Chowmahalla Palace

Chowmahalla palace was the official residence of the Nizams of Hyderbad while they ruled the state. It was the seat of the Asif Jahi dynasty. The Asif Jahi dynasty came to India in the late 17^th century and they served under the Mughals. They were referred to as Nizams. They ruled Hyderbad on behalf of Mughals. After the death of Aurangzeb, Nizams declared themselves as independent rulers. They ruled Hyderbad even when the British took over India.

Main entrance

In Persian, ‘chahar’ means four and in Arabic ‘mahalat’ (plural of mahal) means palace. Hence, the name Chowmahalla palace. The Chowmahalla palace is a complex of four palaces with a central pond.

The courtyards

Though the construction of the palace was started by the Nizam Salabat Jung in 1750, it was completed only in 1857-1869 during the rule of Nizam Afzar ud- Dawlah Bahadur, Asaf Jah V.

It is believed to be modeled on Shah of Iran’s palace in Tehran.

Intricate stucco work on the pillars and ceilings inside Durbar hall

The palace consists of two courtyards-Northern and Southern. These courtyards have elegant palaces, the grand Khilwat/ darbar hall, fountains and gardens. Originally the palace is believed to have covered an area of 45 acres of which only 12 acres remains today.

The Durbar hall

The eye-catching element of the palace is the Khilwat Mubarak/ the Durbar hall which is ornate with stunning stucco work of Persian origin. This grand pillared durbar hall has pure marble platform on which the royal seat was laid. It is here the Nizams held their durbar and other ceremonies. The hall has 19 spectacular Belgian Crystal Chandeliers.

The Belgian Chandeliers

The clock tower found within the complex is affectionately called as Khilwat clock. It has been ticking away for around 250 years.

The Clock Tower

The palace was restored to its’ former glory by the first wife of the present Nizam in 2005 and it took over five years to complete this restoration.

Patterned tile work

It’s definitely worth the visit when one is visiting the old city in Hyderabad and wants to spend some quiet time away from the chaos around Charminar.

Chitradurga Fort

This was not the first time I was visiting Chitradurga fort. As a student I had trekked through the fort on numerous occasions. It was one of the most favored picnic spot too with relatives and friends. But this brief visit to the fort was special as it was the first time I was going to capture its’ beauty in my camera!

Boulders at the entrance of the Fort...

The Chitradurga Fort (called as ‘Chitaldoorg’ by the British) is just an hour’s drive from Davangere. The fort is well- known as “Elu Suttina Kote” in Kannada referring to its’ seven levels of fortification. Apparently, the carved depiction of the ‘seven headed serpent’ at the entrance of the fort signifies its’ 7-level fortification.

The seven headed serpent...

A rock cut edict by Emperor Asoka reveals that Chitradurga was part of the Mauryan Empire in the 3^rd century B.C. Soon after their fall, they were ruled under Rashtrakutas, Chalukyas and Hoysalas. This fort was built in stages between 17^th and 18^th century B.C. under these rulers. But it rose to prominence (under the feudatory state of Vijayanagara Empire) by Nayakas or Palegars. An eminent Palegar- Timmanna Nayaka, rose to the rank of governer of Chitradurga under the Vijayanagara rulers built and fortified the fort.

After the fall of the Vijayanagara Empire, Nayakas proclaimed their independence. Later, in 1779 the fort was conquered by Hyder Ali who along with his Tipu Sultan, expanded and strengthened the Fort (after the last Nayaka Madakari Nayaka V). After the death of Tipu Sultan, the fort was acceded to the British.

The circular formation that is seen at the top is Tuppada Kola...

The fort is built in a series of seven concentric fortification walls with various passages, citadel, masjid, warehouses for grains and oil, water reservoirs and ancient temples. There are 18 temples in the upper fort and one huge temple in the lower fort. The masjid was an addition during Hyder Ali’s rule. The fort with many interconnecting tanks was used to harvest rain water and it was never said have received water shortage.

View of Gaali Gopura and Deepa Stamba from Ekanatheshwari temple...

A carefully planned and sophisticated water harvesting system ensured Chitradurga’s inhabitants rarely ran out of water. In the late 1700s, when Hyder Ali contemplated conquering Chitrdurga, he made enquiries about the Fort’s supplies; he was told the fort had water for it’s’ inhabitants to survive 12 years without water!

'Akka Thangi honda' where rain water was harvested...

Believed to be impregnable with its’ seven concentric ramparts, Chitradurga fort features bold rock hills and picturesque valleys. It is known as the “Stone Fortress” (Kallina Kote). According to Mahabharata, a man-eating ‘rakshasa’- Hidimba and his peace loving sister Hidimbi lived on the hills. When the Pandavas came there with their mother Kunti during the course of their exile, Bhima had a duel with Hidimba in which the latter was killed. So after, Bhima married Hidimbi and they had a son Ghatotkacha who had magical powers. Legend has it the boulders were part of the arsenal used during that duel. In fact, the boulders on which major part of the city rests belong to the oldest rock formation of the country.

Boulders everywhere...

                                                                                                                                                                 

The legend of Onake Obavva, who single-handedly fought against Hyder Ali’s soldiers, is famous too here. The small opening amongst the rocky formation from where Hyder Ali’s soldiers infiltrated stands as a testimony to the bravery of Onake Obavva.

Eka shila Nandi temple...

One more interesting spot to visit inside the Fort would be Thuppada Kola (place where Ghee was stored). But it lies on top of the hill and the climb towards the tank is quite tedious and one might have to climb in all fours when the wind is too harsh; though, I have always tried to escape from climbing on top to this place.

Muruga Matha complex on the way to Sampige Siddeshwara temple...

The fort is also a home for a troop of monkeys and there are quite a number of people who visit the place every day just to feed the monkeys. If one is lucky enough, they can also witness a ‘human monkey’ doing his acrobats on the walls of the fort. Popularly known as ‘Kothi Rama’, he climbs onto the walls of the fort without any supportive devices and his act gathers a lot of audience.  

After spending a good amount of time and climbing up and down the fort, one must definitely visit Laxmi Bhavan Tiffin Room located near Aane Baagilu who serves very delicious  ‘kaali dosa’. Most imporantly, do not forget to apply your sunscreen as I got a tan from just an hour's exposure to the very mild sun on a breezy day. 

Qutb Shahi Tombs

It’s been almost eight years that I have been staying in Hyderabad now. As I scrolled down the pages of my blog posts I realized that I haven’t written about any of the monuments of Hyderabad. So here is something about Qutb Shahi tombs. The pictures were taken long back and at a time when I was not as passionate about photography as I am now. I do not have very specific pictures for their respective information so it is very random.

Beautiful evening light illuminating the tomb...

Qutb Shahi Tombs complex lies just about 2kms from the Golconda Fort. If someone is planning a visit to the famous Golconda fort, s/he cannot miss witnessing this sprawling tombs complex.

The imperial legacy of the Qutb Shahis can be traced back to the Bahamani kingdom. During the period of Bahamani kingdom (which disintegrated at the end of 15^th century), there emerged five independent kingdoms in the Deccan (between the north of the river Godavari and river Krishna). These Deccan Sultanates were of Ahmednagar, Berar, Bijapur, Bidar and Golconda (later Hyderabad).

The Qutb Shahi dynasty was founded by Sultan Quli- Qutb-ul- Mulk, a migrant from Turkistan, in 1518. Later in 1543, Jamsheed Quli Qutb Shah murdered the first Sultan and ascended the throne. After Jamsheed’s death his brother Ibrahim took over the kingdom. He fortified the Golconda fort and developed the very famous Hussain Sagar lake.

A mosque inside the tombs complex...

Muhammad Quli, third son of Ibrahim, succeeded him. But, during his time the population of Golconda grew enormously which resulted in water scarcity. There was also an outbreak of cholera at the same time. To tackle the situation Muhammad ordered for a new city to be built beyond Purana Pul (bridge over river Musi, the only bridge that survived the Great Musi flood in 1908). Thus emerged Hyderabad!

Reflection!

History also has its story that Muhammad was in love with a Hindu girl called Bhagmati who lived across the river. His father decided to build the bridge to help his son to cross the river safely. So it is also called as ‘Pyar- ana- pul’.

Some black and white retreat for the eyes...

The tombs of the Qutb Shahis are a mausoleum complex which comprises the tombs (thirty tombs) of the Royal family and the officials who faithfully served them. The complex consists of mortuary bath and mosques.

Archways...

The tombs found in the complex are built in Persian, Pathan and Hindu architectural styles using grey granite, with stucco ornamentation. This is one of its kinds in the world where an entire dynasty (Family) has been buried at one place.