King Kothi palace being razed to the ground

The palace complex was the residency of the Nizam in his last days

The King Kothi palace has suffered extensive damage in the last one year. | Photo Credit: RAMAKRISHNA G

The historic King Kothi palace in Hyderabad is in the process of being demolished by the builder who purchased it from one of the trusts created by the last Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan. On Saturday evening, a portion of the palace has been razed and smoothened into flat ground with fresh earthmover marks. The old swimming pool, the well and the 101-room zenana (women’s quarters) have been left intact while the ceiling and walls were being pulled down using earthmovers. “The work has been going on for two days. Now we can hear the sound of earthmovers through the day and night,” said Ramakrishna, a resident whose home overlooks the palace.

The guards manning the structure remained tight-lipped about the deployment of earthmovers. Satellite imagery shows the destruction the complex suffered due to negligence and lack of maintenance between May 2020 and May 2021. 

The Nazri Bagh is a listed heritage structure No. 48 classified as II-B category under Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority Regulation 13. The Usman Mansion which was part of the complex was demolished earlier. “Though it is a heritage property it can be bought and sold. But the builder cannot modify the structure without the permission of Heritage Conservation Committee. But Hyderabad still doesn’t have a HCC,” said Sajjad Shahid of Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage. “The HCC needs to fulfill the criterion laid down by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs,” said Mr. Shahid.

The palace complex was the residency of the Nizam in his last days where he passed away on February 24, 1967. From that time till now, the palace has remained an enigma. “It is a beautiful structure with a series of courtyards and open spaces with passages that could be accessed by only who knew the building well,” remembers Anuradha Reddy who visited the palace twice — once as a young girl and later in the 90s. Author William Dalrymple writes about seeing a section of the palace filled with historical documents, room stacked with French champagne and boxes of soaps and shampoos.

Incidentally, the King Kothi complex was among the three palatial structures claimed by Osman Ali Khan for his own use after the merger of Hyderabad state with India. “The Nizam has claimed two palaces in Hyderabad besides the King Kothi where he resides. These are the Chowmahalla Palace in the city which he used for durbars and the Falaknuma Palace which is used for putting up distinguished guests. The maintenance of these palaces is a big liability and apparently the Hyderabad government has no use for them,” wrote S. Narayanaswamy, Deputy Secretary, Ministry of States in a confidential memo on March 22, 1953.

The Falaknuma Palace has been turned into a luxurious hotel property, the Chowmahalla Palace is a ticketed palace which shows a glimpse of royal life in the 20th century.

While the Residency Building used by the British has been restored recently with an interpretation centre, the royal residency of the last Nizam of Hyderabad is now history.