Hyderabad House

Hyderabad House earlier known as Palace of the Nizam of Hyderabad is a former princely residence of Osman Ali Khan, Nizam VII located at New Delhi. This house was built in 1926 by eminent architect Edwin Lutyens. It was the Delhi palace for the last Nizam of Hyderabad state.

It is currently used by the Government of India for banquets and meetings for visiting foreign dignitaries. It has also been a venue for joint press conferences and major government events.

• Construction started: 1926
  
• Completed: 1928
  
• Owner Before: Hyderabad Nizam
  
• Owner Now: Government of India
  
• Architect: Edwin Lutyens
  

Hyderabad House was designed by Edwin Lutyens, the principal architect of New Delhi, as a residence for the Nizam of the erstwhile kingdom of Hyderabad. The need for a residence in Delhi arose because the most important traditional rulers (maharajas) of Indian states were inducted in 1919 into a Chamber of Princes and, therefore, had to come to Delhi to attend the Chambers meetings of the British.

The Nizam’s sons disliked the building, finding it too western in style for their taste. Consequently, the building was seldom used.

After Indian independence in 1947, the palace was gifted to Indian Government by the Nizam.

Hyderabad House was built in the shape of a butterfly. It was the largest and most expensive palace at that time. The entrance hall of the palace, a domed roof is the outstanding feature. It is located to the northwest of the India Gate.

The Hyderabad House is an amalgam of the Mughal and European styles of architecture.

It is the largest and grandest of all palaces that were built during the period 1921-1931, to house various state rulers and it is the biggest and grandest of all princely houses built in New Delhi by this renowned British architect Edwin Lutyens.

Month: Current Affairs - December, 2011