A picturesque palace, a charming Princess and a timeless classic. The setting couldn't be more perfect. Through the breath-held stillness, Princess Esra Jah, sliced the 12-kg cake at the Chowmahalla Palace here on Tuesday evening marking the centenary of the Nizam's Rolls Royce Silver Ghost Throne car.
The Rolls Royce made to order for the 6 Nizam, Mir Mahboob Ali Khan, is not just a car but a symbol of Hyderabad's pride, heritage and culture. No wonder everyone craned their necks to get a glimpse of the regal carriage.
Princess Esra, the former wife of Prince Mukarram Jah, sauntered onto the bandstand and had a close look at the Rolls Royce showcased in a 12 mm stiffened glass cabin. Yonder, Devi Ramanamurthy sang ghazals penned by the seventh Nizam, Mir Osman Ali Khan.
Chaya hai abr aaya hai mousam bahar ka
Saqi pila de jam maye khushgawar ka
The ghazal set the tone for the evening as the Princess accompanied by her step son, Prince Mir Azmet Jah, interacted with the guests. She plans to restore the remaining cars of the Nizam one by one. “It is very expensive. Rs.50 lakh was spent on the restoration of the Rolls Royce,” she said.
Two Napier cars of the Nizam are proposed to be restored by next year for participation in the Cartier Travel with Style Concours to be held in Mumbai.
Not just the Rolls Royce but its miniature model made in cake form also stole the show.
Chef Anna Durai of Shri Shakti College of Hotel Management took 72 hours to make a replica of the car using sugar paste, royal icing, plain sponge cake, whipped cream and pineapple cherries.
