Pakistan’s Best Kept Secret: Mukhi Mahal

Mukhi Mahal is one of the finest amalgamations of the Baroque, Corinthian, Ionic, Renaissance, Colonial, and the old Hyderabadi styles of architecture, in the entire country. The palace is located near Pakka Qilla, Hyderabad, Sindh, which attracts tourists even today. The stones they used in this palace were also imported from Jodhpur, India. Even the doors and windows are made of sheesham (Indian Rosewood) and Sagwan (Teak Wood). The palace includes 12 rooms, two courtyards, two big halls, and a dome.

Mukhi House was built in 1920, by a Sindhi Hindu family. Mukhi Pritam Das, who was the head of the Hindu community and Mukhi family as well, built the palace with his son Mukhi Jethanand. After the death of Jethanand in 1927, the palace was inherited by his brother Govindaram. The family stayed in the palace until partition in 1947, but after partition, they gradually migrated to India, and by 1957 the whole family had moved.

The construction of Mukhi House took 3 years for completion. The building was designed by an Italian architect. Mukhi Mahal has hosted many important political figures of the past, including the former Chief Minister of Sindh Sir Ghulam Hussain Hidayatullah and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. There was a room reserved for Nehru. Whenever in Hyderabad, Nehru stayed at the Mukhi House. Nehru held and led his political campaigns from The Mukhi House. Post-Independence, the Indian Consulate was also established here. School was also set-up on the ground floor.

The mahal was set ablaze during the Hyderabad riots (1988). Fire had caused quite some damage to the building. Some of the designs were hard to redesign but have been renovated very finely. A unique feature the Mukhi House possesses is a minaret. It is a two-story house with 12 rooms and two large halls.  Mukhi House is a masterpiece of architecture; the upper floor has four main entrances, beautiful and large windows around the doors so that sunlight could be welcomed.

All rooms in the house have comfortable beds, spacious windows, two doors in each room, and beautiful porches. The building also uses stone, marble, and iron. Each room of the palace has a balcony where you can stand outside so that people can enjoy the scenery outside.

The lounge is designed to prevent sunlight from entering and leaving, while in addition to entering each room, there is a door that opens directly through the door. Inside the palace, the woodwork on the stairs, doors, furniture, and tables is a wonderful example, while the beds are kept in their original condition so that the viewer can see a picture of the past.

On the walls, many pictures of the Mukhi family are hung as per their request, as well as various influential people of Sindh. In 2008, the descendants of the Mukhi family relinquished future claims to the Mukhi House on the condition that it be conserved and converted into a museum. The conservation was led by Dr. Kaleem Lashari from the Department of Antiquities in Sindh, and the Mukhi House was converted into a museum in 2013. The Mukhi family was invited to inaugurate the museum. The museum, however, is open for tourists.

According to historical accounts by Shakun Narian Kimatrai, the construction, even in 1921, was 2 crore rupees. Although the Mukhis belonged to the social elite for many generations, Mukhi Pritamdas accumulated vast amounts of wealth and was considered the richest man in Hyderabad. His son Mukhi Jethanand extended the family fortune, and given his taste for good living, built the Mukhi House.