King Kothi Palace
Encyclopedia
King Kothi Palace or Nazri Bagh Palace is a royal palace in Hyderabad, India
. It was the palace where the erstwhile ruler, the Seventh Nizam, Osman Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VII, of Hyderabad state
lived.
once he expressed his desire for the palace. The young Nizam
moved in when he was only 13. After his accession to the throne in 1911, he continued to stay at the palace and did not move to Chowmahalla Palace
where his father lived.
Initially, Kamal Khan constructed this palace for his personnel residence: Thus the palace main gate, passerby corridors, windows and doors were engraved with the sign of "K K". Later when Nizam
purchased this palace, as it was a royal
residence
now, the young Nizam
felt against his pride to have those abbreviations of other nawabs; he passed a ferman and changed the abbreviation "K K" to "King Kothi," meaning king
s mansion
. Thus the name King Kothi came into existence.
In the sprawling palace, diamond
s, rubies, sapphire
s, pearl
s and lesser gems were stored in steel trunks fastened with English-made padlock
s.
The palace has three main buildings, divided into two groups.
The main entrance to Nazri Bagh always had a curtain draped across it, so it has come to be known as the purdah gate. When Nizam went out of the palace, the purdah was lifted to indicate the king was not home.
The gate was guarded by Maisaram Regiment, police and Sarf-e-Khas Army with lances in their hands.
The third building, Usman Mansion, was demolished in the early 1980s. In its place a new hospital building was constructed by the state government. Nizam VII, the last ruling Nizam (1911–1948) lived here and died in this building on February 24, 1967.
The palace is also home to the Judi Mosque. The VI Nizam, Osman Ali Khan, willed that he be buried in the mosque that faced his residence.
To the east of Mubarak Mansion, stands the Ghadial Gate, the gate with a clock.
The King Kothi complex has various European styles. The canopies over windows, the intricate woodwork, the sloping tiled roofs in octagonal pyramid
shapes of the Ghadial Gate complex, and the classical semicircular arches are among the characteristic features.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. It was the palace where the erstwhile ruler, the Seventh Nizam, Osman Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VII, of Hyderabad state
Hyderabad State
-After Indian independence :When India gained independence in 1947 and Pakistan came into existence in 1947, the British left the local rulers of the princely states the choice of whether to join one of the new dominions or to remain independent...
lived.
History
The palace was constructed by the Kamal Khan, and it was sold to NizamNizam
Nizam-ul-Mulk of Hyderabad popularly known as Nizams of Hyderabad was a former monarchy of the Hyderabad State, now in the states of Andhra Pradesh , Karnataka , and Maharashtra in India...
once he expressed his desire for the palace. The young Nizam
Nizam
Nizam-ul-Mulk of Hyderabad popularly known as Nizams of Hyderabad was a former monarchy of the Hyderabad State, now in the states of Andhra Pradesh , Karnataka , and Maharashtra in India...
moved in when he was only 13. After his accession to the throne in 1911, he continued to stay at the palace and did not move to Chowmahalla Palace
Chowmahalla Palace
Chowmahalla Palace or Chowmahallat , was a palace belonging to the Nizams of Hyderabad state. It was the seat of the Asaf Jahi dynasty and was the official residence of the Nizam....
where his father lived.
Initially, Kamal Khan constructed this palace for his personnel residence: Thus the palace main gate, passerby corridors, windows and doors were engraved with the sign of "K K". Later when Nizam
Nizam
Nizam-ul-Mulk of Hyderabad popularly known as Nizams of Hyderabad was a former monarchy of the Hyderabad State, now in the states of Andhra Pradesh , Karnataka , and Maharashtra in India...
purchased this palace, as it was a royal
Monarchy
A monarchy is a form of government in which the office of head of state is usually held until death or abdication and is often hereditary and includes a royal house. In some cases, the monarch is elected...
residence
Residence
The term residence may refer to:* House* Home* Nursing home* Residence in English family law, pertaining to where children should live in the case of disputes* Habitual residence, a civil law term dealing with the status of refugees, and child abduction...
now, the young Nizam
Nizam
Nizam-ul-Mulk of Hyderabad popularly known as Nizams of Hyderabad was a former monarchy of the Hyderabad State, now in the states of Andhra Pradesh , Karnataka , and Maharashtra in India...
felt against his pride to have those abbreviations of other nawabs; he passed a ferman and changed the abbreviation "K K" to "King Kothi," meaning king
King
- Centers of population :* King, Ontario, CanadaIn USA:* King, Indiana* King, North Carolina* King, Lincoln County, Wisconsin* King, Waupaca County, Wisconsin* King County, Washington- Moving-image works :Television:...
s mansion
Mansion
A mansion is a very large dwelling house. U.S. real estate brokers define a mansion as a dwelling of over . A traditional European mansion was defined as a house which contained a ballroom and tens of bedrooms...
. Thus the name King Kothi came into existence.
In the sprawling palace, diamond
Diamond
In mineralogy, diamond is an allotrope of carbon, where the carbon atoms are arranged in a variation of the face-centered cubic crystal structure called a diamond lattice. Diamond is less stable than graphite, but the conversion rate from diamond to graphite is negligible at ambient conditions...
s, rubies, sapphire
Sapphire
Sapphire is a gemstone variety of the mineral corundum, an aluminium oxide , when it is a color other than red or dark pink; in which case the gem would instead be called a ruby, considered to be a different gemstone. Trace amounts of other elements such as iron, titanium, or chromium can give...
s, pearl
Pearl
A pearl is a hard object produced within the soft tissue of a living shelled mollusk. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pearl is made up of calcium carbonate in minute crystalline form, which has been deposited in concentric layers. The ideal pearl is perfectly round and smooth, but many other...
s and lesser gems were stored in steel trunks fastened with English-made padlock
Padlock
Padlocks are portable locks used to protect against theft, vandalism, sabotage, unauthorized use, and harm. They are designed to protect against some degree of forced and surreptitious entry.- History :...
s.
The palace has three main buildings, divided into two groups.
The eastern half
The eastern half, now occupied by a state government hospital, was used by the Nizam for official and ceremonial purposes.The western half
The western half, which is now walled, has the main residential buildings known as Nazri Bagh or Mubarak Mansion and still belongs to the Nizam’s private estate.The main entrance to Nazri Bagh always had a curtain draped across it, so it has come to be known as the purdah gate. When Nizam went out of the palace, the purdah was lifted to indicate the king was not home.
The gate was guarded by Maisaram Regiment, police and Sarf-e-Khas Army with lances in their hands.
Present status
Of the three principal buildings of the King Kothi complex, the main building (now houses a hospital) and the Mubarak Mansion (Nazri Bagh) accommodating the offices of the Nizam’s private estates (Sarf E Khas) only survive. Both the surviving buildings are in European style.The third building, Usman Mansion, was demolished in the early 1980s. In its place a new hospital building was constructed by the state government. Nizam VII, the last ruling Nizam (1911–1948) lived here and died in this building on February 24, 1967.
The palace is also home to the Judi Mosque. The VI Nizam, Osman Ali Khan, willed that he be buried in the mosque that faced his residence.
To the east of Mubarak Mansion, stands the Ghadial Gate, the gate with a clock.
The King Kothi complex has various European styles. The canopies over windows, the intricate woodwork, the sloping tiled roofs in octagonal pyramid
Pyramid
A pyramid is a structure whose outer surfaces are triangular and converge at a single point. The base of a pyramid can be trilateral, quadrilateral, or any polygon shape, meaning that a pyramid has at least three triangular surfaces...
shapes of the Ghadial Gate complex, and the classical semicircular arches are among the characteristic features.
See also
- Chowmahalla PalaceChowmahalla PalaceChowmahalla Palace or Chowmahallat , was a palace belonging to the Nizams of Hyderabad state. It was the seat of the Asaf Jahi dynasty and was the official residence of the Nizam....
- Purani HaveliPurani HaveliPurani Haveli is a palace located in Hyderabad, India. It was the official residence of the Nizam. It was also known as Haveli Khadeem, which means old mansion, was constructed for Sikander Jah, Asaf Jah III by his father Ali Khan Bahadur, Asaf Jah II.-The Palace:The Haveli is "U" in shape, with...
- Qutb Shahi TombsQutb Shahi TombsThe famous tombs of the seven Qutub Shahi rulers in the Ibrahim Bagh are located close to the famous Golkonda Fort.The galleries of the smaller tombs are of a single storey while the larger ones are two storied. In the centre of each tomb is a sarcophagus which overlies the actual burial vault in a...
- Taramati BaradariTaramati BaradariTaramati Baradari was a sarai as part of Ibrahim Bagh, a Persian style garden built during the reign of Ibrahim Quli Qutub Shah, the second Sultan of Golconda. The Baradari was constructed on the banks of the Musi river. Today, the region comes under the city limits of Hyderabad, India...
- GolcondaGolkondaGolkonda or Golla konda a ruined city of south-central India and capital of ancient Kingdom of Golkonda , is situated 11 km west of Hyderabad.The most important builder of Golkonda was a Hindu Kakatiya King...
- CharminarCharminarCharminar built in 1591 AD, is a landmark monument located in Hyderabad, India. The two words Char Minar of Urdu language are combined to which it is known as Charminar . These are four ornate minarets attached and supported by four grand arches, it has become the global icon of Hyderabad and is...