King Kothi: The famous King Kothi palace in Hyderabad is being demolished by a developer who bought it from one of the trusts established by the last Nizam, Mir Osman Ali Khan. A part of the palace was razed and smoothed into the level ground with fresh earthmover marks on Saturday evening. The original swimming pool, well, and 101-room zenana (women’s quarters) were all left standing while the ceiling and walls were demolished by earthmovers. “It’s been two days since the job began. “We can now hear earthmovers at all hours of the day and night,” Ramakrishna, a local whose residence overlooks the palace, said.
The guards stationed at the facility remained tight-lipped about the earthmovers’ arrival. Between May 2020 and May 2021, satellite photography shows the complex was destroyed due to neglect and lack of upkeep.
Under Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority Regulation 13, the Nazri Bagh is a listed heritage structure No. 48, which is categorized as an II-B category. The Usman Mansion, which was once part of the complex, had already been dismantled. “Even though it is a historic property, it can be purchased and sold.” However, the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage’s Sajjad Shahid stated, “Hyderabad still lacks an HCC.” Mr. Shahid stated, “The HCC must meet the condition set forth by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.”
Nizam’s last days were spent in the King Kothi palace
The Nizam’s last days were spent in the palace complex before his death on February 24, 1967. The palace has been a mystery from that time until now. “It’s a lovely construction with a succession of courtyards and open spaces with corridors that could only be accessible by those who knew the architecture well,” recalls Anuradha Reddy, who visited the palace twice, once as a child and again in the 1990s. A section of the palace was filled with historical records, a chamber was stacked with French champagne, and cartons of soaps and shampoos, according to author William Dalrymple.
After the unification of Hyderabad state with India, Osman Ali Khan claimed three palatial structures for his own usage, including the King Kothi complex. “Apart from the King Kothi, where he stays, the Nizam has claimed two palaces in Hyderabad.” These are the city’s Chowmahalla Palace, which he used for durbars, and the Falaknuma Palace, which he used to house prominent visitors. In a classified note dated March 22, 1953, S. Narayanaswamy, Deputy Secretary, Ministry of States, stated, “The maintenance of these palaces is a significant liability, and obviously, the Hyderabad administration has no purpose for them.”
The Falaknuma Palace is now a magnificent hotel, while the Chowmahalla Palace is a ticketed palace that depicts royal life in the twentieth century. While the British Residency Building has recently been rebuilt with an information center, the last Nizam of Hyderabad’s regal residence is now history.