HYDERABAD ( FALAKNUMA PALACE )

FALAKNUMA PALACE(contd)

HISTORY

A DISTANT VIEW OF THE FALAKNUMA PALACE FROM AN OPPOSITE HILLSIDE, TAKEN BY DEEN DAYAL IN 1893.

• Amir e Paigah Sir Vicar Ul Umra(Prime minister of Hyderabad and Berar) used this Palace as his private residence till it changed owners and the palace was handed over to H.H.The 6th Nizam of Hyderabad in ~1897-1898.

• Sir Vicar ul Umra or Sir Vikar UL Oomra apart from being the Prime Minister of Hyderabad was also the Amir of Paigah and was the meternal grandson of H.H. The Nizam III Nawab Sikandar Jah Bahadur. He was married to H.H Nizam VI Nawab Mir Mahboob Ali Khan's older sister Princess Jahandarunnisa Begam Sahiba also known as Lady Vicar ul Umra.( The monograme VO, short form of Vikar ul Omra is seen on every part and the furniture of the palace.

• The Falaknuma Palace was so costly to build, that even Sir Vicar Ul Umra had to borrow money to complete it and realized that he had gone beyond his means. His very intelligent wife, Lady Vicar ul umra, thought up of a solution and advised her husband to invite HEH Mehboob Ali Pasha Nizam VI to the Palace. As anticipated, the Nizam liked the palace so much that he extended his stay and this prompted Sir Viqar to offer that if his sovereign liked the palace he would be honoured to give it to him. The Nizam liked the gesture but being the grand man he was, he had his treasurer send the entire amount spent on the palace to Sir Viqar, thus easing his paigah noble from a financial crunch.( ref "The days of the Beloved" Berkley University Press.) The Nizam VI in 1897 used the palace as a royal guest house as it had a commanding view of the entire city.