Mahmudabad

The Qila in Mahmudabad is one of the few living historical homes in India, Listed by the world monuments funds as a place of global significance.

The Qila is the centre of various traditions and rituals throughout the year. The Muharram commemorations of Mahmudabad, in particular, are famous all over the world.

The Qila houses one of the best private libraries in India. Books in English, Arabic, Persian and Urdu, and an extensive collection of manuscripts.

The Mahmudabad Kitchens represent more than 400 years of history. The banquets of Mahmudabad are the stuff of legends from Pandit Motilal Nehru having chilled champagne delivered to him in prison in big deghs of biryani to M C Chagla’s inability to continue eating the remainder of a 42-course meal after five courses.

The recipes for many of the famous dishes have been passed down the generations, sometimes tweaked, sometimes changed more substantially but never compromising the essential flavours. Despite the elaborate recipes and preparation methods that would challenge a Michelin starred chef, the tradition of the family, when praising a dish was to say ‘Āb-o-Namak munāsib hai,’ or ‘the water and salt are just right.’ After all, it is ultimately these two basic ingredients that can make or break a dish no matter how finely the other ingredients are prepared.

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The door! which was permanently closed soon after the death of my beloved grand father Hakeem Maulana Syed Mazahir Husain Rizvi (Former Leader of Friday Prayers, Sultanate of Mahmudabad, Awadh). So many childhood and teenage unforgettable memories lies inside this home which now turned into a ruin.