King Kothi Palace, which is also known as Nazri Bagh Palace, is the royal palace, located in Hyderabad, which is now the capital of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. King Kothi Palace was the palace where the ruler, the Seventh Nizam, Osman Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VII, of Hyderabad state lived.
King Kothi Palace was the grand abode for the Nizams of Hyderabad, a sprawling complex of mixed architectural style. This regal building is the symbol of Nizam royal hood like most of the palaces and buildings built by the prolific Nizams of Hyderabad during their glorious reign in Andhra Pradesh, in the later phase of medieval era and throughout the rule of British East India Company and British Constitutional Government in India.
King Kothi Palace has a hint of synthesis between European traditions with Islamic and Hindu motifs and architecture. The result is one that is uniquely Hyderabadi, and is aesthetically pleasing to lovers of both architectural styles.
The palace was constructed by the Kamal Khan, and it was sold to Nizams of Hyderabad once he expressed his desire for the palace. The young Nizam moved in when he was only 13 years old. After his accession to the throne in 1911, he continued to stay at the palace and did not move to Chowmahalla Palace of Hyderabad where his father lived.
Initially, Kamal Khan constructed this palace for his workers residence: Thus the palace main gate, passer-by corridors, windows and doors were engraved with the sign of "K K". Later when Nizam purchased this palace, as it was a royal residence now, the young Nizam felt against his pride to have those abbreviations of other Nawabs; he passed a "firman" and changed the abbreviation "K K" to "King Kothi", which means King"s Mansion. Thus the name King Kothi came into existence.
King Kothi Palace is decorated with diamonds, rubies, sapphires, pearls and lesser gems which were stored in steel trunks fastened with English-made padlocks. The palace has three main buildings, divided into two groups. It also has a huge library used by the Last Nizam of Hyderabad. The eastern half, now occupied by a state government hospital, was used by the Nizam for official and ceremonial purposes. The western half, which is now walled, has the main residential buildings known as Nazri Bagh or Mubarak Mansion and still belongs to the Nizam"s private estate. The main entrance to Nazri Bagh Place or King Kothi Palace always had a curtain draped across it, so it has come to be known as the purdah gate. When Nizam went out of the palace, the purdah was lifted to indicate the king was not home. The gate was guarded by Maisaram Regiment, police and Sarf-e-Khas Army with lances in their hands
King Kothi Palace is also abode to the Judi Mosque. Osman Ali Khan willed that he be buried in the mosque that faced his residence. To the east of Mubarak Mansion, stands the Ghadial Gate, the gate with a clock. The King Kothi complex has various European styles architecture. The canopies over windows, the intricate woodwork, the sloping tiled roofs in octagonal pyramid shapes of the Ghadial Gate complex, and the classical semicircular arches are among the characteristic features. Now this palace and its complex is the cynosure to the national and international tourists.
