Hill Fort Palace

Hill Fort Palace
A view of the Hill Fort in the 1930s
Former names	Ritz Hotel (1980–1997)
General information
Type	Royal Palace
Location	Naubhat Pahad, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
Completed	1915;110 years ago (1915)
Owner	Telangana State Tourism Development Corporation
Native names హిల్ ఫోర్ట్ ప్యాలెస్ (Telugu) ھل فورٹ محل (Urdu)
Built for	Nizamat Jung
Original use	Residence of Nizamat Jung (1915–1929) Residence of Prince Moazzam Jah (1929–1955) As a luxury hotel (1980–1997)

Hill Fort Palace, also known as Ritz Hotel, is a royal palace located in Naubhat Pahad, Hyderabad, Telangana. The property is now owned by Government of Telangana, Telangana State Tourism Development Corporation. ^{[1] [2] [3]}

History

Residence (1915–1955)

A view of one of the bedrooms of the Palace in 1930

Hill Fort Palace was built in 1915 by Nizamat Jung, who served as chief justice in the government of Nizam, India. His stay in the palace was for 15 years. Nizam Jung who was fascinated with English language and architecture designed the palace based on castles described in Sir Walter Scott’s novels. The palace had 40 rooms, three large banquet halls and a swimming pool. ^{[4] [3] [5]}

In 1929, after his return from Haj, Jung wanted to live a simpler life. The palace was then purchased by Asaf Jah VII for his son Prince Moazzam Jah, and then designated as the official residence of the chairman of the City Improvement Board.

Government takeover and Ritz Hotel (1955–1997)

Hill Fort Palace was taken over by Indian government after Operation Polo. In 1955, the palace was leased to Ritz Hotel Company for running a hotel. The lease was terminated by the state government and in the late 1997, the property was handed over to the AP Tourism Corporation. The property has remained idle since then. ^{[6] [7]}

Abandoned (1997–present)

Today, the structure is dilapidated and in urgent need of restoration. ^{[8] [9]}

In 2022, an expert committee submitted a report recommending the demolition of the palace to the High Court. ^{[10] [11]} In a PIL verdict, the high court ordered the state government to commence restoration work at the palace. ^[12]

Location

The palace is located in the heart of the city near Naubat Pahad spread over 6 acres. ^[13]

External links

• Narendra Luther's feature on the Palace

17°24′12″N78°28′27″E / 17.40330°N 78.47404°E / 17.40330; 78.47404

References

1. P. S., Rohit (5 April 2014). "Hill Fort Palace to regain past glory". Times of India . Retrieved 27 August 2014.
2. Hill Fort Palace : MIT Libraries
3. Dundoo, Sangeetha Devi (23 November 2015). "The space has a story to tell". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 5 October 2019.
4. PHOTOS: Hyderabad's 100-Year-Old Hill Fort Palace Is Now A Prospective Art Gallery
5. Omar Khalidi (2018). A Guide to Architecture in Hyderabad, Deccan, India. Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture. p. 150. Retrieved 4 January 2025.
6. "Once famous Ritz Hotel of Hyderabad now turns into a shooting location for films". The New Indian Express. 15 April 2018. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
7. "A walter scott castle, sliver of Nizami times". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
8. "PHOTOS: Hyderabad's 100-Year-Old Hill Fort Palace is Now a Prospective Art Gallery". 12 April 2016.
9. Pisharody, Rahul V. "Historical Hill Fort Palace hopes to reclaim its past glory". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
10. "Hill Fort Palace in Hyderabad can be restored: INTACH". The New Indian Express. 23 April 2023. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
11. Tomar, Ajay (4 May 2023). "Hill Fort Palace, Zenana demolition: Telangana government targeting heritage buildings irks conservationists". The South First. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
12. "Begin Hill Fort palace restoration works: HC". The Hindu. 1 May 2022. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 27 May 2023.
13. "Historians and Heritage Activists aims to restore Historic Hillfort Palace in Hyderabad". Archived from the original on 11 June 2020. Retrieved 11 June 2020.