Princess Esra, the ex-wife of Prince Mukarram Jah Bahadur, on Tuesday received the prestigious UNESCO Asia Pacific Merit award for cultural heritage conservation on behalf of the Chowmahalla Palace.
UNESCO representative Takahiko Makino formally handed over a plaque and certificate to Princess Esra at a simple ceremony, organised on the lawns in front of the Durbar hall, in which the Nizam's family and officials were present. Chowmahalla Palace Director G Kishan Rao welcomed the guests.
The famed Chowmahalla Palace had bagged the prestigious Asia Pacific Heritage Merit Award presented by the United Nations Educational, Scientific And Cultural Organization (UNESCO), after managing to edge out many awe-inspiring and fascinating heritage sites of the country such as Taj Mahal and Red Fort, and other sites in 23 countries.
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.
The Chowmahalla is only the palace in Hyderabad, and in Andhra Pradesh, to have received this prestigious award of merit from UNESCO.
Chowmahalla Palace, also known as Khilwat Palace, is one of the Nizam's Palaces and it located at the centre of Andhra Pradesh's capital city, Hyderabad.