Smartbuy issue dated December 15, 2010

Business Line

G A D G E T S | A U T O

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

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L U X U R Y

www.blsmartbuy.com

WHAT’S HOT this week

Team Smartbuy Editorial Anushya Mamtora anushya@thehindu.co.in

Ketaki Bhojnagarwala ketaki@thehindu.co.in

Mahananda Bohidar mahananda@thehindu.co.in

S. Muralidhar muraliswami@thehindu.co.in

Design Bryan Gaughan aqua@thehindu.co.in

Balakrishnan designkbala@thehindu.co.in

Advertising Contact R. Diwakar ramdiwakar@thehindu.co.in

Web Advertising Contact

Sound blaster Logitech S715i

N. Amarnath amarnath@thehindu.co.in

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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

Jewel in your pocket Versace Unique The six new ‘Unique’ phones from Versace feature ceramic, diamond encrusted and alligator/lizard exteriors, and are sure to add bling to your talktime. The phones feature Dolby mobile sound enhancement, 8GB internal memory expandable up to 32GB, 3-inch TFT screens with multi-touch and 5-meg camera with flash. The phones have been created in association with LG, so you can expect everything that a smartphone has to offer. € 5,600-€ 6,900

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What an Idea! Lenovo IdeaCentre B300 The 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 Duo processor and comes with Lenovo IdeaTouch Software, a TV Tuner and the Lenovo Idea Touch and New High-Sense Webcam, for an all-round multimedia experience.

Rs 29,990 onwards

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The game is on!

MSI GT663 The latest from MSI is the ultimate gamers’ laptop with the Intel Core i7 quad core CPU, which features Intel Turbo Boost and three DDR3 memory slots with 12GB of expandable memory. The MSI GT663 packs in two hard drives totalling up to 1TB of memory and comes with USB 3.0 ports, which boast transfer speeds of 5GBps – ten times faster than the USB 2.0. It also has DTS Surround Sensation UltraPC technology to give you theatre-class wrap-around sound.

Rs 1,49,999

Ready to roll Sony Walkman E-Series These new music players from Sony promise to give you up to 50 hours of audio and 10 hours of video on a single charge. They feature a 2-inch QVGA LCD screen, for watching videos on the go. The Bookmark function lets you create, add or edit up to five personalised playlists on the player, and transferring music is as easy as drag and drop. Other features include a Karaoke Mode, 12 sound channels and a built-in FM radio.

4GB: Rs 4,990; 8GB: Rs 6,990

Style connection Gateway ID 59C This stylish new laptop from Gateway features a silver casing and funky aqua-blue touchpad. The 15.6-inch LED backlit display is perfect for entertainment, with the NVIDIA graphics and Intel Core i5 processor sure to make gaming an even better experience. The notebook features a dedicated social networking button that lets you connect to SNS like Facebook, YouTube and Flickr at a press.

Rs 48,999

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LAPTOP review Mahananda Bohidar inimalism is an abstract concept for gadget designers. It becomes more complicated if the gadget at hand is a laptop, what with all its keys. It becomes even more complicated if the 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 the Danish brand does?

M At first sight

Designed by David Lewis, who has been designing luxury sound systems for B&O for more than 40 years now, the NX90 is definitely a looker. You can’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 integrates the LED display that juts out from either side to be able to accommodate the B&O speakers – the NX90’s USP. The display is a whopping 18.4-inch glossy screen which can playback content in Full-HD. The LED-backlit display is great to watch movies on although it doesn’t match up to the display on an iMac. The huge screen alleviates any worry you might have about viewing angles with the image quality remaining more or less the same no matter which angle you view it from.

Sound boosters The Bang and Olufsen ICEpower in-built stereo speakers are placed on both sides of the screen. According to the company, the speakers weren’t placed in the main body but on the lid to ‘reduce the pickup of mechanical noise during audio playback’. Another advantage of the speakers being aligned with the monitor is that when you listen to music or watch a movie the sound is directed primarily towards you and not at awkward angles thereby muffling the quality of the audio.

Goes without saying, that the sound quality in the NX90 was crystal clear although we thought all tracks we played were slightly heavy on bass when we hadn’t made any tweaks to the equaliser settings. We watched a couple of HD videos and streamed some songs and the speakers gave us amazing clarity even with the volume pumped up. In a couple of scenes in the movies we watched, we could experience the surround sound effect recreated by the embedded software and reproduced by the speaker system, which is a pretty amazing prowess for a laptop.

Gaming prowess We tried out Doom 3 on the NX90 and playing it on the huge screen was a delight. The graphics of the fighting sequences at the Mars colony played without any hitches or stutters. But to navigate through the game via keyboard controls requires you to sit too close to the screen, not the most ideal position, especially if you are doing it for long hours. Gaming accessories are strongly recommended. In terms of design this has no precedent, at least from ASUS’s line-up of portables or desktops. Where one 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 the keyboard.

rawn: Asus NX90

Finger-friendly The chiclet keys are meant to remind you of controls on a few of Bang and Olufsen’s older audio products. With so much keyboard space available, we thought a dedicated set of number keys would have been a better addition.

The keys are neatly arranged and are easy to type on. The only niggle here is the fact that we often ended up accidentally brushing against the touchpad on either side while typing. This, however, could be resolved to some extent by disabling one of the touchpad’s that you tend to use less frequently. Also, being used to typing on other laptop keyboards, in the NX90, ever so often the hand wanders to the space below the keyboard to where the touchpad is usually located.

Power and connectivity Apart from the looks, the ASUS NX90 has enough power in it to beat a couple of the portables in the market hollow. The processor is the latest Intel Core i7-740QM processor and the graphics is smoothly handled by a high-end GT335 NVIDIA chip. The machine has 8GB RAM and a whopping 1 Terabyte hard drive, which would give you enough space to store all your movies, games, music and more. Most of the connectivity ports are 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, apart from 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 we reviewed had a 6-cell battery and battery life is definitely not a strongpoint of the NX90. On a full charge, it gave us just about 140 minutes of video playback.

Our verdict The term ‘portable’ can’t really be applied to the ASUS NX90 owing to its huge dimensions and a weight of little more than 4 kgs. But the real deal is that with the kind of raw power and amazing entertainment capabilities it comes 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 performance Hate – Not very portable, low battery life

Technical Specifications Display: 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 buffer Optical 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

Sound

AUDIO bytes

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o you’ve got the quality Blu-ray player and your HD TV of choice. Now you need to unlock the audio potential of your HD content with a surround sound system.

From an Onkyo one-box solution to a few ad hoc setups, we’ve got four sound setups to really make movie soundtracks pop. Blu-ray, after all, doesn’t just give you HD visuals, it gives you access to all sorts of high-resolution audio delights.

Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD Master Audio offer intricate surround effects that use up to seven speakers and a subwoofer. For the real home cinema deal at a price to suit you, you can rely on us. No no, don’t thank us…

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Starting small

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Onkyo’s 5.1 system is convenient and cheap but offers the superior performance of separates. The star of the show is the three HDMI-switching, 3D-ready, 5.1 receiver. With 100W per channel, it has no problem powering the five bundled Onkyo speakers. Decoding for Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD Master Audio soundtracks is provided and both sound suitably detailed and dynamic. It’s a little less refined in the treble and looser in the bass than the other systems, but very impressive for the price. The Blu-ray player has comparatively 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 the receiver is 3D compatible. The only weak link is the speakers.

The compact MDF cabinets are easy to fit and don’t sound bad by any means, but they do lack the scale and warmth of the Wharfedales below, and the passive sub isn’t particularly punchy.

Love – Great value, with everything you need in the box.

High powered, well featured receiver Hate – The speakers could be a touch warmer We Say – Serious bang for your buck and perfect for small to mid-size rooms Rs 53,000 1. Onkyo BD-SP308 Blu-ray player 2. Onkyo HT-R380 5.1 receiver 3. Onkyo 5.1 speakers

Up the power quotient 2

The next step up adds a multitude of features and gives performance an appreciable bump. Pairing Pioneer’s Blu-ray deck and receiver with an agile and punchy speaker package from Wharfedale gives a potent system that’ll fill a mediumsized room. With the Pioneer boxes linked via HDMI the picture is optimised for you with Deep Colour giving a realistic palette, and Pioneer’s PQLS tech killing audio jitter.

Just one remote control is required, and a free app also gives you the option of using your iPhone or iPod Touch as the remote. The glossy black amp actually has seven 140W outputs and all of the latest Dolby and DTS sound formats are catered for, with 13 more if you want to experiment – Advance Game mode for instance.

The Diamond 10.SX speakers are the perfect aesthetic and acoustic match for the Pioneer electronics. Action movies and rock music are this system’s bread and butter, with rhythmic and agile bass and plenty of high-end detail.

Love – Bold colours and jitter-free audio. Slick styling. Excellent iPod dock and app Hate – The Blu-ray’s not 3D-ready (the amp is) We Say – A stylish system that’s greater than the sum of its very fine parts Rs 93,100

decision 1. Pioneer BDP-333 Blu-ray 2. 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 symphony For the demanding enthusiast this system delivers with both movies and music. At the front end is a refined, metalswathed Blu-ray player from Cambridge Audio. It’s virtually immune to vibration interference and Blu-ray visuals are rewardingly clear and precise.

Super Audio CD and DVD-Audio discs are also supported – switch both the player and Yamaha receiver into Pure Audio mode for the best jitter-free results.

Yamaha’s latest 7.1 channel receiver is heaving with features including all of the latest audio formats from Dolby and DTS, with 17 interesting modes of its own.

Cinema DSP 3D makes full use of all the speakers and adds real depth to otherwise flat stereo recordings.

Monitor Audio’s attractive and tactile, satin-finished speakers provide a scintillatingly detailed and seamless surround sound field with a potent sub providing plenty of bass.

Love – Excellent Blu-ray player, lots of great sound modes Hate – Needs two remotes or a multi-remote – the Logitech for instance. No 3D Blu-ray We Say - As compelling with music as it is with movies, this all-rounder suits most room sizes Rs 1,41,800 1. Cambridge Audio Azur 650BD Blu-ray, Rs 40,000 2. Yamaha RX-V767 7.1 receiver, Rs 43,600 3. Monitor Audio Vector 7.1 speakers, Rs 58,200

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The big whopper Want to get really serious? This system combines high-end components worthy of a dedicated cinema room.

The extra investment brings few extra features, but considerably improved pictures and vastly better sound.

The Marantz Blu-ray player’s hefty chassis eliminates vibration interference. Deep Colour ensures faithful colour transitions, while a VRS processor makes it the best upscaler of DVDs here.

Denon’s hefty AVR receiver drives seven speakers at 165W apiece, giving DTS HD Master Audio tracks all the power and poise you need, no matter what the room size.

The Audyssey DSX processing, which makes thrilling use of an additional pair of front speakers mounted above the stereo pair to give a wide open forward soundstage.

Finally, KEF’s elliptical, anodised aluminium speakers keep cabinet resonance to a bare minimum. The results could reasonably be called heavenly.

Love – Knock-out audio punch. Really excellent Blu-ray and upscaled DVD video Hate – Very expensive. No 3D, SACD or DVD-Audio support from Blu-ray We Say – For serious cinephiles this system is the bee’s knees Rs 4,03,800 1. Marantz BD7004 Blu-ray, Rs 50,900 2. Denon AVR-3311 7.1 receiver, Rs 89,900 3. KEF KHT6000 7.1 speakers with HTB2SEW Sub-woofer, Rs 2,63,000 This material is translated or reproduced from T3 magazine and is the copyright of or licensed to Future Publishing Limited, a Future plc group company, UK 2010. Used under license. All rights reserved

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AUTO focus

Photos: S. Muralidhar

Adding to the diesel dilemma S. Muralidhar nspite of the recent flak that diesel-engined vehicles, especially SUVs (socially useless vehicles...yes, Minister) have come under, the fact remains that as a fuel of choice for meeting future efficiency regulations, 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 fuel price differential with petrol. Diesel engines are inherently more fuel-efficient than their petrol counterparts.

And, there has been huge progress in the quality of diesel engines that the cars of today sport, making them more refined, more fuel-efficient and cleaner. However, their emissions will continue to be a concern until fuel quality can be improved.

It is also a market reality that the car buyer is unlikely to pay a much higher price for protecting the environment and is instead more likely to look for a bargain that will leave his wallet more padded.

In the small car segment, there were always fewer diesel options available compared to petrol. The Maruti Suzuki Swift, Hyundai i20 and the Tata Indica have been around longer and also have been the most preferred, until the Fiat Grande Punto and later the Volkswagen Polo and Ford Figo joined in with their diesel offerings. Other hatch makers like Hyundai and GM have also been eyeing the

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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 formidable duo. Can the diesel version help Nissan corner a larger share of the hatchback market? I tested the Micra diesel extensively to find out if it can take on the might of the Suzuki Swift DDiS.

suitable engine for this vehicle in the form of the K9 series diesel engine. “It was therefore the natural choice to use an existing Alliance engine matching the power and torque requirements for a small car in India.” It is the first time that this highly popular diesel engine has been mounted for use in Nissan’s V Platform.

Refined engine Design The Micra diesel features the same endearing and practical design that the petrol version sported. I personally liked the previous generation Micra’s cute design. The current generation Micra, however, features a unique combination of the jelly-bean and tall-boy designs. So, on the outside, the new diesel Micra is pretty much identical to the petrol. The only differentiator is the dCI (Nissan diesel) badging at the rear.

There is a good reason why there aren’t as many diesel small cars. In most cases, it is because developing a compact diesel engine that is refined and yet adequately powerful is still a challenge. The Micra’s small 1.5-litre diesel engine is the closest in terms of refinement to the larger mills that you can find in Nissan’s stable. Considerably quiet and vibe-free, the Micra’s diesel engine barely makes it presence felt inside the cabin. Company engineers say that the Renault Nissan Alliance already had a completely

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Crank the engine and you can hear the distinct, but muted, rumble of a diesel when you are standing outside. Step in and close the door, the noise level drops down significantly. With the air-conditioner blower fan cut out and the music system switched off, the engine is still audible during the idling and initial acceleration cycles. But, later and with a bit of ambient noise levels you will forget that this is a diesel engine car that you are driving.

The four-cylinder, common rail direct injected K9K engine is an inherently refined unit. But, to make sure that the engine characteristics don’t intrude into the cabin, a number of other NVH measures have been adopted. Nissan engineers have significantly reduced the number of holes (and size of holes) between the engine room and cabin. Further, the thickness of the firewall is greater in many places (compared to the previous generation Micra).

They have also added NVH isolation material on both the engine bay side and cabin side, and added the same materi-

al beneath the carpet too. The absorber material used is ultra-light weight, ensuring a weight reduction of 4 kgs, even while improving performance considerably compared to the previous generation Micra. Vibration countering engine mounts have also been used. Other measures that have been adopted to improve refinement and efficiency include exhaust gas re-circulation, and pilot and pre-injection for the combustion cycle.

diesel can similarly deliver a higher mileage in real world conditions too, the buyer will not be complaining too much about the less attractive engine performance numbers. Overall, the choice of the new diesel engine for the Micra has been driven by practicality rather than by the need for one-upmanship. The 5-speed gearbox has been mated well to the engine and the shift quality of the short-throw gear stick is smooth.

Engine and gearbox

Bottomline

In terms of performance, the Micra diesel’s engine is not exactly a boisterous mill. The comparison of performance numbers clearly indicates that the Micra diesel hits a peak output that is the lowest, even lower than the Ford Figo, which at 69 PS is the model currently in that rank. But, the Micra diesel’s performance parameters have been chosen carefully to match the average driving conditions and expectations of the buyer in the segment.

While driving the Micra diesel in city driving conditions, I didn’t find the need for more power. There were a few situations when quicker acceleration would have been welcome, like tight overtaking manoeuvres. But, the shortfall would have also come from the slightly delayed delivery of turbo boost.

Similar to the Ford Figo’s 1.4-litre Duratorq diesel engine, the Micra’s K9K engine also delivers the lowest peak torque in the class. But, again here too, the number itself is just a statistic for this class of car. The buyer here would be keener on the fuel efficiency statistics. I didn’t get a chance to test the fuel efficiency of the Micra diesel in the city and highway cycles, but the rated mileage at 23.08 kmpl is higher than the other cars in the category. If the Micra

The Micra diesel is being offered only with two variants.

And compared to the petrol variants with the same model

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name appendage, the diesel variants are missing some features like the front fog lamps, front passenger airbag and ABS with EBD. These features may have been avoided to keep the price of the diesel variants more competitive.

But, priced at between Rs 5.6 lakh and Rs 6.4 lakh, the Micra is more expensive than the segment favourite - the Suzuki Swift DDiS, and also the Ford Figo, which is currently the cheapest diesel hatch. Yes, the Micra’s built quality, and some of its other features will make up for the higher price tag.

It sure does make the choice and appeal of the Micra more…macro.

| COMPARISON CHART |

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MELANGE luxury redefined

Happy 25 to Tommy!

To celebrate its birthday in style, Tommy Hilfiger 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 pea coat is worth a peek.

Available: All its flagship shores Rs 999 to Rs 24,999

Party purrfect

Eckoing a new trend

AND’s party wear range lets you kick up your heels in pretty drape dresses, tunics and tops in flattering silhouettes and bold colours like vibrant reds, electric blues and gorgeous blacks.

Available at AND stores.

Rs 1,800 to Rs 2,500

Calling on the young and adventurous who are looking for fresh, hip fashion, American brand Ecko Unltd steps in with a ‘trendsetting’ range of apparel and accessories like footwear, bags, watches and a lot more.

Available: Stores in New Delhi and Jalandhar Price: Rs 799 to Rs 10,800

All strappy within

Fashion fusion

Lacy corsets, comfy camisoles, waist clinchers, sheer stockings and sexy inners are all just a click away with the launch of India’s first online luxury lingerie website. Pick from some of the best international brands for a closet makeover; don’t forget to look at some gorgeous swimwear and nightwear too.

Available: www.strapsandstrings.com Price on request

Colourful striped leggings with desi kurtis, flowy Indian tunics with power boots and intricately embroidered lehengas teamed with western tops - Jaya Rathore’s Fusion collection is experimental all the way.

Available: Ogaan and Aza boutiques Price: Rs 40,000 onwards

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HERITAGE RESORT review

Creating a true heritage hotel goes beyond repainting the walls, replacing the upholstery and getting turbaned, bigmoustached bearers to man the gates. Authenticity and subtlety 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 is in the details at this new Taj property

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00. The exquisite carpets were dyed as many times to match the colour of the now withered carpet that the Nizams of Hyderabad laid their feet on. The sparkling cutlery at the exclusive 101-seater dining table was specially crafted after peering into ancient photographs of the Nizam’s dining extravagance. And the exterior walls were painted 15 times before the perfect shade of grey could be chosen to resemble the sky.

Recreating the bygone aura of royalty is ambitious, to say the least, even for the big names of the hospitality industry. It goes beyond the ostentatious settings and elaborate ‘daawats’, challenging the restorer to retain the magic of the palace as a royal home and not allow it to be consigned to the cliché of a modern hotel!

Indians are not new to heritage hotels; from the palaces of Rajasthan seeped in Rajputana flavours to the mahals of Agra decked in Mughal finery, we have seen them all.

But here, 2,000 feet above the charming old city of Hyderabad, atop ‘Kohitoor hill’, the magnificent abode of the Nizams – the 32-acre Falaknuma Palace – creates a special niche for itself. For unlike most palace hotels that have been newly built or simply redone, this one has undergone painstaking restoration by The Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces, under the very guidance of Princess Esra Jah (royal consort of HEH Prince Mukarram Jah Nizam Eighth). After a hiatus of about 60 years and ten whole years of restoration later, it is finally set to welcome guests into its marvellous structure, rechristened The Taj Falaknuma Palace.

Imperial metamorphosis

The exterior at night

Laid out in the shape of a scorpion (Nawab Vikar-ul-Umra, the Prime Minister of the Sixth Nizam built it in 1893 for himself and was a Scorpio), the palace took 10 years and four million rupees to complete, back then. It took even longer, a whole 22 years and the brilliant tastes of two Nizams, to decorate it to its final magnificence. It boasts rare ornate inlaid furniture, large Venetian chandeliers, a

Courtyard exterior

grand marble staircase and marble statues, priceless figurines and customised artefacts, stained-glass windows, portraits and paintings in ornate frames and a sparkling crystal and jade collection.

However, after being a celebration of royal living and playing host to royalty and dignitaries from all over the globe, the Falaknuma fell silent after the 1950s when the Nizam moved to his next abode. In fact, the last guest was the first President of India, Dr Rajendra Prasad in 1951.

Piecing together Falaknuma’s past glory was perhaps the biggest challenge of the restoration. These came with other challenges like retaining the eclectic blend of Renaissance architecture, Baroque style, French charm, art deco sensibilities and various other inspirations that were woven into the décor of the palace, and yet retaining its true-blue Nizam flavour. From sourcing the perfect upholstery to redo the sofas and chairs, to choosing fresh drapes to match the taste of the Nizams, polishing the marble, repairing damaged pieces, recreating broken structures and blending in new wings and spaces to accommodate more rooms, extra landscape and additional restaurants – the restoration was extensive and the result perfect.

Converting near barren land into exotic themed gardens and lush green spaces was a considerable challenge since the landscape artists had to work around the rocky terrain of the palace according to Ranjit Phillipose, General Manager of the property. He beams with pride as he discusses the effort that has gone into rediscovering the palace, starting from hunting for international experts to repair state-of-the-art artefacts, to sourcing natural products to paint the heavenly foyer.

of opulence, indulgence and sheer beauty as it elevates the visitor to royalty. Yes, guests at the palace arrive in pretty horse-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, as rose petals honour them from the skies above. The Nizami extravaganza unfolds.

The experience of living the life of royalty extends from materialistic luxuries to simple touches. On one hand the Nizam Suite (the presidential suite) oozes the authentic style with restored pieces of furniture and elegant luxuries while the Nizam’s favourite Egyptian cotton is used as bed linen in all the rooms. Living life king size becomes even more a reality with unrestricted access for resident guests

Nizami adaa, Nawabi tehzeeb 1895. The sixth Nizam of Hyderabad, Mehboob Ali Khan alighted from his royal carriage at the magnificent façade of the Falaknuma Palace. The chief of army was in attendance and the fragrance of the flowers being showered was heady. 115 years later the Falaknuma Palace relives the tale

Palace foyer

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 authentic Hyderabadi meal is a treat in itself. From Mezban (selection of closely guarded secrets of Nizam’s culinary repertoire) to Zauq e Shahi (tasting plate of Hyderabadi desserts like khubani ka meetha, dubbel ka meetha, gille firdaus, uroosa and khooba), the variety and flavours are as authentic as it can get. I indulged in some traditional kebabs, biriyani and a heavenly ‘shikanvji’ sorbet.

Destination Deccan Hyderabad has always been renowned for its Nawabi

culture, rich heritage and unmatched ‘tehzeeb’. While tourism in the city has always been associated with visits to the Salarjung museum, Golconda fort, Charminar and other historical landmarks, there was no destination that transported tourists to the era of the Nizams. The Taj Falaknuma Palace fills this void perfectly. It lets guests soak in the regal ambience of the splendid rooms where the Duke of Windsor once sipped his morning tea, walk in the palatial lawns where King Edward VIII strolled, and nurse a drink and cigar where the Nizam took in long puffs from his four-piped silver hookah (which still adorns the Smoking Room).

It further enhances the stay with bespoke treats like donning specially designed Nawabi ensembles, indulging in a palace bath with inviting fragrances, devouring royal hampers at elegant niches of the palace, going on a culinary trail with local vegetable-spice shopping and learning to cook from traditional Hyderabadi families… the experience is completely personalised.

But what works in Falaknuma’s favour is its proximity to the sights and sounds of the real Hyderabad, which immediately lends it a feeling of warmth.

As I sat on the Nizam’s highback plush office chair while filling the visitor’s book, the faint sounds of ‘qawalis’ streamed in from the mosques below. Outside, the whole palace in its alluring grey was merging with the overcast skies befitting its name ‘mirror of the sky’ – Falak Numa.

Dining Room

Khaas pampering My first tryst with royal indulgence came in the form of a trip to the Royal Jiva Spa. The Nizam’s passion for personal care and beauty took the shape of Falaknuma’s signature treatment – Nawab-e-khaas – a spa service fit for the Kings. I was ushered into the treatment room by my therapist Wungmi, who began the royal massage by an invigorating foot dip to detox and relieve the feet of stress, followed by an aromatic body scrub. Carefully selecting ingredients that was popularly used by the Nizams for a soft, glowing and fair skin, the scrub was a fascinating mix of almonds, dry rose petals, saffron, poppy seeds, honey, ‘chironji’ and a drop of vetiver oil. This was followed by a soothing ‘vishram’ or relaxing massage with rosewood, brahmi and amla essential oils for the body and a special facial blend. Two and a half hours of regal pampering later, I felt gorgeous, though not comparable to Princess Esra’s magnificent beauty.

Must see, Must do ● Feast your eyes on The 101 Dining Hall with specially designed acoustics that allow for conversation from one end of the table to another ● Play a game of pool at the Billiards Room. What’s special you ask? Burroughs and Watts from England designed two identical tables. One found its way to the Buckingham Palace and the other is right here, at the Falaknuma Palace ● Sit on the Nizam’s chair at the Palace Library and flip through a mind boggling collection of rare manuscripts and books ● Listen to the fascinating tales of the Nizam’s richness as the Palace Historian Prabhakar Mahindrakar takes you on a Palace Historic Walk

● Enjoy tea or breakfast at the enchanting Jade Room or the picturesque Gol Bunglow while pointing out to the Charminar and Msecca Masjid and other sights ● Plan a dream wedding at the magical surroundings of the palace. But be prepared to buy out all the rooms as per palace rules; it’s worth every penny spent. If you just want to enjoy a meal, well, there are some terms and conditions to follow. Taj hopes to keep the Palace exclusive to the last ‘e’. ● Gape in awe at the optical illusions of the heavenly paintings at the foyer, rare pieces like a custom designed two tonne musical orchestreone (that will echo in the palace once the painstaking repair is done) and original refrigerators by GE

Palace room

PREMIUM interiors

Glassy affair Jazz up your kitchen with Saint Gobain’s collection of durable and eco-friendly opaque and coloured glass. Pick from the 10 available shades at select glass dealer outlets across the country.

Price on request

Deck up the table It’s elegant table runners, votive candle holders, table mats and coasters for Bianca to revamp your dining room into a food haven. Check out its collection in silk, satin, beads and embroidery at its flagship store in Mumbai and other décor outlets.

Rs 400 to Rs 4,000

Spanish décor, Indian homes Spanish brand, Revert, is the latest décor label to nurture homes with some tasteful patterns 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

A dresser for keeps Striking in pink and green printed leather with a golden border and brass handles, this Balli Maran dressing table is a gorgeous piece of furniture for your bedroom.

Head to PortsideCafe stores for one of your own.

Rs 2,23,900

Winter wonderland It’s the season to pile on those warm rugs, comfy cushions and blazing lamps and candles, and snuggle up to keep the chill at bay. Take a peek at @home’s latest winter range in reds, orange and gold at its stores.

Rs 300 onwards