101 Dining Table at Falaknuma Palace

Once home to the Nizam, or monarch, of Hyderabad, Falaknuma Palace is understandably opulent. In addition to a rare books library, sprawling gardens, and beautifully restored objets d’art, the 19th-century mansion features a giant dining room that houses what may be the world’s largest permanent dining table (there are longer examples that have been constructed for lone, record-breaking occasions).

Stretching 108 feet, the table seats 101 guests, who rest on chairs that have been carved from rosewood and lined with green leather. It was built by the Nizams for entertaining their royal guests, who’d dine beneath ornate chandeliers using gold and silver cutlery. Ardent food lovers, the Nizams had kitchens churning out delectable dishes such as the rice-based Hyderabadi biryani, a slow-cooked meat-and-lentil stew known as haleem, and a bread called kulcha.

Rumor has it that the table also features an acoustic marvel. Some say that if you and a companion sit on opposite sides of the long stretch, you’ll still be able to hear each other with ease.