Durbar is a Persian-derived term (from Persian: دربار‎ - darbār) meaning the kings’ or rulers’ noble court or a formal meeting where the king held all discussions regarding the state. It was used in India for a ruler’s court or feudal levy as the latter came to be ruled and later administered by foreigners.[citation needed] A durbar may be either a feudal state council for administering the affairs of a princely state, or a purely ceremonial gathering, as in the time of the British Empire in India.[1]

The most famous Durbars belonged to great Emperors and Kings. In the North, cities like Udaipur, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Jaiselmer, and Agra have palaces that adorn such magnificent halls. The Mughal Emperor Akbar had two halls; one for his ministers and the other for the general public. Usually Durbar halls are lavishly decorated with the best possible materials available at the time.

In the south of India, the Mysore Palace had a number of such halls, especially the Peacock Hall, having colour tinted glasses imported from Belgium, which were used for marriage ceremonies. The Durbar Hall in the Khilawat Mubarak, in the city of Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, was the durbar hall of the Nizams of Hyderabad.

Beneath the main Dome of the Rastrapati Bhavan (Presidential Palace of India, today) is present the grand Durbar Hall, where many state functions, presided by the President of India, are held.