Farhana Bodi is a Dubai-based entrepreneur and fashion personality best known as a cast member of the Netflix series Dubai Bling. Born in Gujarat, India, she grew up in South Africa, attended makeup school at age 17 and launched her modeling career in 2010. She speaks four languages fluently, and Hindi and Arabic are two of them.
Her television credits reach back to 2011, the year she took part in the series Paris Hilton's Dubai BFF. In 2017 she founded I Woman of the World, a lifestyle platform that celebrates women in fashion and beauty. Dubai has been her home for more than 15 years, and Dubai Bling turned her into a name that fans of the series recognize around the globe.
Farhana Bodi Gets a Taste of Royalty in Hyderabad
The Taj Falaknuma Palace in Hyderabad gave Farhana Bodi a little taste of royalty, and the day delivered a story worth retelling. The grandeur greets every guest first, the history comes next, and the hospitality makes each visitor a dignitary of the day.
Her visit belonged to another era. Chandeliers glittered above the halls, marble gleamed underfoot and the Taj team treated a fashionable guest like visiting royalty. Incredible food and peacocks strolling the grounds gave the day a fairytale quality that photographs can hardly capture. Even the Telugu film Radhe Shyam, starring Prabhas, chose this palace for a shoot, and one look at the facade explains why.
A Palace Called the Mirror of the Sky
Falaknuma means mirror of the sky in Urdu, and the name suits a palace perched on a hilltop that covers 13 hectares, about five kilometres from Charminar. Nawab Sir Viqar-ul-Umra, the Prime Minister of Hyderabad, returned from a trip to Europe and decided to create a European style residence for himself.
Construction began in 1884 and took nine years. English architect William Ward Marrett worked on the plans, and the cost reached 40 lakh rupees, a fortune in that era. Ionic and Corinthian capitals crown the columns, and the neoclassical styling gives the palace a stately look. The palace later went to the sixth Nizam, Mir Mahboob Ali Khan, who was Viqar-ul-Umra's brother-in-law, and distinguished guests of the Kingdom of Hyderabad were hosted here as royal visitors.
More than a century later, the Taj Group restored the palace, and the brief for restorers was to honour its original look. The Taj Falaknuma Palace opened to guests on 1 November 2010, so visitors today can admire Venetian chandeliers, Tuscan marble and camel leather upholstery in a royal home reborn as a luxury hotel.
The Table That Seats 101 Guests
A story about Falaknuma deserves a long look at the dining hall. Its table seats 101 guests and is reported to be the longest dining table in the world. Laying it takes a couple of hours, and carved rosewood chairs line the sides as cascading chandeliers glow above.
The food is a highlight of any visit. Adaa, the palace restaurant, serves Hyderabadi cuisine recreated from the Nizam's recipes, and diners enjoy a view of the city while tasting kebabs and biryani. Celeste handles all-day dining, and its breakfast menu mixes continental favorites and Hyderabadi dishes. Dinners there lean toward Mediterranean classics.
Every course makes a good argument for lingering at the table. A palace this grand deserves a kitchen of this quality, and Falaknuma delivers both. Meals here follow royal tradition, and the staff serve every plate as if the Nizam himself had called for dinner. Celebrations here can use the Jade Room and Terrace or the Durbar Hall, two event spaces that suit the biggest guest lists.
Farhana Bodi Wears a Shimmering Kaftan
For the visit, Farhana Bodi chose a flowing metallic kaftan that shimmered in warm copper and gold tones and touches of slate blue. Embroidered detailing traced the V neckline and the cuffs, and a jeweled brooch gathered the fabric at the waist.
Pearl earrings and black strappy sandals completed the look, and her long dark hair fell straight past her shoulders. Wide draped sleeves and a long, graceful line suited the palace halls beautifully. Every fold of the fabric flashed a new shade as she walked.
Photographs of the day show her walking by a gold-framed portrait, an antique bench in ornate upholstery and pale marble floors in a graceful pattern. The kaftan's metallic finish caught the light from every angle, which gave the outfit a presence worthy of a palace that once hosted royalty.
Peacocks Roaming the Palace Gardens
Outdoors, the palace gardens offer a different brand of magic. Peacocks roam freely among the perfumed pathways, and iridescent feathers flash on terraces that look out toward the city. Hilltop views stretch out to Hyderabad below, and the sweep of the landscape adds a grand finish to the day.
Guests who love wildlife will find the peacocks irresistible, and guests who love architecture will find the grand facade equally hard to resist. Everyone takes home a favorite corner of the palace and a camera roll full of memories.
For Farhana Bodi, the day at the Taj Falaknuma Palace delivered the full royal treatment: history, hospitality, incredible food and a flock of peacocks to greet her. Hyderabad has plenty to offer, yet this palace gives visitors a story to tell for years, and her kaftan suited the palace so well that the whole day looked like a page from the Nizam's story.
