At Taj Krishna in Hyderabad

April 15, 2016: I am in Hyderabad staying at the Taj Krishna. Hyderabad is a city that I have visited three or four times only. The last time I was here I stayed at the Taj Falaknuma Palace. This time I am staying in another property of Taj located in posh Banjara Hills area.

I chose Taj Krishna as my friend Mohanchandran is the General Manager of this property. I must admit one thing that the suite I was staying in had such good air conditioning facility that I had to, despite the scorching heat outside, switch off the AC or increase the room temperature. I have never experienced such good air conditioning in any other five star properties’ large suites. This suite is about 1100 square feet with 8oo square feet terrace. This 707 suite is named after Asaf Jah of Asaf Jahi dynasty that came to India from Samarkand area in the late 17th century.

In 1724 Nizam-ul-Mulk Asaf Jahi 1 founded the dynasty and seven generations of the family ruled the Deccan for 224 years till 1948. At the age of six, Mir Qumaruddin was awarded a mansab by Aurangzeb who also bestowed on him the title Chin fateh Khan. At 26 he was appointed commander in chief and viceroy. Farukh Sair, who was Mugal emperor for a brief tenure, conferred on Mir Qumaruddin the title Nizam-ul-Mulk Fateh Jung. He thus become the first Nizam. Muhammad Shah bestowed on him the title of Asaf Jah. The dynasty of the Nizams of Hyderabad thus came to be known as the Asaf Jahi dynasty. The prominent leaders of the dynasty were Nizam Ali Khan Asaf Jah II (1762-1803), Sikandar Jah Asaf Jah III (1803-1829), Nasir–ud-Daula Asaf Jah IV (1829-1857), Afzal-ud-Daula Asaf Jah V (1857-1869), Mir Mahboob Ali Khan Asaf Jah VI (1869-1911), Mir Osman Ali khan ASAF Jah VII (1911-1948) – the seventh and last Nizam of Hyderabad ruled for 37 years. He led a very simple life and yet was one of the richest men in the world. Tomorrow I shall leave the hotel before 9 am for a WFUNA event. As I have a packed schedule, I shall fly off to Kolkata tomorrow evening. I will hardly have a time to enjoy this suite or property.

ess bee