Hyderabad Travel Guide

Enticing Charm of an Enduring Heritage

Location           : 115 kms.from Anantapur 124 kms. From Bangalore
Altitude           :  17650 ft. above sea level
Language          : English ,Telugu, Kannada, Tamil

Hyderabad… a city born of love! History by day magic by night. That’s Hyderabad a city of smiles of lights and of a thousand faces.The capital of Andhra Pradesh Hyderabad is a heady mixture of heritage traditional hospitality  and a thriving software revolution. Exuding the atmosphere  of 400 year old Muslim  splendour  Hyderabad  is a city of infinite  variety.

The enduring love of the 5th king of the Qutb Shahi Dynasty Mohammad Quil Qutb Shah  founded a new city along the banks of river Musi for his ladylove Bhagmati. The city was then called Bhagyanagar. Later when Bhagmati  entered the royal family she was honoured  with the title Hyder Mahal and Bhagyanagar  became Hyderabad .

Endearingly  called the ‘Pearl City’ it is the fifth largest city in India and is famous the world over for its pearls glass embedded  bangles and the delectable  Hyderabadi  cuisine besides monuments of great historical interest.  Legend says that in the late 16th century Muhammad Quil Qutb Shah the fifth ruler of the Qutb Shahi dynasty founded a new city along the banks of river Musi for his ladylove Bhagmati. The  city was then called Bhagyanagar. Later when Bhagmati entered the royal family she wan honoured with the title Hyder Mahal and Bhagyanagar became Hyderabad.

Located in the heart of Deccan Plateau  1760 ft. above the sea level Hyderabad is blessed with a salubrious  climate and a stunningly  beautiful  landscape adorned with awe  inspiring prehistoric  rock formations  and natural lakes. It is a city where nature history culture and laid-back lifestyle  combine to create a mesmerizing  experience. After more than four centuries it still remains the land of tradition the city of glory and a tribute to the past.

Hyderabad is that exclusive delectable  point where the flavour of North India blends with the ardour of South. A city sprinkled   with historical remains that bear the indelible mark of two dynasties  the Qutb Shahis and the Asaf Jahis.

Hyderabad  with its twin –city Secunderabad separated by the Hussainsagar  Lake has a unique landscape. Hyderabad-Secunderabad the capital of Andhra Pradesh combines influences from both the Hindu and Islamic traditions. The city nestles amongst the spectacular grey granite rocks of the Deccan Plateau.
An important centre of Islamic culture Hyderabad  is central India’s counterpart to the Mughal Splendour of the northern cities of Delhi, Agra and Fatehpuri Sikri.

Places of attractions

Charminar: Hyderabad’s principal landmark the Charminar (four towers) was built by Mohammad Quil Qutub Shah in 1591 reputed to commemorate the end of a devastating  epidemic. The most popular landmark in Hyderabad is Charminar. A historical monument located in the centre of the pearl city it is a picture of grace and tribute to the fighting spirit of human kind.  The monument with its four graceful minarets  soars to a height of 48.7mts. above the ground and is often referred  to as the Arc of Triumph  of the East’. Its central structure soars to a height of 180 feet.Most of the fabled bazaars  are located around the Charminar.A few steps from this spot is the Lad Bazaar which is well known for its attractive bangles in different colours  and designs. The city’s pearl trade also originates  at this place. The old bazaar throbs with the hectic trading of pearls lac bangles and all other accessories to adorn a Hyderabadi  bride.

Golconda Fort:
Like  many of the great forts in India Golconda  exudes  a palpable  sense of history. This is one of the most accessible of great medieval  fortresses  in India was the capital of the Qutb Shahi Kings who ruled over the area. Golconda  Fort is a massive fort of granite with the walls and ramparts extending more than 5 kms in circumference. It is located at a distance of 13 kms from Hyderabad and is a magnificent  structure that reflects the genius  of its builders with walled enclosures  and palaces on a hillock. A clap at the foot of the fort can be heard  at the top of the citadel at a height of 61 mts. The citadel is built on a granite hill 120 mts high and is surrounded  by crenellated  ramparts constructed  of large masonry  blocks. The  massive  gates are studded  with large pointed iron spikes intended to obstruct war elephants. Outside the citadel stands another crenellated  rampart surrounding  the base of the hill with a perimeter of 11 kms. Outside this wall is a third wall. The origin  of the fort city can be traced back to the Yadavas  of Devagiri and the Kakatiyas  of Andhra.

The Bahamanis of Gulbarg lost their city to the Qutub Shahis in 1518. The significant  features  of the fort include 87 bastions and eight gates  of over 69 feet in height which can even withstand elephants battering them during a siege. The Golconda rulers were rich and the famous Kohinoor diamond stands as evidence of their prosperity. Two guns of about 20 feet in length Fateh Rahben Gun which were part of Aurangzeb’s artillery  are still found at the fort. There is a  Son et Lumiere Show at the fort at 7 pm from March to October and at 6.30 pm from November to February re-enacting  the glory  and grandeur  of the Qutb Shahis  with matchless  Sound and Light effects.

Salar Jung Museum :
The Salar Jung Museum is the repository of the artistic achievements of diverse European  Asian and Far Eastern countries  of the world. The museum houses a grand collection of antiques and other articles of the Nizam of Hyderabad acquired  by Mir Yusuf Ali Khan  also known as Salar Jung III. The 35,000 exhibits  from every corner of the world include Persian carpets Mughal  miniatures  Chinese Porcelain  Japanese lacquer ware  woodcarvings  religious  and devotional  objects weaponry  over 50000 books famous sculptures  including the Veiled Rebecca and Mephistopheles and Marguerite  ( a double statue in single piece of Oak stem) a superb collection of clocks acquired  from England, France, Germany, Holland and Switzerland  and so on. The museum  is open from 10 am to 5pm daily except Friday.

Falaknuma Palace :
This palace is originally a rich nobleman’s house was built in a mixture of classical  and Mughal styles. It is a unique blend of Italian  and Tudor  architecture. Built  in 1883 by Nawab-UI-Ulmara  the fifth Amir of Paigah  and the then Prime Minister of Hyderabad  the palace took nearly 7 years for its completion. The palace complex stands at 1,02, 634  sq.mts and is in the shape of a scorpion  with two stingers  spread  out as wings on the North side. This wonderful structure has attracted a number of special guests. Like the Viceroys of India European  royalty including King George V and Queen Mary the Prince of Wales Lord Mountbatten  and Winston  Churchill  with his entire regiment. The palace however is generally  closed to visitors  and is opened  only for special  occasions.

Qutub  Shahi  Tombs:
These graceful domed tombs are about 1.5 kms northwest of Goloconda  fort’s Balahisar  Gate. Known as the Istanbul  of India. Hyderabad possesses the  Qutub Shahi  architecture. The tombs of the legendary Qutb Shahi Kings lie to the north of Goloconda Fort. The Qutb Shahis are believed  to have had their proclamations read from the hill tops accompanied  by the beating of drums. Planned and built by Qutb Shahi  themselves these tombs  are said to be the oldest historical  monuments in Hyderabad. In 1940 pavilions  were built and then a hanging garden was laid out on top on one. They form a large group and stand on a raised platform. The tombs are built in Persian Pathan and Hindu architectural  styles using grey granite with stucco  ornamentation. Surrounded by  landscaped  gardens they are open from 9.30 am to 4.30 pm daily except Friday.

Meca Masjid:
Adjacent to the Charminar is the Mecca Masjid one of the largest historical mosques in the south. It is located a hundred yards southwest of the Charminar and was built by the sixth of the Qutub Shahi Kings in 1614. The Mughal King Aurangzeb  completed  the final finishing. It is poetry in stone with a hall measuring 76 mts. And soaring to a height 54 mts.

The roof is supported  by fifteen graceful arches-five to each of the three sides. The beautiful mosque can accommodate nearly 10,000 People at a time. Towards the southern  end of the mosque  lies the marble graves of Nizam  Ali Khan and the families  of Asaf Jahi dynasty. Legend has it that some bricks brought from Mecca were used in the construction  of the central  arch of this mosque. A room in the courtyard  is believed  to house a relic of the Prophet  Mohammed  known as ‘Aasaar-e-Mubarak’. The vast mosque can accommodate 10,000 prayers.

Birla Mandir-A Synthesis of Purity:
The Birla Mandir Temple which was constructed  of white Rajasthani  marble in 1976 graces of the twin rocky  hills built at an altitude  of 280 feet on the high Naubat  pahab overlooking the picturesque  Hussain  Sagar. Dedicated to Lord Venkateswara the temple is a popular Hindu pilgrimage centre. The magnificent architecture of the temple is a synthesis  of North and South Indian  styles. The main temple is a blend  of the Khajurao  and Bodh  Gaya of North India  and Rajagopuram  and Garudalaya of South Indian architecture. The main deity is a magnificent nine and a half feet granite idol a replica  of the presiding  deity at Tirumala. Birla  Planetarium  is one of the most modern planetaria  equipped  with advanced  technology. The Birla Science Museum is a tribute to the advances made in science and technology.

On Naubat  Pahad (Drum rock) the hill  adjacent to the Birla Mandir Temple are the Birla Planetarium  and the Science museum.

Lumbini Park :
Lumbini Park developed by Hyderabad Urban Development Authority ( HUDA) in 1994 is spread  out in about 4 acres of land adjacent to the Hussain  Sagar Lake. Major attractions here are excellent scenic views the monolithic Buddha statue the musical fountain synchronizing  music fountains and colours and the central point are floral clocks waterfalls fountains and of course the snack stalls.

The State Assembly: 
This imposing edifice bearing an all white aesthetic look was once the town hall in the old Hyderabad state. This heritage building has Rajasthani  and Persian  architecture and was completed  in the year 1905  to mark the birthday  of Nizam Mahboob Ali Khan.

Hussain Sagar:
The 16mts. deep lake was created in the mid-16th century by building a bund linking the charming city of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. The picturesque  lake unites the twin cities  like wedding ring. Built during the reign of Ibrahim Qutub Shah the lake was named after its builder Hajrat Hussain Shah Wali. In the middle of the lake on the ‘Rock of Gibraltar’ rises the statue of Buddha like a colossus. On one side of the lake is the Necklace Road which indeed twinkles like a necklace. AP Tourism offers boating pleasure cruises and water-sports as a part of the recreation activities around the lake.33 statues of historic personage of Andhra Pradesh placed along the bund of the lake are an added attraction.

Hyderabad boasts one of the largest stone Buddha’s  in the world. Unfortunately  once a disaster struck and the statue sank into the lake taking with it eight people. There it languished  for two years. Finally in 1992  a Goan salvage company raised it  (undamaged)and it is now on a plinth in the middle of the lake.

AP State Museum :
A  showcase projecting Paleolithic, Neolithic and Megalithic remains, ancient pottery, Buddhist idols and inscriptions from a more recent era. The museum exposes the sculpture  and other priceless  artifacts  from the 2nd century B.C. and later. It also houses an ‘Egyptian  Mummy’ dating back to 2500 BC.

The Osmania University :
It was established in 1918 by Nizam is situated situated to the east of the city within the beautiful and landscaped botanical gardens. It is noted for its architecture a blend of Indian and European design. Its sprawling campus with its black granite Arts  College combines  Moorish and Hindu Kakatiya  architectural styles.

Archaeological Museum:
The Archaeological Museum contains a small collection of archaeological finds from the area  together with copies of paintings from the Ajanta  Caves in Maharashtra.

Also worth a quick visit is the nearby Health Museum where one will see the strange and eclectic collection of medical and public health paraphernalia.
There’s  an Aquarium  nearby  in Jawahar  Bal Bhavan. It’s open from 10.30 am to 5 pm daily except Sunday.