For a moment I wonder why everyone is giving me weird looks, especially at traffic lights. Then I remember that I am travelling across 2018 Hyderabad in a 1936 Buick, my magnificent carriage in gleaming metallic green, rolling across the busy streets as if in a time warp. The vintage ride came as a surprise with the Royal Trail curated by the newly opened ITC Kohenur — I have signed up to see lesser-known palaces and museums in the city and the Buick is a nice ‘royal’ touch to the half-day tour.

It couldn’t be mere coincidence that we stop at Nizam Museum, located at Purani Haveli, which exhibits the stunning gifts in silver that Asaf Jah VII, the Nizam Osman Ali Khan, received on his silver jubilee in 1936. I imagine royals from all over the country arriving in a Buick like mine, loaded with gifts and garlands. Once the residence of the Nizams, Purani Haveli now seems to be a forgotten ghost palace, with a couple of guards manning the museum, which has a mere handful of visitors on this Tuesday. Apart from the gifts — from models of iconic buildings to cars, to a jewelled ring from the Prince of Wales, and the several silver artefacts — the other great attraction at Nizam Museum is the sixth Nizam Mahboob Ali Khan’s 176-ft-long wardrobe. In two levels and made of Burma teak, it is supposedly the longest wardrobe in the world. If you love clothes, this long room will satisfy your soul as you walk past closet after closet of what would have been some of the finest silks in the world. Today, you can see some royal garments from the early 20th century on display — he clearly had a fondness for good clothes and tidiness, our Mahboob, a man after my own heart.

I also visit, and fall in love with, the quaint Chowmahalla Palace, whose many arched buildings, large gardens and ornate glass chandeliers have been restored under the patronage of Princess Esra.

As you cross 400-year-old bridges that still function as roads, Hyderabad seems to be a city steeped in history, especially with the Charminar watching over the old city, where time seems to not have moved. As I drive past the old city to reach a bidri-work factory, it is easy to imagine people milling about in the same way on the narrow roads back in the 20th century. Horses may have given way to bikes and cars but the air is still antique. And yet, one trip down Road Number 45 in Jubilee Hills will shock anyone who thinks of Hyderabad as an old-world, laid-back town.

On my way back from the tour I pass this road and am fairly amazed to see pub after café after bar — so many nightlife options that I end up consulting a young member of the hotel’s staff for the right one to check out. He suggests two: Prost, a brewery, and Fat Pigeon pub. Not a beer drinker, I settle for the second, and am delighted to find a split-level bar where you can find a space you like. There’s a noisy section with bopping music, a dining area, and an open-air level with live music where I sit under the cloudy night sky, sipping watermelon daiquiri. Many groups of women hang out at this bar as the band belts out English and Hindi hits to a packed room on a weeknight. Driving back, happy with the music, company and weather, I marvel at the two worlds Hyderabad straddles.

At ITC Kohenur the two worlds seem to meet. Located in HITEC City, a swish, busy hub full of malls and big corporate offices, the hotel pays homage to the city’s heritage while offering state-of-the-art facilities to both the business and leisure traveller. Its design and name have been inspired by the iconic jewel Koh-i-Noor: The shape of the famous diamond can be seen in many corners of the hotel — in lamps and accessories — and its meaning, the mountain of light, is reflected in the interiors of the hotel where lighting plays an important design element. If an iPad controls the functions of your room, the rich collection of Nizami jewels inspires its colour tones. You can opt for traditional food at Dum Pukht Begum’s, like the melt-in-the-mouth Shikampuri kebab, or go for exemplary modern cuisine at either Yi Jing (must try the xiaolongbao and the steamed sea bass) or at the soon-to-be-opened Ottimo.

In the end, the hotel embodies the two worlds seamlessly, much like the city itself.

(The writer was in Hyderabad at the invitation of ITC Kohenur)

Kalyani Prasher is a Delhi-based freelance writer

 

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Travel log

Getting there

There are direct flights to Hyderabad from all cities; the hotel is about an hour from the airport.

Stay

ITC Kohenur; www.itchotels.in/hotels/hyderabad/itckohenur.html

Eat

Go for the Local Love menu at the Golconda Pavilion at the hotel for a sampling of Telangana cuisine

Tip

Right now is a great time to visit Hyderabad as the monsoon brings  in cool breezy evenings and makes for a great escape from hot and humid metros.

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