History of the Old Paigah Palaces of Hyderabad
There are several historical monuments and palaces of ancient Indian architecture that are of great importance, yet there are unheard and unknown palaces like the Devdis or Old Paigah Palaces of Hyderabad depicting the rich Indo-European architecture of Hyderabad.
These Old Paigah Palaces situated in a locality opposite Chowmahalla in Hyderabad, are completely hidden from normal view by other structures built by the local residents for whom these palaces are literally of no significance.
A group of three palaces, called the Paigah Palaces of Hyderabad were built in the 19th century by the Pigah nobels named Khursheed Jha, Iqbal-ud-Daula and Asmanjah. A narrow street, earlier known as the Amir-e-Kabeer during the rule of the Nizam of Hyderabad , is where these three palaces are located. These palaces served as places of residence for the paigah nobels who were employed under the Nizam of Hyderabad.
Other famous Palaces of Hyderabad
Spread across several acres, the Baradari Nawab Khursheed Jah Bahadur palace of Hyderabad is another Devdi built during the 1800s that reflects the magnificent style of European architecture in Hyderabad. This palace is symmetrical with eight columns showcased at the front end and the beautiful patterns of multi-color and column tops add to is magnificence.
The Baradari Nawab Khursheed Jah Bahadur palace has now been converted into the Hussaini Alam Government Girls College, Hyderabad where a playground has been named in honour of the late leader Sultan Salauddin Owaisi. This palace is also used for the purpose of film shooting.
Another palace of Hyderabad, the Devdi of Iqbal-ud-Daula is a fine blend of European and ancient Indian architecture styles. This can be seen by the engravings of the shankha-chakra of Hindu tradition at the top of the palace. This palace which was at one time a government school is now among the ruins due to neglect and lack of development in recent years.
Another historical monument that is lying in the dumps today is the Asman Jah palace of Hyderabad built by the Law Minister of the Nizam of Hyderabad named Asman Jah Bahadur, under the Nizam. This two storied palace with Greek Corinthian pillars and an emblem of the glowing sun at the entrance has been lost in the ruins of time and history.
These great palaces of Hyderabad remind us of the rich historical monuments of India on one hand, while on the other hand they tell a different story of neglect and isolation which over the years have been lying in the dumps by the dust of time.