Musical evening in the lap of royalty

By the time one reached the Chowmahalla Palace, one was exhausted - the narrow lanes (from choodi bazaar to khilwat), the dusty roads and the endless traffic seemed to take its toll. Besides, there was the hassle of parking - with no parking space within the Palace grounds itself, people were asked to park on the roads, and that meant almost a kilometer before one could find a spot. One rued the decision to even come this far. But since we were anyway there we decided to make our way in.

The Times Hyderabad Festival was back in the city - 9 days of music, art and fun/carnival time. This was the first day of the festival, which was to kick start with a concert by Amjad Ali Khan and sons on the "sprawling" grounds of the Chowmahalla Palace. The Palace was located in the Old City, in its really dingy lanes. As I walked back to the Palace after parking the car, I looked at the number of cars and people who had come to the concert, and couldn't help but wonder - even if the venue is called a Palace, in these literally-choking streets how big could it really be to hold all these people?

Yes, this was my first time at the Palace. As I walked in through the two gates I really wasn't prepared for the sight in front of me. What caught my eyes was the courtyard with its vast expanse of lush green lawns, a water tank right in the middle of grounds, and fountains on either side. Right in front was the magnificent Khilwat, the Grand Durbar Hall, lit exquisitely with 19 Brazilian chandeliers. This surely was the highlight of the Palace, the grandeur was simply breath-taking. Coming as we did from the deplorable streets of the Old City, this seemed to be a different world altogether, as though by walking through those gates we were transported to another place, another time.


Around the central pool, which reflected the splendour of the palace, were the Bara Imam and the Shisha-e-Alat. The former once housed the Administrative offices of the erstwhile Nizam, while the latter - a mirror image of the Bara Imam - had guest rooms for officials accompanying the dignitaries. All the other buildings were softly lit, and seemed like a muted beauty.

On the right of the Bara Imam was the clock tower - another impressive construction. It houses what is called the Khilwat clock, which, it is said, has been ticking away ever since the clock was built.

Right in front of the Khilwat was a raised platform for the Ustad and his sons. The first half of the grounds had no chairs - gadda or mattresses were laid out in the front with bolsters on each of them. Again, as with the palace grounds, the setting seemed to take one back in time, to that moment in history when music was enjoyed lounging just like this.

Amjad Ali Khan arrived soon after in a royal horse driven buggy, supposedly the original buggy that transported the Nizam and his guests. The concert that evening was divided into three segments - in the first one the Ustad himself performed solo, the second segment was by his sons - Amaan and Ayaan and in the final segment the maestro performed with his sons. In the first segment Amjad Ali Khan played music from his most recent CD - Moksha. The first piece was in an evening raga and was called Kamleshwar. This, the Ustad explained later, was composed in memory of Rajiv Gandhi soon after the latter's tragic death. Unlike a usual rendering of the raga, the pieces that the maestro played were shortened versions of the ragas - each one lasting for about 10 - 15 minutes.

In the second segment Amaan and Ayaan took the stage from their father, following in the father's footsteps. They also played the evening raga in three speeds. The beauty of the music was intensified by the two sarods sounding together. A lot of improvisation happened right on the stage, with the two youngsters constantly interacting with one another - teasing and challenging not only each other but also the musicians on the tabla. Starting at a slow rhythm the raga gradually picked up and reached a crescendo. In fact, towards the end it seemed as though the tabla players had to stretch themselves to keep up with the increasingly complex rhythms emanating from the sarods. In the final segment, Amaan and Ayaan were joined by their father and now music from three sarods pervaded the palace grounds. Starting with Ektachal, the three complemented each other perfectly, even though at moments it was clear why the maestro was way ahead of his sons.

It truly was a enriching and invigorating experience, and I am sure none wanted the same to end. The evening - with its music and the ambience - transformed one's life into something extraordinary. The hassles of getting to the place were all but forgotten; in fact, the concert left each one of us completely refreshed. Sadly, though, as with everything good it had to come to an end. But the music and the images of the place itself is something I will carry with me for a long time to come.