The famed
Chowmahalla Palace bagged the prestigious Asia Pacific Heritage Merit Award for Cultural Heritage Conservation awarded by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on Monday.
Announcing this to media persons, Chowmahalla Palace Director G Kishan Rao said that the palace had managed to edge out heritage sites in 23 countries to bag the award.
Rao expressed his pleasure at the Palace bagging the award and said, "The Chowmahalla Palace has bagged the UNESCO award edging out many awe-inspiring and fascinating heritage sites of the country such as the Taj Mahal and the Red Fordt."
Kishan Rao said, "Chowmahalla Palace has been recognised with an Award Of Merit. The restoration of Chowmahalla Palace has rescued an extraordinary complex from years of abandonment, and re-opened it for contemporary civic use as a private museum after a meticulous process."
Rao added, "The project has restored a cultural oasis in the heart of Hyderabad, giving impetus to reviving local building materials and traditional ways of construction, as well as providing the public a glimpse into the lives of the old ruling family of Asaf Jah."
The Chowmahalla is only the palace in Hyderabad and in Andhra Pradesh to receive the prestigious Award Of Merit for the first time from UNESCO.
Chowmahalla Palace is one among the Nizam's Palace. It is also known as Khilwath Palace, which was once in the centre of the capital city Hyderabad.
Kishan Rao said that the dates on which the award will be presented will be known very soon.
Attorney General Vijaya Shekar Dass said that
Falaknuma, Chowmahalla and
Purani Haveli places are being renovated without disturbing their beauty. Care is being taken to bring the restorated monuments as close to the originals as possible, he said.
Courtesy: INN