Kaleka Mahal

The Mardana rooms are built around a spacious garden court ringed on three sides by spectacular arcade halls. These had never been completed and large rocks had to be hand-chiselled to create linear living spaces. The thick walls were pierced to make balconies with views of the countryside. Each room has two or three square rooms linked with wide arches and the facilities are discreetly tucked within.

Three square spaces linked with two wide arches lead to an octagonal turret which will honour Adil Ahmed. He is among the new generation of designers whose work is about opulent craftsmanship in Indian palaces taking frescoes, inlays and patterns to new heights.