Princess Esra Jah

Princess Esra Jah is mainly known for championing the restoration of Hyderabad's Chowmahalla and Falaknuma palaces. She was born in 1936. Princess Esra is not a princess by birth but by marriage. Princess Esra was the wife of the 8th Nizam of Hyderabad, Prince Mukarram Jah. Though she was born in Turkey, she married in 1959 and moved to Hyderabad to great acclaim. She has two lovely children: Prince Azmet Jah, a son, and Sahibzadi Shehkyar Begum, her daughter. She successfully had the decaying Falaknuma and Chowmahalla Palaces repaired and placed on the international map on her own. She is an unstoppable personality who will not give up until she achieves her goals. Her energy levels are incredible, and she travels between Turkey, London, California, and Hyderabad, giving every ounce of herself to each place.

She had always wanted to help her city, but it was tough as her choices were limited. There were rules on acting, where one may go, and who one could see. However, after her father-in-law's death, she had the freedom to handle it all independently, but she ran into a slew of issues, including death duties, a 98% tax, and so on. Mukarram Jah later urged her to come back and assist out in Hyderabad after she got divorced because everything was in a mess and there were significant difficulties. When she returned, the entire town resembled the sack of Delhi by Nader Shah. Nothing was left; everything was gone. It was heartbreaking, and she felt compelled to return to Hyderabad with a piece of her family.