Hyderabad by Walk - King Kothi Palace

 Despite having studied in All Saints High School which is a stone's throw from the King Kothi Palace I never thought of checking it out. So on Sunday last me and my travel spirit headed to the area. Parked in the lane where those three large houses are, the shadi khana lane, and walked back. I remember one old friend's house being there somewhere.

Sri Thyagaraja Government College of Music and Dance 

Bang opposite where I parked was this quaint gate painted blue with the board Sri Thayagaraja Government College of Music and Dance. Since it was an early hour I took a pic of the gate and the building (over the gate). 

The inside - beautiful campus

It was so nice to see such a facility, well maintained and well preserved, right in the middle of the city, offering courses in music and dance. I heard that they shot Sagara Sangamam there. Started with a nice feeling.

King Kothi Palace

Round the corner from the end of the lane, past the sellers of second hand scooters and bikes and to the left is one part of the King Kothi palace which was converted into a hospital. The palace building still looks imposing and nice. In three parts originally - the Main building (which was converted into a hospital), the Usman Mahal (which has been demolished and a new block for the hospital constructed), and the Nazri bagh where the Nizam lived and where the Nizam's estates offices are/were.  

The District Hospital board

The old building given away to the government hospital

Can make out the palace despite the cars

The frontage

How it looks from behind

The buiding

All the specialties 

No maintenance, no security, some ladies cleaning up, the place seems to be used as a parking space I feel. Walked in and around and took some pics of the old building which seems to be storing old equipment. There's a statue of Gandhiji with a Satyameva Jayate written under.

Nazri Bagh or Mubarak Mansion

The hospital block is separated from the Nazri Bagh palace by a wall but if one makes the effort, one can see some spectacular parts of the palace from over the wall. This is where the 7th Nizam, the richest man in the world in his time, lived all his life.

Parts of the Nazri bagh visible

The Ghadial gate

The King Kothi palace, or the part that is called the Nazri Bagh has been sold off to some private parties and they are engaged in some legal issues so one cannot access it. Walked to one side of the hospital and could get a peep of how majestic this palace was from some glimpses of that building over the wall. Then walked around and looked at the famous purdah gate. One yellow gate which gave a small inkling into the palace - some people were inside but no way to catch their attention. Beautiful.

Purdah gate - purdah was lifted when the Nizam went out

The purdah gate had a curtain and hence the name

There is an interesting anecdote on how the King Kothi palace became the King's palace. The palace was originally built by a nobleman Kamal Khan incorporating elements from European, Islamic and Hindu architecture. However Kamala Khan inscribed his initials KK into every part of the palace. The 6th Nizam liked the palace and wanted to purchase it but the initials KK were proving to be a deterrent. That was when a courtier suggested that since it is a kothi (a huge house) and it belongs to the king, the KK could be changed to King Kothi. The 6th Nizam moved in and it is here that the 7th Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan lived from an age of 11 till he passed away in 1967. Interestingly the 7th Nizam is buried in a mosque called Judi mosque which was constructed by the Nizam. The Judi mosque is across the road from the palace which is where his mother was buried and it was his wish that he be buried where she was. The first Nizam is buried in Auragabad, the second to sixth are buried in Mecca Masjid and the 7th in Judi mosque.  

The Judi mosque where the 7th Nizam is buried

Then past the famous Hyline Bakery which we passed when we were in school while going to watch 'Jaws' at Parameshwari as reward for beating HPS Begumpet. Searched for the Wesley Church and enroute saw a beautiful estate with an old well and a cute temple. People were just waking up so no one seemed to be bothered.

Old well inside the temple complex

Old Jagannath temple - it even had a chariot house

Wesley Church

The CSI Centenary Wesley Church has a history dating back to the early 19th century. It is one of the earliest churches in Hyderabad. Apparently the Tamil speaking Christians in Hyderabad would travel to Secunderabad to pray at the St Thomas Church in bullock carts and a land was given by Prime Minister Salar Jung to build a church here.

The original Church built in 1969 - Christ Church

The Wesley Church was quite grand - the old one beautiful.

Waled past the Maharashtra mandal and peeped in. A nice auditorium that also seems to serve as a badminton hall and other buildings to the left. This part of the city catered to a large Maharashtrian segment. 

The Maharastra mandal was where Chitra and the Bhaves would go for their Maharashtrian activities. Some interesting old houses along the way and then back to the car. An interesting day out capped with a nice breakfast at Taj.