UNESCO heritage conservation award for Chowmahalla Palace

"Chowmahalla Palace is the only palace in Andhra Pradesh and in the country which has got this prestigious award," Palace Director G Kishan Rao told reporters here today.

The award presentation ceremony is likely to take place here in November, Rao said, adding it is a proud occasion and achievement for Hyderabad.

"The winners were announced last week in Bangkok. Other winners are Fu'long Taoist Temple in Sichuan, China and the Old Houses in the World Heritage Fort of Galle in Sri Lanka," he said.

Chowmahalla Palace has undergone massive restoration work after Princess Esra, wife of Prince Mukarram Jah Bahadur, Nizam of Hyderabad initiated a project for the royal palaces in August 2000.

The restoration project for Chowmahalla Palace involved tasks ranging from stabilising the existing structural components to reconstitution of collapsed and dilapidated sections of the complex, restoration of external and internal spaces and of decorative elements and finishes, Rao said.

The UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards recognises the efforts of private individuals and organisations that have successfully restored and conserved structures and buildings of heritage value in the region.