Hyderabad

Overview:

Hyderabad, the capital of Andhra Pradesh, is a 500-year old city located on the Deccan plateau. It was originally established on the banks of Musi River. The historical Hyderabad is now referred to as the ‘Old City’. Historically, the story of Hyderabad is one, which has been weaved with the yarns of love, and has become the material of folklore. According to the local legend, the young Muslim prince of the city fell in love with a Hindu girl. Despite the various hurdles of caste, class and religious divides, they develop a relationship. After the prince became the king, he renamed the city after his beloved Bhagamati as Bhaganagar. Bhaganagar, was also proclaimed as the capital city. Established in 1591 CE by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, Hyderabad remained under the rule of the Qutb Shahi dynasty until 1687. Aurangzeb the Mughal emperor conquered the region and the city remained a part of the Mughal Empire until 1724 when a Mughal viceroy Asif Jah I declared his sovereignty which is also known as the Nizams of Hyderabad. The princely state of Hyderabad was ruled for more than two centuries by the Nizams in a subsidiary alliance with the British Raj. Till the Nizam signed an Instrument of Accession with the Indian Union, Hyderabad remained the capital of the princely state from 1769 to 1948. The city was merged with the state of Andhra forming the modern state of Andhra Pradesh under the States Reorganisation Act in 1956. Being under the rule of the Bahamani kingdom, the QutbShahi dynasty, the Mughal Empire, and the AsafJahi dynasty, the city has a long tryst with history, resulting in Hyderabad possessing a rich cultural and historical background, which is still visible in the Faluknama Palace, the priceless treasures of the Salar Jung Museum, the imposing Golconda Fort and the readily perceptible quadrigeminal minarets of the symbolic Charminar. Tourists visiting Bangalore also like to make a trip to Hyderabad by car. The distance from Bangalore to Hyderabad is approximately 560 kilometers and takes around 9 hours by cab. Availing car rentals while going from Bangalore to Hyderabad is a good idea, as it makes the journey fast and comfortable. People can also hire cabs in Bangalore for the entire duration of the trip so as to ensure that they always have a vehicle at their service, which makes travelling within the city at any point of time easy.

Places of interest:

Hyderabad houses the Charminar, a unique blend of Indian and Islamic architecture. A square structure, it bears testimony to the glory and splendor of the Qutb Shahi rule. The monument is 30 m wide and 56 m high, with four minarets at each corner, each of which has two balconies offering spectacular views of the surrounding area. It has four roads leading from the four grand arches to the four cardinal directions. There is also a small mosque on the top floor.

Situated next to the Charminar, the Mecca Masjid is among the largest mosques in the world. Construction of the mosque began during the Quli’s reign in 1614. However, the construction was completed under the aegis of Aurangzeb, the Mughal emperor. It is believed that numerous bricks used in the construction of the mosque are made from the soil of Mecca.

The Golconda Fort, founded by the Kakatias in the 12th century, is located west of Hyderabad. Under the Qutb Shahi rule, granite walls and ramparts were added to it to increase its defenses. Its 11 kilometers long perimeter has 15-18 feet high walls, 8 huge gates and 70 ramparts. It was once a marketplace for diamond trade. Apart from its historical significance, the highlight of the fort now is the light and sound show that is conducted every evening; except on Monday’s.

People can rent a cab in Hyderabad to visit the other sightseeing spots like Purani Haveli, Nizams, the Salarjung Museum, Falaknuma Palace, Chowmahalla Palace and more.

Things to do:

The cuisine of Hyderabad is world renowned. Hyderabadi cuisine, cooked and concocted through generations of chefs for an entire genealogy of mollycoddled royal taste buds consists all the ingredients for life-long addictions. The ‘Hyderabadi Biryani’ and kebabs along with spicy meat curries are must haves. The Hyderabadi kulcha accompanied by lamb curries and a range of vegetarian south Indian cuisine can also be savored at the multitude of restaurants, wayside eateries and hotels in Hyderabad.

Outdoor activities that can be undertaken in Hyderabad include sailing and kayaking at the Hussain Sagar Lake. Preferentially visitors can also enjoy a round of golf at the Hyderabad Golf Club.

According to the Guinness Book of Records, the sprawling Ramoji Film City is the largest film studio complex in the world. A famous touristy destination with elaborate film sets, it is replete with few recreation centers which include amusement parks and beautifully landscaped gardens; an airport cum hospital, railway station albeit with an actual moving train, entire village sets, artificially mimicked exotic foreign locales, hotels, etc. It can take up to an entire day to explore all the artificial wonders of the film city.

The festival of classical Indian music called as the Pandit Motiram - Maniram Sangeet Samaroh is held in the last week of November. Infact the entire last week is devoted to this festival. The cultural event known as the Deccan Festival is celebrated towards the end of February. The festivals of Lumbini and Mrigasira are few of the other festivals that visitors can participate in.