The grandeur of the Falaknuma Palace is best described in its detailing. The Palace has priceless collections of jade, paintings, statues, English furniture, stained glass windows, leather-upholstered, rosewood chairs, gold and crystal tables and an Italian white marble fountain at the entrance. The library, which is a Windsor Castle remake with a walnut carved roof, houses one of the finest collections of the Holy Qur’an in India.
The construction of Falaknuma began in 1883, the same year Sir Vicar-Ul-Umra became prime minister of Hyderabad state. Completed in 1893, this magnificent palace became the last word in eastern opulence and luxury. Sir Vicar made Falaknuma his home and played gracious host to lavish dinners, house parties, hunt breakfasts and visiting European royalty. All the furniture, paintings and other articles were made to order, as Sir Vicar wanted to create an ambience of heaven. Unfortunately, the creation of the palace eventually led the prime minister into bankruptcy.
Since its opening, Falaknuma Palace has had many masters, from Nizam Mahboob Ali Pasha to Mir Osman Ali Khan Bahadur. Falaknuma Palace will join the ranks of The Rambagh Palace, Jaipur, The Taj Lake Palace, Udaipur and Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur in the grand palaces segment of Taj properties.
Pursuing its long-treasured dream of preserving and, wherever possible, sensitively restoring palaces to their original glory, Taj Hotels has consistently and carefully carried out restorations of the original elements of the architecture and the interior design of its palace hotels. Refurbished with modern luxuries, these exquisite palaces have now become true reflections of the grandeur and luxury of Indian royalty, attracting tourists from across the world.