smartbuy issue dated december 15, 2010
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Smartbuy issue dated December 15, 2010TRANSCRIPT
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
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2 December 15, 2010Smartbuy
this weekWHAT’S HOT
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This iPod dock from Logitech features eight custom-designed speaker drivers and an eight-hour rechargeable battery.The Logitech S715i comes with a wireless remote control to let you control the dock from up to 30 feet (10 meters)away. You can also pack in the dock in the travel case provided, the next time you go camping. Rs 9,995
The six new ‘Unique’phones from Versacefeature ceramic,diamond encrusted andalligator/lizardexteriors, and are sure toadd bling to yourtalktime. The phonesfeature Dolby mobilesound enhancement,8GB internal memoryexpandable up to 32GB,3-inch TFT screens withmulti-touch and 5-megcamera with flash. Thephones have beencreated in associationwith LG, so you canexpect everything that asmartphone has to offer.€ 5,600-€ 6,900
Sound blaster Logitech S715i
Jewel inyourpocketVersace Unique
What an Idea! Lenovo IdeaCentre B300The IdeaCentre B300 from Lenovo features a widescreen display (16:9 aspect ratio)which is ideal to watch movies on. The laptop is powered by an Intel Core 2 Duoprocessor and comes with Lenovo IdeaTouch Software, a TV Tuner and the Lenovo IdeaTouch and New High-Sense Webcam, for an all-round multimedia experience.Rs 29,990 onwards
3 December 15, 2010Smartbuy
The latest from MSI is the ultimategamers’ laptop with the Intel Core i7quad core CPU, which features IntelTurbo Boost and three DDR3 memoryslots with 12GB of expandablememory. The MSI GT663 packs in twohard drives totalling up to 1TB ofmemory and comes with USB 3.0ports, which boast transfer speeds of5GBps – ten times faster than the USB2.0. It also has DTS SurroundSensation UltraPC technology to giveyou theatre-class wrap-around sound. Rs 1,49,999
These new music players from Sony promise to give you up to 50 hours of audio and 10 hoursof video on a single charge. They feature a 2-inch QVGA LCD screen, for watching videos onthe go. The Bookmark function lets you create, add or edit up to five personalised playlists onthe player, and transferring music is as easy as drag and drop. Other features include aKaraoke Mode, 12 sound channels and a built-in FM radio. 4GB: Rs 4,990; 8GB: Rs 6,990
This stylish new laptop from Gatewayfeatures a silver casing and funkyaqua-blue touchpad. The 15.6-inchLED backlit display is perfect forentertainment, with the NVIDIAgraphics and Intel Core i5 processorsure to make gaming an even betterexperience. The notebook features adedicated social networking buttonthat lets you connect to SNS likeFacebook, YouTube and Flickr at apress.Rs 48,999
The game is on!MSI GT663
Ready to roll Sony Walkman E-Series
Style connectionGateway ID 59C
LAPTOP review
Mahananda Bohidar
Minimalism is an abstract concept for gadget designers. Itbecomes more complicated if the gadget at hand is a laptop,what with all its keys. It becomes even more complicated ifthe laptop is going to have to live up to the standards set by
the ‘God of Minimalism’ in consumer electronics.I am staring at the ASUS NX90 on our test bench and wondering if this
massive, shiny laptop does justice to its rare partnership with Bang &Olufsen. Does the NX90 deliver on looks and performance just like theDanish brand does?
At first sightDesigned by David Lewis, who has been designing luxury sound systemsfor B&O for more than 40 years now, the NX90 is definitely a looker. Youcan’t help but let out a little gasp when you pull the laptop out of the box.The top lid is all polished aluminium, almost mirror-like, which integratesthe LED display that juts out from either side to be able to accommodatethe B&O speakers – the NX90’s USP.
The display is a whopping 18.4-inch glossy screen which can playbackcontent in Full-HD. The LED-backlit display is great to watch movies onalthough it doesn’t match up to the display on an iMac. The huge screenalleviates any worry you might have about viewing angles with the imagequality remaining more or less the same no matter which angle you view itfrom.
Sound boostersThe Bang and Olufsen ICEpower in-built stereo speakers are placed onboth sides of the screen. According to the company, the speakers weren’tplaced in the main body but on the lid to ‘reduce the pickup of mechanicalnoise during audio playback’. Another advantage of the speakers beingaligned with the monitor is that when you listen to music or watch a moviethe sound is directed primarily towards you and not at awkward anglesthereby muffling the quality of the audio.
Goes without saying, that the sound quality in the NX90 was crystalclear although we thought all tracks we played were slightly heavy on basswhen we hadn’t made any tweaks to the equaliser settings. We watched acouple of HD videos and streamed some songs and the speakers gave usamazing clarity even with the volume pumped up. In a couple of scenes inthe movies we watched, we could experience the surround sound effectrecreated by the embedded software and reproduced by the speakersystem, which is a pretty amazing prowess for a laptop.
Gaming prowessWe tried out Doom 3 on the NX90 and playing it on the huge screen was adelight. The graphics of the fighting sequences at the Mars colony playedwithout any hitches or stutters. But to navigate through the game viakeyboard controls requires you to sit too close to the screen, not the mostideal position, especially if you are doing it for long hours. Gamingaccessories are strongly recommended. In terms of design this has noprecedent, at least from ASUS’s line-up of portables or desktops. Whereone would usually find the touchpad, in the NX90 it turns out to be a sleek,4-inch aluminium strip running from one end to another. ASUS has
Beauty with the b
instead endowed the laptop with twin touchpads on either side of thekeyboard.
Finger-friendlyThe chiclet keys are meant to remind you of controls on a few of Bang andOlufsen’s older audio products. With so much keyboard space available,we thought a dedicated set of number keys would have been a betteraddition.
The keys are neatly arranged and are easy to type on. The only nigglehere is the fact that we often ended up accidentally brushing against thetouchpad on either side while typing. This, however, could be resolved tosome extent by disabling one of the touchpad’s that you tend to use lessfrequently. Also, being used to typing on other laptop keyboards, in theNX90, ever so often the hand wanders to the space below the keyboard towhere the touchpad is usually located.
Power and connectivityApart from the looks, the ASUS NX90 has enough power in it to beat acouple of the portables in the market hollow. The processor is the latestIntel Core i7-740QM processor and the graphics is smoothly handled by ahigh-end GT335 NVIDIA chip. The machine has 8GB RAM and a whop-ping 1 Terabyte hard drive, which would give you enough space to storeall your movies, games, music and more. Most of the connectivity portsare on the right-underside of the laptop. These include two USB 3.0 slots,an HDMI port, an eSATA port, a VGA port and three audio jacks, apartfrom the power connector. Apart from the single USB 2.0 port on the left,ASUS has built in a Blu-Ray 4X combo drive in the system. The unit wereviewed had a 6-cell battery and battery life is definitely not a strong-point of the NX90. On a full charge, it gave us just about 140 minutes ofvideo playback.
Our verdictThe term ‘portable’ can’t really be applied to the ASUS NX90 owing to itshuge dimensions and a weight of little more than 4 kgs. But the real deal isthat with the kind of raw power and amazing entertainment capabilities itcomes with, the NX90 makes for an excellent desktop replacement. But,all that packaging comes for a steep price. Rs 1,31,999
Love – Amazing sound, sleek looks, desktop-like performanceHate – Not very portable, low battery life
Technical SpecificationsDisplay: 18.4-inch, 1920×1080, LED Processor: Intel Core i7-740QM, 1.73 GHz, 6MB Cache, 2.93GHz Turbo, HT, 45W TDP Chipset: Intel HM55 RAM: 1 x 4GB, 2 x 2GB DDR3, 1333 MHz Video card: Nvidia GeForce GT 335M, 1GB DDR3 HDD: 2 x 640GB, 5400 RPM, 8MB bufferOptical Drive: Blu-ray Combo Network: LAN, 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth Connectors: 1 x USB 2.0, 2 x USB 3.0, eSATAp, HDMI, VGA, 3 x audio Others: card reader, web camera, hybrid TV Tuner Battery: 6 cells, 5.600 mAh, 63 Wh Dimensions: 530 x 280 x 30-35 mm Weight: 4.4 kg
Photo: S.S. Kumar
rawn: Asus NX90
AUDIO bytes
So you’ve got the quality Blu-ray player and your HDTV of choice. Now you need to unlock the audiopotential of your HD content with a surroundsound system.
From an Onkyo one-box solution to a few ad hoc setups,we’ve got four sound setups to really make movie sound-tracks pop. Blu-ray, after all, doesn’t just give you HD visuals,it gives you access to all sorts of high-resolution audio de-lights.
Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD Master Audio offer intricatesurround effects that use up to seven speakers and a sub-woofer. For the real home cinema deal at a price to suit you,you can rely on us. No no, don’t thank us…
Starting smallOnkyo’s 5.1 system is convenient and cheap but offers the
superior performance of separates. The star of the show isthe three HDMI-switching, 3D-ready, 5.1 receiver. With100W per channel, it has no problem powering the fivebundled Onkyo speakers. Decoding for Dolby TrueHD andDTS HD Master Audio soundtracks is provided and bothsound suitably detailed and dynamic. It’s a little less refinedin the treble and looser in the bass than the other systems, butvery impressive for the price. The Blu-ray player has com-paratively few features – just BD Live and DVD upscaling.With full HD output at 24fps there’s little to complain about,though 3D readiness would have been nice, given that thereceiver is 3D compatible. The only weak link is the speakers.The compact MDF cabinets are easy to fit and don’t soundbad by any means, but they do lack the scale and warmth ofthe Wharfedales below, and the passive sub isn’t particularlypunchy. Love – Great value, with everything you need in the box.High powered, well featured receiverHate – The speakers could be a touch warmerWe Say – Serious bang for your buck and perfect for small tomid-size roomsRs 53,0001. Onkyo BD-SP308 Blu-ray player2. Onkyo HT-R380 5.1 receiver3. Onkyo 5.1 speakers
Up the power quotientThe next step up adds a multitude of features and gives
performance an appreciable bump. Pairing Pioneer’s Blu-raydeck and receiver with an agile and punchy speaker packagefrom Wharfedale gives a potent system that’ll fill a medium-sized room. With the Pioneer boxes linked via HDMI thepicture is optimised for you with Deep Colour giving arealistic palette, and Pioneer’s PQLS tech killing audio jitter.Just one remote control is required, and a free app also givesyou the option of using your iPhone or iPod Touch as theremote. The glossy black amp actually has seven 140W out-puts and all of the latest Dolby and DTS sound formats arecatered for, with 13 more if you want to experiment – Ad-vance Game mode for instance.
The Diamond 10.SX speakers are the perfect aesthetic andacoustic match for the Pioneer electronics. Action moviesand rock music are this system’s bread and butter, withrhythmic and agile bass and plenty of high-end detail.Love – Bold colours and jitter-free audio. Slick styling. Ex-cellent iPod dock and appHate – The Blu-ray’s not 3D-ready (the amp is)We Say – A stylish system that’s greater than the sum of itsvery fine partsRs 93,100
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decision1. Pioneer BDP-333 Blu-ray2. VSX-920 7.1 receiver Rs 50,900 (with BDP-333)3. Wharfedale Daimond 5.1 10.SX HCP, Rs 42,200
Adding to the symphonyFor the demanding enthusiast this system delivers with
both movies and music. At the front end is a refined, metal-swathed Blu-ray player from Cambridge Audio. It’s virtuallyimmune to vibration interference and Blu-ray visuals arerewardingly clear and precise.
Super Audio CD and DVD-Audio discs are also supported– switch both the player and Yamaha receiver into PureAudio mode for the best jitter-free results.
Yamaha’s latest 7.1 channel receiver is heaving with fea-tures including all of the latest audio formats from Dolby andDTS, with 17 interesting modes of its own.
Cinema DSP 3D makes full use of all the speakers and addsreal depth to otherwise flat stereo recordings.
Monitor Audio’s attractive and tactile, satin-finishedspeakers provide a scintillatingly detailed and seamless sur-round sound field with a potent sub providing plenty of bass. Love – Excellent Blu-ray player, lots of great sound modesHate – Needs two remotes or a multi-remote – the Logitechfor instance. No 3D Blu-rayWe Say - As compelling with music as it is with movies, thisall-rounder suits most room sizesRs 1,41,8001. Cambridge Audio Azur 650BD Blu-ray, Rs 40,0002. Yamaha RX-V767 7.1 receiver, Rs 43,6003. Monitor Audio Vector 7.1 speakers, Rs 58,200
The big whopperWant to get really serious? This system combines high-end
components worthy of a dedicated cinema room. The extra investment brings few extra features, but con-
siderably improved pictures and vastly better sound. The Marantz Blu-ray player’s hefty chassis eliminates
vibration interference. Deep Colour ensures faithful colourtransitions, while a VRS processor makes it the best upscalerof DVDs here.
Denon’s hefty AVR receiver drives seven speakers at 165Wapiece, giving DTS HD Master Audio tracks all the power andpoise you need, no matter what the room size.
The Audyssey DSX processing, which makes thrilling useof an additional pair of front speakers mounted above thestereo pair to give a wide open forward soundstage.
Finally, KEF’s elliptical, anodised aluminium speakerskeep cabinet resonance to a bare minimum. The results couldreasonably be called heavenly. Love – Knock-out audio punch. Really excellent Blu-ray andupscaled DVD videoHate – Very expensive. No 3D, SACD or DVD-Audio sup-port from Blu-rayWe Say – For serious cinephiles this system is the bee’skneesRs 4,03,8001. Marantz BD7004 Blu-ray, Rs 50,9002. Denon AVR-3311 7.1 receiver, Rs 89,9003. KEF KHT6000 7.1 speakers with HTB2SEW Sub-woofer, Rs2,63,000
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This material is translated or reproduced from T3 magazine and isthe copyright of or licensed to Future Publishing Limited, a Futureplc group company, UK 2010. Used under license. All rightsreserved
8 December 15, 2010Smartbuy
AUTO focus
Photos: S. Muralidhar
S. Muralidhar
Inspite of the recent flak that diesel-engined vehi-cles, especially SUVs (socially useless vehicles...yes,Minister) have come under, the fact remains that asa fuel of choice for meeting future efficiency regu-
lations, diesel is the better bet. Diesel will continue to make sense, even if for a moment
we were to remove the subsidy component from the fuelprice differential with petrol. Diesel engines are inher-ently more fuel-efficient than their petrol counterparts.And, there has been huge progress in the quality of dieselengines that the cars of today sport, making them morerefined, more fuel-efficient and cleaner. However, theiremissions will continue to be a concern until fuel qualitycan be improved.
It is also a market reality that the car buyer is unlikely topay a much higher price for protecting the environmentand is instead more likely to look for a bargain that willleave his wallet more padded.
In the small car segment, there were always fewerdiesel options available compared to petrol. The MarutiSuzuki Swift, Hyundai i20 and the Tata Indica have beenaround longer and also have been the most preferred, untilthe Fiat Grande Punto and later the Volkswagen Polo andFord Figo joined in with their diesel offerings. Other hatchmakers like Hyundai and GM have also been eyeing the
diesel hatch segment and are likely to join the fray soon.However, the latest entrant is Nissan Motor India. The
Micra diesel joins its petrol cousin to form a formidableduo. Can the diesel version help Nissan corner a largershare of the hatchback market? I tested the Micra dieselextensively to find out if it can take on the might of theSuzuki Swift DDiS.
DesignThe Micra diesel features the same endearing and practi-cal design that the petrol version sported. I personallyliked the previous generation Micra’s cute design. Thecurrent generation Micra, however, features a uniquecombination of the jelly-bean and tall-boy designs. So, onthe outside, the new diesel Micra is pretty much identicalto the petrol. The only differentiator is the dCI (Nissandiesel) badging at the rear.
There is a good reason why there aren’t as many dieselsmall cars. In most cases, it is because developing a com-pact diesel engine that is refined and yet adequately pow-erful is still a challenge. The Micra’s small 1.5-litre dieselengine is the closest in terms of refinement to the largermills that you can find in Nissan’s stable. Considerablyquiet and vibe-free, the Micra’s diesel engine barely makesit presence felt inside the cabin. Company engineers saythat the Renault Nissan Alliance already had a completely
suitable engine for this vehicle in the form of the K9 seriesdiesel engine. “It was therefore the natural choice to usean existing Alliance engine matching the power andtorque requirements for a small car in India.” It is the firsttime that this highly popular diesel engine has beenmounted for use in Nissan’s V Platform.
Refined engineCrank the engine and you can hear the distinct, but muted,rumble of a diesel when you are standing outside. Step inand close the door, the noise level drops down significant-ly. With the air-conditioner blower fan cut out and themusic system switched off, the engine is still audibleduring the idling and initial acceleration cycles. But, laterand with a bit of ambient noise levels you will forget thatthis is a diesel engine car that you are driving.
The four-cylinder, common rail direct injected K9Kengine is an inherently refined unit. But, to make sure thatthe engine characteristics don’t intrude into the cabin, anumber of other NVH measures have been adopted. Nis-san engineers have significantly reduced the number ofholes (and size of holes) between the engine room andcabin. Further, the thickness of the firewall is greater inmany places (compared to the previous generation Micra).They have also added NVH isolation material on both theengine bay side and cabin side, and added the same materi-
Adding to the diesel dilemma
9 December 15, 2010Smartbuy
al beneath the carpet too. The absorber material used isultra-light weight, ensuring a weight reduction of 4 kgs,even while improving performance considerably com-pared to the previous generation Micra. Vibration coun-tering engine mounts have also been used. Other measuresthat have been adopted to improve refinement and effi-ciency include exhaust gas re-circulation, and pilot andpre-injection for the combustion cycle.
Engine and gearboxIn terms of performance, the Micra diesel’s engine is notexactly a boisterous mill. The comparison of performancenumbers clearly indicates that the Micra diesel hits a peakoutput that is the lowest, even lower than the Ford Figo,which at 69 PS is the model currently in that rank. But, theMicra diesel’s performance parameters have been chosencarefully to match the average driving conditions andexpectations of the buyer in the segment.
While driving the Micra diesel in city driving condi-tions, I didn’t find the need for more power. There were afew situations when quicker acceleration would have beenwelcome, like tight overtaking manoeuvres. But, theshortfall would have also come from the slightly delayeddelivery of turbo boost.
Similar to the Ford Figo’s 1.4-litre Duratorq diesel en-gine, the Micra’s K9K engine also delivers the lowest peaktorque in the class. But, again here too, the number itself isjust a statistic for this class of car. The buyer here would bekeener on the fuel efficiency statistics. I didn’t get a chanceto test the fuel efficiency of the Micra diesel in the city andhighway cycles, but the rated mileage at 23.08 kmpl ishigher than the other cars in the category. If the Micra
diesel can similarly deliver a higher mileage in real worldconditions too, the buyer will not be complaining toomuch about the less attractive engine performance num-bers. Overall, the choice of the new diesel engine for theMicra has been driven by practicality rather than by theneed for one-upmanship. The 5-speed gearbox has beenmated well to the engine and the shift quality of theshort-throw gear stick is smooth.
BottomlineThe Micra diesel is being offered only with two variants.And compared to the petrol variants with the same model
name appendage, the diesel variants are missing somefeatures like the front fog lamps, front passenger airbagand ABS with EBD. These features may have been avoidedto keep the price of the diesel variants more competitive.
But, priced at between Rs 5.6 lakh and Rs 6.4 lakh, theMicra is more expensive than the segment favourite - theSuzuki Swift DDiS, and also the Ford Figo, which is cur-rently the cheapest diesel hatch. Yes, the Micra’s builtquality, and some of its other features will make up for thehigher price tag.
It sure does make the choice and appeal of the Micramore…macro.
10 December 15, 2010Smartbuy
| COMPARISON CHART |
11 December 15, 2010Smartbuy
MELANGE luxury redefined
AND’s party wear range lets you kick up your heels inpretty drape dresses, tunics and tops in flatteringsilhouettes and bold colours like vibrant reds, electricblues and gorgeous blacks. Available at AND stores.Rs 1,800 to Rs 2,500
Party purrfectCalling on the young and adventurous who are lookingfor fresh, hip fashion, American brand Ecko Unltd stepsin with a ‘trendsetting’ range of apparel and accessorieslike footwear, bags, watches and a lot more. Available: Stores in New Delhi and JalandharPrice: Rs 799 to Rs 10,800
Eckoing a new trend
To celebrate its birthday in style, TommyHilfiger is launching a 25 piece limited
edition capsule called The Icon Collection,each inspired by American legends. It’s
preppy blue blazer and sleeveless navy peacoat is worth a peek.
Available: All its flagship shoresRs 999 to Rs 24,999
Happy 25 to Tommy!
Colourful striped leggings with desi kurtis, flowy Indiantunics with power boots and intricately embroideredlehengas teamed with western tops - Jaya Rathore’sFusion collection is experimental all the way.Available: Ogaan and Aza boutiquesPrice: Rs 40,000 onwards
Fashion fusion Lacy corsets, comfy camisoles, waist clinchers, sheerstockings and sexy inners are all just a click away withthe launch of India’s first online luxury lingeriewebsite. Pick from some of the best internationalbrands for a closet makeover; don’t forget to look atsome gorgeous swimwear and nightwear too.Available: www.strapsandstrings.comPrice on request
All strappy within
HERITAGE RESORT review
300. The exquisite carpets were dyed as manytimes to match the colour of the now witheredcarpet that the Nizams of Hyderabad laid theirfeet on. The sparkling cutlery at the exclusive
101-seater dining table was specially crafted after peeringinto ancient photographs of the Nizam’s dining extrava-gance. And the exterior walls were painted 15 times beforethe perfect shade of grey could be chosen to resemble thesky.
Recreating the bygone aura of royalty is ambitious, tosay the least, even for the big names of the hospitalityindustry. It goes beyond the ostentatious settings andelaborate ‘daawats’, challenging the restorer to retain themagic of the palace as a royal home and not allow it to beconsigned to the cliché of a modern hotel!
Indians are not new to heritage hotels; from the palacesof Rajasthan seeped in Rajputana flavours to the mahals ofAgra decked in Mughal finery, we have seen them all.
But here, 2,000 feet above the charming old city ofHyderabad, atop ‘Kohitoor hill’, the magnificent abode ofthe Nizams – the 32-acre Falaknuma Palace – creates aspecial niche for itself. For unlike most palace hotels thathave been newly built or simply redone, this one hasundergone painstaking restoration by The Taj Hotels Re-sorts and Palaces, under the very guidance of PrincessEsra Jah (royal consort of HEH Prince Mukarram JahNizam Eighth). After a hiatus of about 60 years and tenwhole years of restoration later, it is finally set to welcomeguests into its marvellous structure, rechristened The TajFalaknuma Palace.
Imperial metamorphosisLaid out in the shape of a scorpion (Nawab Vikar-ul-Umra,the Prime Minister of the Sixth Nizam built it in 1893 forhimself and was a Scorpio), the palace took 10 years andfour million rupees to complete, back then. It took evenlonger, a whole 22 years and the brilliant tastes of twoNizams, to decorate it to its final magnificence. It boastsrare ornate inlaid furniture, large Venetian chandeliers, a
Creating a true heritage hotel goes beyond repainting thewalls, replacing the upholstery and getting turbaned, big-
moustached bearers to man the gates. Authenticity andsubtlety is often lost in an attempt to overdo the grandeur.
That is why the Falaknuma Palace stands tall in comparison.Though there is enough to take her breath away if she
stepped back, ANUSHYA MAMTORA rediscovers that God isin the details at this new Taj property
The exterior at night
grand marble staircase and marble statues, priceless figu-rines and customised artefacts, stained-glass windows,portraits and paintings in ornate frames and a sparklingcrystal and jade collection.
However, after being a celebration of royal living andplaying host to royalty and dignitaries from all over theglobe, the Falaknuma fell silent after the 1950s when theNizam moved to his next abode. In fact, the last guest wasthe first President of India, Dr Rajendra Prasad in 1951.Piecing together Falaknuma’s past glory was perhaps thebiggest challenge of the restoration. These came withother challenges like retaining the eclectic blend of Re-naissance architecture, Baroque style, French charm, artdeco sensibilities and various other inspirations that werewoven into the décor of the palace, and yet retaining itstrue-blue Nizam flavour. From sourcing the perfect up-holstery to redo the sofas and chairs, to choosing freshdrapes to match the taste of the Nizams, polishing themarble, repairing damaged pieces, recreating brokenstructures and blending in new wings and spaces to ac-commodate more rooms, extra landscape and additionalrestaurants – the restoration was extensive and the resultperfect.
Converting near barren land into exotic themed gar-dens and lush green spaces was a considerable challengesince the landscape artists had to work around the rockyterrain of the palace according to Ranjit Phillipose, Gener-al Manager of the property. He beams with pride as hediscusses the effort that has gone into rediscovering thepalace, starting from hunting for international experts torepair state-of-the-art artefacts, to sourcing natural prod-ucts to paint the heavenly foyer.
Nizami adaa, Nawabi tehzeeb1895. The sixth Nizam of Hyderabad, Mehboob Ali Khanalighted from his royal carriage at the magnificent façadeof the Falaknuma Palace. The chief of army was in attend-ance and the fragrance of the flowers being showered washeady. 115 years later the Falaknuma Palace relives the tale
of opulence, indulgence and sheer beauty as it elevates thevisitor to royalty. Yes, guests at the palace arrive in prettyhorse-driven buggies, originally from the Nizam’s stable,and get off at the same ‘red spot’ the Nizam stepped on,follow the door man carrying the golden palace symbol, asrose petals honour them from the skies above. The Nizamiextravaganza unfolds.
The experience of living the life of royalty extends frommaterialistic luxuries to simple touches. On one hand theNizam Suite (the presidential suite) oozes the authenticstyle with restored pieces of furniture and elegant luxurieswhile the Nizam’s favourite Egyptian cotton is used as bedlinen in all the rooms. Living life king size becomes evenmore a reality with unrestricted access for resident guests
to all the luxurious common rooms.Mirroring the diverse architecture of the palace are the
restaurants – Celeste and Adaa- which cater to Italian,Mediterranean and Indian flavours. But, to sit for an au-thentic Hyderabadi meal is a treat in itself. From Mezban(selection of closely guarded secrets of Nizam’s culinaryrepertoire) to Zauq e Shahi (tasting plate of Hyderabadidesserts like khubani ka meetha, dubbel ka meetha, gillefirdaus, uroosa and khooba), the variety and flavours are asauthentic as it can get. I indulged in some traditionalkebabs, biriyani and a heavenly ‘shikanvji’ sorbet.
Destination DeccanHyderabad has always been renowned for its Nawabi
Palace foyer
Courtyard exterior
culture, rich heritage and unmatched ‘tehzeeb’. Whiletourism in the city has always been associated with visitsto the Salarjung museum, Golconda fort, Charminar andother historical landmarks, there was no destination thattransported tourists to the era of the Nizams. The TajFalaknuma Palace fills this void perfectly. It lets guestssoak in the regal ambience of the splendid rooms wherethe Duke of Windsor once sipped his morning tea, walk inthe palatial lawns where King Edward VIII strolled, andnurse a drink and cigar where the Nizam took in long puffsfrom his four-piped silver hookah (which still adorns theSmoking Room).
It further enhances the stay with bespoke treats likedonning specially designed Nawabi ensembles, indulgingin a palace bath with inviting fragrances, devouring royalhampers at elegant niches of the palace, going on a culi-nary trail with local vegetable-spice shopping and learningto cook from traditional Hyderabadi families… the experi-ence is completely personalised.
But what works in Falaknuma’s favour is its proximityto the sights and sounds of the real Hyderabad, whichimmediately lends it a feeling of warmth.
As I sat on the Nizam’s highback plush office chairwhile filling the visitor’s book, the faint sounds of ‘qawalis’streamed in from the mosques below. Outside, the wholepalace in its alluring grey was merging with the overcastskies befitting its name ‘mirror of the sky’ – Falak Numa.
Must see, Must do● Feast your eyes on The 101 Dining Hall with
specially designed acoustics that allow for conversa-tion from one end of the table to another
● Play a game of pool at the Billiards Room. What’sspecial you ask? Burroughs and Watts from Englanddesigned two identical tables. One found its way to theBuckingham Palace and the other is right here, at theFalaknuma Palace
● Sit on the Nizam’s chair at the Palace Library andflip through a mind boggling collection of rare manu-scripts and books
● Listen to the fascinating tales of the Nizam’srichness as the Palace Historian Prabhakar Mahindra-kar takes you on a Palace Historic Walk
● Enjoy tea or breakfast at the enchanting JadeRoom or the picturesque Gol Bunglow while pointingout to the Charminar and Msecca Masjid and othersights
● Plan a dream wedding at the magical surround-ings of the palace. But be prepared to buy out all therooms as per palace rules; it’s worth every pennyspent. If you just want to enjoy a meal, well, there aresome terms and conditions to follow. Taj hopes to keepthe Palace exclusive to the last ‘e’.
● Gape in awe at the optical illusions of the heav-enly paintings at the foyer, rare pieces like a customdesigned two tonne musical orchestreone (that willecho in the palace once the painstaking repair is done)and original refrigerators by GE
Khaas pamperingMy first tryst with royal indulgence came in the form
of a trip to the Royal Jiva Spa. The Nizam’s passion forpersonal care and beauty took the shape of Falaknu-ma’s signature treatment – Nawab-e-khaas – a spaservice fit for the Kings. I was ushered into the treat-ment room by my therapist Wungmi, who began theroyal massage by an invigorating foot dip to detox andrelieve the feet of stress, followed by an aromatic bodyscrub. Carefully selecting ingredients that was pop-ularly used by the Nizams for a soft, glowing and fairskin, the scrub was a fascinating mix of almonds, dryrose petals, saffron, poppy seeds, honey, ‘chironji’ and adrop of vetiver oil. This was followed by a soothing‘vishram’ or relaxing massage with rosewood, brahmiand amla essential oils for the body and a special facialblend. Two and a half hours of regal pampering later, Ifelt gorgeous, though not comparable to Princess Esra’smagnificent beauty.
Dining Room
Palace room
PREMIUM interiors
Jazz up your kitchen with Saint Gobain’s collection of durable and eco-friendlyopaque and coloured glass. Pick from the 10 available shades at select glass dealeroutlets across the country.Price on request
Glassy affair
Striking in pink and green printed leather with a goldenborder and brass handles, this Balli Maran dressingtable is a gorgeous piece of furniture for your bedroom.Head to PortsideCafe stores for one of your own.Rs 2,23,900
A dresser for keeps
Spanish brand, Revert, is the latest décor label to nurture homes with some tastefulpatterns and contemporary styles of upholstery that take the form of exquisite cushions,drapes and sofas. Available at Home Stop, New Delhi and 2 Kohinoor, Mumbai.Price on request
Spanish décor, Indian homes
It’s the season to pile on those warm rugs, comfy cushions and blazing lamps andcandles, and snuggle up to keep the chill at bay. Take a peek at @home’s latest winterrange in reds, orange and gold at its stores.Rs 300 onwards
Winter wonderland
It’s elegant table runners, votive candle holders, tablemats and coasters for Bianca to revamp your diningroom into a food haven. Check out its collection in silk,satin, beads and embroidery at its flagship store inMumbai and other décor outlets.Rs 400 to Rs 4,000
Deck up the table
