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Royal Weddings in Hyderabad- Part I
Destination Weddings - Feb 11, 2016
By Akshay Chavan
Hyderabad, the city of Nizams, has been a symbol of royal grandeur and opulence. For centuries, the great wealth of Deccan attracted communities from all over India to settle here, from the Kayasths of the Gangetic plains to Jain and Gujarati merchants of Rajasthan to Maratha warriors. The court of the Nizams of Hyderabad was a unique melting pot of cultures and this unique Hyderabad culture or Tehzeeb is also reflected in its royal wedding traditions, which are by far, the most opulent, by austere standards of South India.
The Nizams and princesses of Hyderabad have extended the culture of royal weddings over the years through their descendants as part of their tradition.
Hyderabad had an exceptionally large and refined Hindu as well as Muslim aristocracy who had estates bigger than Maharajas of many other Indian states and they vied to host the most opulent wedding extravaganzas for their children. Finest singers and courtesans from the North, cooks from the Mughals courts, Jewellers from South India, Hyderabadi weddings reflected princely India at its finest. While the era of Nizams and Nawabs has passed, the royal wedding traditions remain and can be relived to this day.
As a wedding destination, Hyderabad has a lot to offer. An international airport allows your guests to fly from all over the world. The finest hotel like Taj Krishna, Taj Falaknuma Palace as well as some spectacular venues to host cocktails, receptions and parties like Chowmahalla Palace and other spectacular open air venues. A big attraction is the food. It is joked about Indian weddings, that the only thing the guests remember is the food. The highly fertile Hyderabad has an extremely rich culinary tradition. From the world famous Hyderabadi biryani and kebabs, to traditional and spicy vegetarian Andhra food, Hyderabad has the distinction of being home to some of the finest chefs and caterers, who can recreate old royal recipes for your celebration. Then, there are traditional musicians, kathak dancers, bespoke attarwalas, pearl vendors who will give your wedding that right Deccani touch.
Chowmahalla Palace
Taj Falaknuma
Photo Courtesy- Joseph Radhik
Taj Krishna
Royal Hyderabadi weddings were known for four things: exquisite venues, exquisite jewellery, exquisite music and exquisite food. Thankfully, all four have survived in the modern age and now are seeing a great revival. This makes a strong case to go beyond current destination wedding hotspots like Rajasthan, and Kerala and look at a destination wedding in royal Hyderabad. Become a nawab for a few days and soak in the tehzeeb, the mehfil and the samma. Relive the magnificence of the Nizami Deccan through a Royal Hyderabadi wedding and give your well-travelled guests a unique and special experience. WeddingSutra will be travelling to Hyderabad in February and March to bring you special updates on Royal Hyderabad and gorgeous photo-features from a wedding venue that makes for the best choice for your destination wedding in Hyderabad. World-class hospitality and the finest spaces which have played host to many celebrity and high profile weddings. Watch this space and join us in our journey as we tell you more about Royal Weddings in Destination Wedding.
Akshay Chavan is a Mumbai based writer and lifestyle enthusiast who blogs about Indian Royalty and Heritage.
