After the uprising of 1857 against British rule in India, one of the cities where peace and prosperity returned very quickly was Hyderabad. In the second half of the century arts, music and poetry flourished. The noblemen of the city developed the habit of throwing lavish parties where the elite of Hyderabad society, both Indian and English, were invited.
The late Narendra Luther, well known author and expert on Hyderabad history, has written in his book “Hyderabad, A Biography”, that the parties thrown by Nawab Sir Asman Jah Bahadur were fabulous beyond words. The British army officers posted at the Bolarum cantonment eagerly looked forward to these gatherings. The author has penned a delightful narration of one such party which was held on 17th February 1890 when Sir Asman Jah was the Prime Minister of the Nizam’s government.
In the invitation card for the party, the instructions given stated clearly that it was compulsory to wear fancy dress for the party. Those who were invited felt honoured to be given a chance to participate in such an august gathering. Some Indian officials eagerly looked forward to an opportunity to dance with the European ladies who would surely be present that day.
The venue was the Nawab’s Basheerbagh Palace which was decked up in a lavish manner two days before the party. No less than ten thousand lamps had been positioned across the lawn and new carpets and furniture had been purchased just for this occasion.
On the evening of the party, three bands were positioned at different places on the lawn. One played Indian music, the other took up the latest European melodies and the third played a medley. There was also a mujra which had been organised in one section. A battery of ushers had been lined up to welcome the guests. Some of them wore formal black coats and ties while some wore the traditional sherwanis.
But it was decided that the tradition of announcing the names of the guests as they arrived, would be done away with. For they would all be disguised and nobody could be sure who the new arrival was.
Soon the guests began arriving with their unusual clothes. The invitees from Hyderabad chose sober disguises because they were going to the home of their Prime Minister. They did not want to be outlandish. But the Nawab was dismayed when he saw that two money lenders were approaching him in the midst of the party with their red coloured registers in their hands. Like many Nawabs of the time, Sir Asman Jah also used to borrow money but returned it only when he wanted to.
If these two money lenders raised the question of returning a loan, it would be highly embarrassing in front of so many dignitaries and VIPs. But to the relief of the Nawab, the duo turned out to be his guests who had dressed up as money lenders. As the evening progressed, the money lenders showed more interest in alcohol than loan interest.
But it was the European guests who took the dress code with great enthusiasm. They were used to fancy dress balls and they showed up in dresses designed with great imagination. The first English couple to arrive was dressed as a Tiger and Tigress and they were accompanied by a friend who was dressed like a hunter.
Another European lady came dressed like a nautch girl while the accompanying Dafli player was her husband. They went straightaway to the mujra section and stole the limelight from the real dancer. One tall and stiff army major came dressed like a shy Begum. Another young English army officer who was good at gymnastics came dressed like a gymnast.
Two hundred of Hyderabad’s rich and famous personalities came to the party dressed in different costumes. The dancing and partying went on for hours. Before dinner was announced a brilliant array of fireworks lit up the night sky. Then dinner was served. Silver and gold cutlery was on display and there was a huge variety of continental and Mughlai dishes. Each guest had his own personal waiter to serve him or her.
Finally, after two o’clock the guests began departing one by one. Their host and his sons stood on the steps of the palace to wave them goodbye. As a parting gift they were presented with five bottles of expensive perfume. Before that their coachmen and attendees had also been fed lavishly. So everyone departed after an evening of unusual experience and carried with them the memories for many years to come. It was a unique taste of Hyderabadi hospitality at its flamboyant best.
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