Cyrus was the last living descendant of the Nawab.
The family was notorious for not wanting visitors on their property. This is the first time the home has been able to be photographed since the prince died.
— Parvez Sultan (@theparvezsultan) November 7, 2017
The 58-year-old prince, who reportedly died following a "brief illness," was found by staff from the Delhi Earth Station of the Indian Space Research Organization. Cyrus was lying dead on the floor near his wooden bed, the Hindustan Times reported, citing Earth Station staff.
"We had not heard from him for two-three days," Vijay Yadav, one of the staff members told the outlet. "So, we went inside without his permission for the first time. He had died by then."
— Parvez Sultan (@theparvezsultan) November 7, 2017
Police later indicated that since no one turned up to claim the body, Cyrus was buried at the Delhi Gate graveyard on Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg on September 5.
"He used to ask us to get groceries as he could not move due to his deteriorating health," Rajinder Kumar, a security officer at the space center, told the Times. "A couple of days before his death, Raza asked us to buy ice-cream and mangoes."
The royal family, composed of Cyrus' mother Begum Wilayat Mahal and his sister Princess Sakina, moved to the ancient site on May 28, 1985, with a whopping 11 labradors and a handful of servants.
— TOI Delhi (@TOIDelhi) November 6, 2017
But the move wasn't as simple as renting a U-Haul is in today's day and age.
In the 1970s, Cyrus' mother, Begum, camped out in the VIP waiting room at the New Delhi Railway station for nearly 10 years before the Indian government gave the family a "suitable" home befitting their royal standing. The family's ancestral homes had been seized by the British Empire after the annexation of the Oudh in 1856.
According to the BBC, Begum even posted a sign that read: "Entry restricted. Cautious of hound dogs. Proclamation: Intruders shall be gundown."
Cyrus ultimately became the last descendant of the royal family after his mother and sister died. Though there is no word on whether the family's last home will be marked as a historically protected site. Law enforcement officials have been stationed to protect the grounds for the moment.
