Hi Guys,
I was travelling to Hyderabad from US for a few days for some office work and I got to know about the rich culture of Hyderabad as I googled about the City of Nawabs.
My office was at Hi-Tech city and so I wanted a place closer to that but something modern, luxurious (if possible), convenient and one that is well connected as I was planning to spare my weekend for some sight-seeing around.
My friend advised me several places like Gachibowli, Kukatpally, Miyapur and Madhapur but there were some disadvantages with almost all of them. Though Miyapur and Madhapur were close to my office but the building were like single apartments with little/no security and no community vibe. There was a lot of traffic in these areas.
In Kukatpally I faced worst roads and Gachibowli though very peaceful, posh and serene was quite a drive away from my office. So I picked, Chandanagar which is close to Miyapur, Hi-tech city but was less crowded. The AIRBNB property that I stayed in (1BHK Condo) was a surprise.
Modern, luxurious with a great expansive view of boulders and rocks- peaceful and loaded with amenities like Tennis courts, Gym, Swimming pool, Garden; In-house restaurants, pharmacy and grocery stores and all that you need to move around- Buses, auto, cabs, taxis at a stone throw away.
After enjoying the office and modern Hyderabad for 5 days, I started exploring what we called as old part of the city called Secunderabad. Let me tell you such a diverse city. While the modern Hyderabad looked like a Mumbai, Bangalore or London if I may say. The old part of Hyderabad looked too Middle eastern to me. It was for the first time that I was in a metro city and I was seeing niqab and hijab-clad women and girls heading for their offices and colleges.
The very first monument we visited was the Birla Mandir-The Birla Mandir, located in south end of Hussain Sagar in Hyderabad, stands atop the Kala Pahad, the twin hillock of the Naubat Pahad. The temple dedicated to Lord Venkateswara (Vishnu), is constructed with white marbles from Rajasthan. From the extreme top of the temple, the entire urban Hyderabad can be seen, which is a breath-taking sight.
The second stop was the old-city of Hyderabad. Of course, when we speak of the old city we talk of the Charminar- The famous Charminar Sultan Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, the 5th ruler of the Qutb Shahi dynasty, built Charminar in 1591 shortly after he had shifted his capital from Golkonda to Hyderabad. He built this famous structure as a sign of the elimination of a plague epidemic from the city. He is said to have prayed for the end of a plague that was ravaging his city and vowed to build a masjid (Islamic mosque) at the very place where he was praying. He wanted it to be open for all people of all religions.
Charminar was given to a contractor called Sanamvenkata Balaya to construct and today one can see the city as evidence of the prayer being answered. The Mosque was called as Charminar because of its four minarets. The structure was constructed from granite, lime, mortar and, some say, pulverised marble. Initially the monument with its four arches was planned in such a way that when the fort was opened one could catch a glimpse of the bustling Hyderabad city as these Charminar arches were facing the streets. There is also a legend of an underground tunnel connecting the palace at Golkonda to Charminar, with the intention of being an escape route for the Qutub Shahi rulers in case of a siege, though the exact location of the tunnel is not known. The bazaars surrounding the Charminar are also bustling.
Herein, one can find a wide variety of products, ranging from bangles to books and from CDs to pearls. “Pearls” are the actual specialty of the city. While purchasing them, a lot of bargain needs to be done. The cost of the pearls can range from mere Rs. 100 to several thousand! Islamic population here wears the niqab, the hijab, caps, Pathan suits; Islamic perfumes are also readily available. Never to forget, that if anyone is looking for some delicious and inexpensive biryani, this is the exact part of the city you are to be in. A huge and magestic structure lies just next to the Charminar. Yes, this is the Mecca Masjid- Mecca Masjid in Hyderabad/Wikimedia Makkah Masjid was built during the reign of Sultan Muhammad Qutub Shah, the 6th Qutub Shahi Sultan of Hyderabad. The three arched facades were carved from a single piece of granite, which took five years. More than 8,000 workers were employed to build the mosque.
It is said that Muhammed Qutub Shah himself personally laid the foundation stone of the ‘mosque’. Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, the French explorer, in his travelogue wrote about the Mecca Masjid, “It is about 50 years since they began to build a splendid pagoda in the town which will be the grandest in all India when it is completed. The size of the stone is the subject of special accomplishment, and that of a niche, which is its place for prayer, is an entire rock of such enormous size that they spent five years in quarrying it, and 500 to 600 men were employed continually on its work. It required still more time to roll it up on to conveyance by which they brought it to the pagoda; and they took 1400 oxen to draw it” If you are a girl, you may not be allowed into the mosque for not being in proper attire to be within the premises.
Thus, I took a picture of the mosque from within the Charminar.
It was afternoon. We had some local Hyderabadi Biryani in haste, as we were to rush towards Golconda fort. By around 2 p.m., we were on our way.
Golkonda is the name of the ruined city of south-central India and capital of ancient Kingdom of Golkonda (c. 1364—1512). It is 11 km west of Hyderabad.
Golconda fort in Hyderabad
The most important builder of Golkonda was Ibrahim Quli Qutub Shah Wali, the fourth Qutub king. The fortress citadel of Golkonda, was rebuilt for defense from invading Mughals from the north. They laid out Golkonda’s splendid monuments, now in ruins, and designed a perfect acoustical system by virtue of which a hand clap sounded at the fort’s main gates, was heard at the top of the citadel, situated on a high hill.
The kingdom of Golconda stretched over the Telangana region and some parts of present day Karnataka and Maharashtra. The fort has many places within it to see. Some mosques, beautiful gardens, high cliffs, etc. Hyderabad is a beautiful city to be in. In fact, I could cover only a few important tourist attractions due to lack of time. Other tourist spots worth mentioning are the Lumbini Park, Hussain Sagar Lake and Ramoji Film City (a city within a city). Hyderabad is a city of pearls, biryani, kebabs and monuments. The only precaution one needs to keep in mind, however, is that anything related to communalism and the political situation in the middle-east should never be discussed in public. Issues related to the Telangana region should be avoided in discussions. Once, these precautions are taken, Hyderabad is a paradise to be in; a place harbouring everything a human being needs.
I was travelling to Hyderabad from US for a few days for some office work and I got to know about the rich culture of Hyderabad as I googled about the City of Nawabs.
My office was at Hi-Tech city and so I wanted a place closer to that but something modern, luxurious (if possible), convenient and one that is well connected as I was planning to spare my weekend for some sight-seeing around.
My friend advised me several places like Gachibowli, Kukatpally, Miyapur and Madhapur but there were some disadvantages with almost all of them. Though Miyapur and Madhapur were close to my office but the building were like single apartments with little/no security and no community vibe. There was a lot of traffic in these areas.
In Kukatpally I faced worst roads and Gachibowli though very peaceful, posh and serene was quite a drive away from my office. So I picked, Chandanagar which is close to Miyapur, Hi-tech city but was less crowded. The AIRBNB property that I stayed in (1BHK Condo) was a surprise.
Modern, luxurious with a great expansive view of boulders and rocks- peaceful and loaded with amenities like Tennis courts, Gym, Swimming pool, Garden; In-house restaurants, pharmacy and grocery stores and all that you need to move around- Buses, auto, cabs, taxis at a stone throw away.
The very first monument we visited was the Birla Mandir-The Birla Mandir, located in south end of Hussain Sagar in Hyderabad, stands atop the Kala Pahad, the twin hillock of the Naubat Pahad. The temple dedicated to Lord Venkateswara (Vishnu), is constructed with white marbles from Rajasthan. From the extreme top of the temple, the entire urban Hyderabad can be seen, which is a breath-taking sight.
The second stop was the old-city of Hyderabad. Of course, when we speak of the old city we talk of the Charminar- The famous Charminar Sultan Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, the 5th ruler of the Qutb Shahi dynasty, built Charminar in 1591 shortly after he had shifted his capital from Golkonda to Hyderabad. He built this famous structure as a sign of the elimination of a plague epidemic from the city. He is said to have prayed for the end of a plague that was ravaging his city and vowed to build a masjid (Islamic mosque) at the very place where he was praying. He wanted it to be open for all people of all religions.
Charminar was given to a contractor called Sanamvenkata Balaya to construct and today one can see the city as evidence of the prayer being answered. The Mosque was called as Charminar because of its four minarets. The structure was constructed from granite, lime, mortar and, some say, pulverised marble. Initially the monument with its four arches was planned in such a way that when the fort was opened one could catch a glimpse of the bustling Hyderabad city as these Charminar arches were facing the streets. There is also a legend of an underground tunnel connecting the palace at Golkonda to Charminar, with the intention of being an escape route for the Qutub Shahi rulers in case of a siege, though the exact location of the tunnel is not known. The bazaars surrounding the Charminar are also bustling.
Herein, one can find a wide variety of products, ranging from bangles to books and from CDs to pearls. “Pearls” are the actual specialty of the city. While purchasing them, a lot of bargain needs to be done. The cost of the pearls can range from mere Rs. 100 to several thousand! Islamic population here wears the niqab, the hijab, caps, Pathan suits; Islamic perfumes are also readily available. Never to forget, that if anyone is looking for some delicious and inexpensive biryani, this is the exact part of the city you are to be in. A huge and magestic structure lies just next to the Charminar. Yes, this is the Mecca Masjid- Mecca Masjid in Hyderabad/Wikimedia Makkah Masjid was built during the reign of Sultan Muhammad Qutub Shah, the 6th Qutub Shahi Sultan of Hyderabad. The three arched facades were carved from a single piece of granite, which took five years. More than 8,000 workers were employed to build the mosque.
It is said that Muhammed Qutub Shah himself personally laid the foundation stone of the ‘mosque’. Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, the French explorer, in his travelogue wrote about the Mecca Masjid, “It is about 50 years since they began to build a splendid pagoda in the town which will be the grandest in all India when it is completed. The size of the stone is the subject of special accomplishment, and that of a niche, which is its place for prayer, is an entire rock of such enormous size that they spent five years in quarrying it, and 500 to 600 men were employed continually on its work. It required still more time to roll it up on to conveyance by which they brought it to the pagoda; and they took 1400 oxen to draw it” If you are a girl, you may not be allowed into the mosque for not being in proper attire to be within the premises.
The kingdom of Golconda stretched over the Telangana region and some parts of present day Karnataka and Maharashtra. The fort has many places within it to see. Some mosques, beautiful gardens, high cliffs, etc. Hyderabad is a beautiful city to be in. In fact, I could cover only a few important tourist attractions due to lack of time. Other tourist spots worth mentioning are the Lumbini Park, Hussain Sagar Lake and Ramoji Film City (a city within a city). Hyderabad is a city of pearls, biryani, kebabs and monuments. The only precaution one needs to keep in mind, however, is that anything related to communalism and the political situation in the middle-east should never be discussed in public. Issues related to the Telangana region should be avoided in discussions. Once, these precautions are taken, Hyderabad is a paradise to be in; a place harbouring everything a human being needs.
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