The Legacies of Hyderabad

 November 08 2010 | Category : Weekend Getaways | | No Comments Tweet

Situated on the banks of the Musi River, Hyderabad is an ancient city founded by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah of the Qutb Shahi dynasty. He named this beautiful city after his wife’s name, Hyder Mahal meaning ‘long live Hyder’. Still bearing the ancient culture and traditions of Persian and Mughal dynasties, this city is now a major metropolitan city and IT hub in India. Thus this wonderful city of Nizams earned a new name, Cyberabad. But commonly it is known as the ‘city of pearls’. Hyderabadi pearls, Hyderabadi bangles, Hyderabadi biriyani, Hyderabadi sweets, Hyderabadi silks are all uniquely famous all over India and abroad. This city has a legendary past of Indian, Persian and Mughal civilization and culture and is the capital of the state of Andhra Pradesh. It has a twin city, Secundarabad separated by the lovely Hussain Sagar Lake. Hyderabad is famous for its wondrous architectural symbols which include mosques, minarets, palaces, bridges, streets etc and they all have historical significance of about 500 years to reveal. This historic destination is perched on top of the Deccan Plateau having a tropical wet and dry climate. Mostly, the mornings and the evenings are cooler because of its high altitude above sea level.

Hyderabad: Photo by Cishore

Historical Sites

The city of pearls offers a variety of tourist attractions ranging from historical monuments, palaces, museums, lakes, gardens and resorts and to luscious cuisine and a pleasant shopping experience. A tourist gets fascinated by the panorama of the past, with a rich blend of Indo-Persian and Indo-Mughal cultural and historical traditions. Even though there are a lot of destinations in and around Hyderabad, the most famous ones are definitely the historical monuments especially Charminar and Golconda fort.

Charminar

Charminar is the signature of Hyderabad as is the Taj mahal of Agra. It is a legendary masterpiece of the Qutb Shahis which is an edifice of four minarets. Charminar means the mosque of four minarets. Sultan Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah built this famous structure to commemorate the elimination of a plague epidemic from this city in 1591. This rectangular shaped wonder is a great example of excellent Islamic architecture and has a mosque on the top floor with 45 prayer spaces. You get a spectacular view of the city from the top floor of this beautiful monument. Charminar looks more beautiful when it is lit up in the evenings. This exquisite monument is very much in the center of Hyderabad city and is open for a tourist from 9 am to 5.30 pm. Charminar is surrounded by famous markets, Laad Baazar also known as Chudi Bazaar and Pather Gatti. Laad bazaar is popular among tourists for the exclusive collection of traditional Hyderabadi glass and stone studded bangles while Pather gatti sells exotic Hyderabadi pearl jewelry.

Charminar: Photo by soham_pablo

Mecca Masjid

On the southwest side of Charminar lies another architectural wonder by the Qutb Shahis called Mecca Masjid. It is one of the oldest mosques in Hyderabad and one of the largest mosques in India. This Masjid is listed as a heritage building and was built by the bricks brought from the holy city Mecca. A must see one in Hyderabad as it is very famous for awesome Islamic architecture and royal splendor.

Mecca Masjid: Photo by soham_pablo

Golconda Fort

Golconda is one of the popular forts in India which is seated on a small granite hill. Even though the fort is in ruins, the splendid monuments and the perfect acoustic system inside the fort attracts lot many tourists. This fort was founded by the Kakatiyas in the 13th century but the existing structure was built into a huge fort of granite with walls and ramparts extending about 7kms in circumference by the Qutb Shahi rulers. The fortress city within the walls was once famous for the diamond trade. The name of the fort originates from Telugu words “Golla Konda” meaning “Shepherd’s Hill”. The highest point of the fort is located one kilometer away called the ‘Bala Hissar’. The palaces, pavilions, factories, tombs, water supply system and the famous ‘Rahban’ cannon, within the fort are some of the major attractions. It is located 11 km west from Mehdipattanam near Hyderabad city. The fort is open for visitors from 7 am to 5.30 pm and after 5.30 till 8pm there is a light and sound show explaining the glorious past of Golkonda fort.

Golconda Fort: Photo by Rajib Ghosh

Qutb Shahi Tombs

The tombs of the seven Qutb Shahi rulers lie in the Ibrahim Bagh about one kilometer north of Golkonda fort’s outer wall called Banjara Darwaza. These structures are made of beautifully carved stonework and surrounded by landscaped gardens. They are open to public and receive many visitors.

Qutb Shahi Tombs: Photo by mckaysavage

Paiga Tombs

Paiga Tombs located in Chandrayanagutta which is around 10 km from city center is another historical site. The unique geometrical sculptures found here are extraordinary artistry and is not found anywhere else in the world.

Majestic Palaces

Chowmahalla Palace

Chowmahallat means four palaces; this royal palace was once the seat of the Asaf Jahi dynasty and the official residence of the Nizam. Chowmahalla palace is believed to be modeled on Shah of Iran’s palace in Tehran. The palace is renowned unique for its architectural style and elegance. It consists of two courtyards, southern courtyard and northern courtyard which has elegant palaces, the grand Khilwat or Durbar Hall, fountains and gardens. Buses ply to this tourist destination from Koti or Secundarabad bus stands and this site is close to Charminar.

Chowmahalla Palace: Photo by jules1651

Asman Garh Palace

This majestic palace is seated high on a hillock built on Gothic architectural style and is in the shape of a European medieval castle. Asman Garh was designed and built by the Prime Minister of Hyderabad state Sir Asman Jah in 1885. It is located on the road from Malakpet and Dilsukhnagar. The palace presently hosts a museum where you can see some archaeological relics exhibited exclusively for tourists.

Falaknuma Palace

Another fine example of architectural elegance in Hyderabad built in Italian style by the Nizams using Italian marble. The whole palace is laid in the shape of a scorpion and is located in Faluknuma, 5 km from Charminar. The main attraction’s inside the palace are the decorated rooms, rare treasures including paintings, statues, furniture, manuscripts and books, the unique Jade collection and the collection of Venetian chandeliers. Now this Italian grandeur is a heritage hotel owned by the Taj group.

Other important palaces near Hyderabad are the Taramati Baradari which is located near Gandipet Lake, Purani Haveli , the U-shaped official residence of the Nizam and King Kothi Palace.

Falaknuma Palace: Photo by John David Showell

Other Tourist Attractions

Hussain Sagar Lake

This lake is a popular hang out in Hyderabad built by Hazrat Hussain Shah Wali in 1562. The large monolithic statue of the Gautam Buddha amidst the lake on the Rock of Gibraltar beautifies the lake to a great extend. The lovely lake is surrounded by several parks, beautiful lawns, fountains and statues of eminent personalities. Lumbini Park is a popular place along the side of this artificial lake which has a musical fountain and an amusement park for children. A boat ride from the park to the Buddha statue reveals the serene beauty of the lake. Close to the park is the charming Birla Mandir built with white marble atop a hillock. Birla Planetarium and Birla science museum nearby are popular among children. The lights outlining the lake gives a spellbound view of the lake during night as if the lake is adorned by a diamond necklace which gave the name; Necklace road to the promenade around the lake. Another picnic spot near this perennial lake is the NTR garden which has a very pretty garden.

Hussain Sagar Lake: Photo by kevingrant

Salar Jung Museum

The Salar Jung Museum is a must visit art museum having a collection of around one million objects situated at Dar-Ul-Shifa. This museum is the third largest museum in India housing the biggest one-man collections of antiques in the world. The building is semi circular shaped and has got 38 galleries spread in two floors. This museum exhibits an exquisite collection of priceless articles collected by Nawab Mir Yousuf Ali Khan Salar Jung III which includes ivory, marble sculptures, prized collections belonging to different civilizations dating back to the 1st and 2nd century, over 43000 art objects, around 50000 books and manuscripts, wide and varied collection of clocks, paintings from various countries etc. Aurangzeb’s sword, daggers belonging to Empress Noor Jehan, Emperors Jahangir and Shah Jahan, the turbans and chair of Tippu Sultan, furniture from Egypt, renowned statue of Veiled Rebecca by G.B. Benzoni- an Italian sculptor and the double-figure wood sculpture which stands before a mirror showing the facade of a nonchalant Mephistopheles and the image of a demure Margaretta in the mirror.

Salar Jung Museum: Photo by labrador3008

Ramoji Film City

It is the world’s largest integrated film studio cum theme park and also one of Asia’s most popular tourism and recreation centers spread over 3000 acres. Ramoji Film city or RFC hold the world record for the largest film studio in the world in the Guinness Book of World Records. It can produce twenty international films and forty Indian films at the same time inside the complex. It has both natural and artificial attractions including an amusement park. No wonder why this film city is situated in Hyderabad which is the second largest film industry in India called Tollywood. The location of the film city is near Hayathnagar and Peddamberpet on Hyderabad – Vijayawada NH-9 highway, about 25 km South-East of Hyderabad. This city has over 500 set locations, many beauteous gardens, about 50 studio floors, a digital film facility, support systems, outdoor locations, high-tech laboratories, etc. The Film City’s infrastructure includes custom-designed locations and mock-ups, set construction, properties and costumes, shooting stages, cameras and equipment, audio post-production, digital-post-production/SFX as well as film processing. Visitors are allowed inside escorted by guides.

Ramoji Film City: Photo by mckaysavage

Nehru Zoological Park

This is a popular picnic spot in Hyderabad which is one of the largest zoos in India. This natural habitat is located 9 km from Koti near Mir Alam Tank in Hyderabad. This park spread over 380 acres houses a large variety of animals, birds, nocturnal species, aquatic and amphibian species. The Mir Alam Tank covering nearly 600 acres attracts lots of migratory birds which makes it another attraction within the zoo. This was built around 200 years ago which has a unique multiple arched bund. The popular attraction in this zoo is the safari trips such as Lion Safari, Tiger Safari, Bear Safari, and Butterfly Safari. Other attractions include elephant rides, a natural history museum, and a children’s train. The park is open for visitors from 9 am to 5 pm on all days except Mondays.

Nehru Zoological Park: Photo by christopherhu

Food and Shopping

If you happen to visit Hyderabad, then you must taste the mouth watering dishes which are unique in taste and most of them are spicy. Hyderabadi cuisine is a blend of traditional South Indian, Mughal and Persian cuisine. Among the non-vegetarian dishes, Hyderabadi Biriyani is the most popular one. The dishes has a great influence by the Mughals and the delicious ones are Chicken korma, Sheer korma, Sheekh kebab, Kheema aloo etc. You can also chew a traditional paan to complete your meal.

Hyderabadi Biriyani: Photo by Deepak & Sunitha

Hyderabadi sweets are known for their pure ghee-based delicacies. Famous sweet shops include the traditionally made Pulla Reddy and Rami Reddy sweets. The sweet tray includes Qubani ka meetha, Double ka meetha, Phirni, Kaddu Ki Kheer, Sheer, Peosi etc. While roaming through the streets for shopping you can visit an Iranian café and taste a different tasty tea i.e. the Irani chai with Irani samosa and Osmania biscuit.

When you hear the word Hyderabad, the first thing which pops up in our mind is pearls. The beauty of the traditional Hyderabad jewels made with white pearls is famous all over the world. Hyderabadi pearls are drilled in a small village, Chandanpet outside the city. Although pearls are available in different colors, the white ones are the popular ones. Pather Gatti is a pearl bazaar having only pearl shops in the entire chowk. Pearls are a symbol of royal culture and ‘Satlada’ and ‘Panchlada Haar’ are traditional and popular ones which are seven and five stringed necklaces respectively.

You should not stop shopping with the pearls, Hyderabadi bangles are also elegant ones. These bangles are made in appealing colors and ethnic patterns enhancing aesthetic beauty. The Laad Bazaar also known as the Chudi (Bangle) Bazaar near Charminar is famous for bangle shops which has a variety of Hyderabadi Lacquered Bangles, molded out of pure lac studded with glittering and beautifully cut glass pieces of various colors.

Chudi Bazaar : Photo by Mayoor Sarma

Hyderabad is well connected by road, rail and air to all major cities in India. So what are you waiting for? Rush to the city of Nizams and explore the enchanting historical sites and enjoy the delicious cuisines with a little bit of shopping.