HYDERABAD ( ASMAN GARH PALACE )

ASMAN GARH PALACE

•  The palace was designed by him personally, perhaps influenced by the castles he had seen during his European jaunts. It became so popular that the hill-top villa came to be known as Asman Garh Palace.

• Built in 1885, the palace has some unparalleled architectural features, for which it finds its name in the list of heritage buildings meant for conservation. A staunch believer of making his creations look different, Sir Asman Jah, chose the Gothic style with pointed arches supported by small Corinthian pillars and stretched arrow-slit windows to build this cosy resort.

• Then he topped the building with castellated battlements. All these features contributed to the illusion of a fortified castle perched atop a hillock at the edge of what was once a large wooded area.

                                       

•   A flight of steps leads to a platform from where the staircase branches off on either side, giving it an interesting wrap - around appearance. Another peculiar feature, the gateway at the entrance, which is in the shape of the royal turban of the Seventh Nizam, Mir Osman Ali Khan, was added much later in 1925-26. In the years gone by, this gateway too could be seen from a distance.

HYDERABAD ( ASMAN GARH PALACE )

ASMAN GARH PALACE

• It was designed personally and built by the erstwhile Prime Minister of Hyderabad state Sir Asman Jah in 1885 on a hillock for leisure, as a shikar rest house.

•  Its based on Gothic architecture and is in the shape of a European medieval castle. The palace presently hosts a museum displaying archaeological relics.( Birla Archaeological Museum.)
  
  

• The Asman Garh Palace in Hyderabad is one the prominent monuments in Andhra Pradesh. Influenced by the castles of Europe, Asman Garh Palace is perched atop a hill some distance ahead of the Hyderabad TV tower.

• The palace is ornamented with granite turrets and arched windows. You can reach Asman Garh Palace in Hyderabad with convenience, since it is positioned just 5 km from Hyderabad bus station and 11 km from Hyderabad railway station. Buses and auto rickshaws are readily available from all places in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad to take you to the historic palace.

• Tour to India invites you to explore the Asman Garh Palace, Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh that will surely live on in your memory forever.

                                   

• Sir Asman Jah, the Prime Minister of the erstwhile Hyderabad State strolled up the hill and chose the "isolated spot" to create a typical European country villa resembling a castle - which is measured poetry in granite.

•   In accomplishing it, he fulfilled his wish of being close to the sky, something that was part of the title he earned.

HYDERABAD (PAIGAH TOMBS )

PAIGAH TOMBS(contd..)

•  Local people claim that the geometrical patterns of the sculptural features of these tombs are unique and not found anywhere in the world.

•  Abdul Fateh Khan Tegh Jung founded the Paigah nobility and was rendering service to the second Nizam, who ruled between 1760 and 1803. The Nizam conferred on him the title of Shams-ul-umra, meaning the sun among the masses. 

                                                

• Tegh Jung was buried in 1786 at the entrance of the complex, now known as Paiga tombs. An iron plaque at the entrance of the complex traces the Paigah lineage and eulogises the marble magnificence of the mausoleums.

•  The Paigahs were also great patrons of arts, literature and sports and commanded the respect of the rulers and the people.

                                         

                                            

• The Paigah Tombs in Hyderabad, India are the tombs of the several generations of the Paigah nobles. The Paigah nobles were very close to the Nizams and so they enjoyed a significant social status. They were given the responsibility of looking after the security and defense of the state. Some of the Paigah nobles who have been laid to rest here are Asman Jah, Viqar-ul-Umara and Shams-ul-Umara.

• Abdul Fateh Khan Tegh Jung founded the Paigah nobility and was rendering service to the second Nizam, who ruled between 1760 and 1803. The Nizam bestowed him with the prestigious title of Shams-ul-Umra, meaning "the Sun among the masses". Tegh Jung was buried in 1786 at the foyer of the complex.

•  An iron plaque at the entrance of the complex traces the Paigah lineage and exalts the marble magnificence of the vault. The Paigahs were also great patrons of fine arts, literature and sports and commanded the respect of the rulers and the ordinary people alike.

                                                  

• The Paigah Tombs are unique specimens of extraordinary artistry that is ardently visible in the wonderfully inlaid mosaic work.

HYDERABAD (PAIGAH TOMBS )

 PAIGAH TOMBS(contd..)

• The Paigah tombs, though a recent discovery, date back to the late eighteenth century and embody unparalleled grace and elegance in marble.

• Though these stunning tombs are strewn over 30-40 acres, tombs of the Paigahas who had married daughters of the Nizams and their spouses are confined to a two-acre site. It is this enclosure which is now known as Paigah tombs.

  

                                

• The Paigah nobles were very close to the Nizams and very powerful and influential, taking care of the security and defence of the state.

• The bonds between the Nizams and the Paigah nobility strengthened with the marriage of Fakhr-ud- din Khan with the daughter of the second Nizam. Fakr-ud-din’s descendants married daughters of other Nizams and consequently, in protocol, the Paigahs were considered next only to the Nizams.

• The tombs are a series of mausoleums built for these Paigahs and immediate members of their families. These structures are specimens of remarkable artistry showing itself off in exquisite inlaid msaic work. 

                                                                         

HYDERABAD (PAIGAH TOMBS )

PAIGAH TOMBS(contd)

Design

• The tombs are magnificent structures, decorated in stucco work, and represent the Moghal,Greek,Persian, Asaf Jahi, Rajasthani and Deccani style of architecture.

                                       

                              

• The geometrical designs in the Paigah Tombs are unique and are perforated with screens with great craftsmanship. Which has been constructed by Amir e kabir I (Details of which are available in the diary of the Viceroy and the letter written by the then Resident J.C Bayley to Nawab Salar Jung the then prime minister Informing him about important details regarding tombs on 10th March 1882 after the death of the Co Regent and Amir E Kabir III Nawab Rashid uddin Khan Bahadur informing Sir Salar Jung that all the three Amirs wanted to perform the Urs of their Grand Father and Great Grand Father on the same day,he advised The Prime minister to see to it that all three Paigahs perform the Urs ceremony at the same time to maintain protocol and to avoid a situation in which who would perform first could be discussed)Nawab Sir Asman Jah Bahadur ,Sir Khurshid Jah and Sir Vikar Ul Umra later made some additions which included the chowkhandis of marble added by Sir Khurshid Jah (this was taken up when Sir Khurshid Jah ordered 18 Chowkhandis over the shrines of Important holy saints all over india.

                                                     

• The last addition was made by Lady Vikar ul Umra for herself and her son Nawab Sultan ul Mulk Bahadur Beside the tomb of Amir e Kabir III Nawab Rashid uddin Khan Bahadur.