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Mah Laqa Bai Chanda was an 18th century Urdu poet and the first woman to
have a diwan (anthology) of her work. A multi-faceted personality renowned
for her multi-lingual skills, mellifluous voice and dancing, she was also an
accomplished archer and horse woman. Known to be brave, she participated in
all the three wars fought by Nizam Ali Khan, Asaf Jah the II. The Nizam
conferred upon her the title of Mah Laqa ,
meaning Visage of the
Moon along with the jagir or estate of Adikmet and other honours. Mah Laqa
Bai Chanda was a powerful woman in the court of the second and third Nizams
of Hyderabad as she was frequently consulted by the rulers on policy
matters. She was admitted into the omrah, the elite nobility and was the
only woman to have been awarded this status.

Mah Laqa Bai Chanda was a socially conscious and enlightened woman who
returned her debt to society by establishing a residential institution to
provide less privileged girls educational opportunities and impart cultural
training , a
concept unique for those times.

This is perhaps the first time that a theatrical performance on the
legendary woman is being performed and is intended to bring to life
Hyderabad’s
most famous woman and acknowledge her
immense
contribution to Hyderabad’s
rich legacy.