The scene at Hyderabad's historic Falaknuma Palace on November 17 was one of frenzied preparations for the two-day celebrations lined up for actor Salman Khan's sister Arpita's wedding to fiance Aayush Sharma. It's usual for showbiz celebrities, even international ones, to head to Rajasthan for their big days - Liz Hurley and Naomi Campbell have both descended on Jodhpur to celebrate weddings and birthdays. It's less usual for a Bollywood bigwig to make Hyderabad or other cities down south their destination.
Here's a short history of Falaknuma Palace. (Also Read: Stage Set for Wedding of Salman Khan's Sister in Hyderabad)
Falaknuma was one of the residences of the Nizam, the ruler of the erstwhile Hyderabad State. (Inside Arpita Khan's Sangeet: Salman, Malaika, Amrita Make it a Glam Affair)
The palace, which the Taj Group converted into a luxury hotel and threw it open four years ago, has 60 lavish rooms, decorated halls and a 101-seat dining hall, said to be the biggest in the world. Its Durban Hall, embellished with intricately carved wooden ceilings, parquet flooring, regal walnut wood furniture and handcrafted mirrors, had once hosted guests like King George V and Czar Nicholas II.
Located five kilometres from Hyderabad's iconic Charminar, Falaknuma, or 'mirror of the sky' in Urdu, is a scorpion-shaped, all-marble palace and was once the residence of Mir Mahboob Ali Khan (1869-1911), the sixth Nizam.
It was Nawab Vaqar-ul-Umra, the Nizam's prime minister, who built the palace in 1893. Impressed by its magnificence, the Nizam bought it for himself.
Though the Taj Group has converted several palaces into luxury hotels, Falaknuma stands apart for its splendor and majesty.
Salman Khan is said to have paid Rs 2 crore to book the hotel for two days. Sources said this was done to ensure that nobody gatecrashes by booking tables at restaurants or by visiting spas. The family will have its own security to screen the guests. The hotel staff will work as per their instructions to ensure smooth arrangements.
Sources said Hyderabad-born actress Dia Mirza also wanted to celebrate her wedding at Falaknuma but negotiations for a better price made no progress and she finally dropped the plans, settling for a farmhouse in New Delhi instead.
A couple of suites, including the one which was used by Nizam, are the most expensive. The hotel charges over Rs 5 lakh a night for the Nizam suite.
All the wedding planners, caterers and specialists providing services from makeup to decoration to mehendi and sangeet will be flown in from Mumbai for the grand celebrations.
