Today I want to narrate a real story. Once upon a time lived a great man with high intellect from a political family. He was well known as a pilot till he made a bold step thereby being a successor. Yes, he was convinced to enter politics then. He was a happily married man with two bright children. Days passed by as the destiny showed an end to his life. He is none other than Rajiv Gandhi. But all the responsibilities bound his children so much, that hardly they ever thought of any privacy or even enjoyed. But one day Rahul (son of Rajiv Gandhi) could not stop himself from the tastes of Hyderabadi food. The most astonishing moment is that people could not recognize him. That is the power of the spicy mouth watering flavor of Hyderabadi Biryani. Ummmm!! I must say that anyone who misses this delicacy of Hyderabad in one’s life is really unlucky. Of course this holds to those who are connoisseurs of food.
Bewitching palaces, timeless corridors, fairy-tale courtyards and the whispering water ways, yeah right, we are talking of 'Hyderabad.' This is the capital city of Andhra Pradesh, India.
Hyderabad, the city of the Nizam's, is a beautiful blend of the traditional and the modern. Hyderabad has a truly cosmopolitan character. The transition from a friendly over-grown village, into a Hi-tech one on the world network, it includes huge flyovers coexisting with humble Irani teashops with an excellent flavor of cardamom and the taste of spice.
HISTORY
The various dynasties that ruled the State of Andhra Pradesh, from the Ikshvakus, Pallavas, Chalukyas, Kakatiyas, Vijayanagaram kings, Qutb Shahis, Mughals, to the Asaf Jahis, all have contributed significantly to the State's rich cultural tapestry and have left behind a heritage studded with spectacular monuments, temples, mosques, palaces all vibrant with arts, crafts, dance and literature. This being one of the important reasons that Hyderabad is well known as a cosmopolitan place with different cultures.
According to records, Hyderabad was founded by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah in the 16th century. However, the city has now evolved into a hi-tech city, with a thriving software as well as tourism industry.
SIGHTSEEING
The magnificent tombs of the legendary Qutb Shahi kings tombs are said to be the oldest historic monument in Hyderabad, the only one of its kind in the world where an entire dynasty has been buried at one place.
Located on the Deccan Plateau, Hyderabad presents a varied landscape comprising majestic hills, lush green forests, sparkling lakes, and amazing rock formations.
Andhra Pradesh has several museums, including the Salar Jung Museum that holds the distinction of being one of the world's biggest one-man collections of antiques. This features a varied collection of sculptures, paintings, and religious artifacts, also has a collection of crafts and collages made for attracting children, kids really love this part in the entire tour. This museum also has the most precious collection of the jewellery worn by the Nizams.
Another prime attraction is Hussain Sagar Lake, a beautiful monument erected in 1562 by Hazrat Hussain Shah Wali. A specialty of this lake is an enormous statue of Buddha found in its center. Further, this lake separates the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. A visit to Hyderabad is never complete without taking a tour to the much favored Golconda Fort, from where the world-famous Kohinoor diamond was extracted.
Equally fascinating are the fabulous mosques as well as some rare Islamic structure and tombs of the place. Perhaps most popular among them is Mecca Masjid, located adjacent to Charminar. One of the oldest as well as biggest mosques in the city, its construction was started by Abdullah Qutub Shahi in 1617 and completed by the Mughal emperor, Aurangzeb in 1693. Also, a great example of Islamic architecture is Falaknuma Palace - the residence of the last Nizam, which now houses a unique display of antiques, carpets, architectural gems, and diamonds. This palace is now turned into a rich hotel to enjoy the luxury of the moghal’s culture.
Industrialists Birlas have built temples of architectural magnificence, strangely, are referred to as Birla temples and not Lakshminarayan temple or Venkateswara temple. A quarter century ago, they built one such temple in Hyderabad entirely in marble brought from Rajasthan and dedicated it to Lord Venkateswara, known as Balaji in the north. The temple, built on a hillock called Kala Pahad, one of the Naubat Pahad twins, lords over its equally celebrated surroundings comprising the imposing Secretariat buildings, the azure-blue waters of Hussain Sagar, the serene and halcyon Lumbini Park, the luxurious Public Gardens dominated by the Asafjahi-style Legislative Assembly complex and the Reserve Bank of India. This visit is really blissful.
SHOPPING
Along with other activities like sightseeing, Hyderabad offers superb options for shopping. No shopping in Hyderabad is complete without taking a shopping trip to amazing pearl bazaars of the city. Perhaps for this reason, Hyderabad is sometimes referred to as the 'Pearl City of India.'
The royal kings of Nizam lead a rich life inviting craftsman from all over the world especially from the middle-east, where we get to see rare pearls in abundance. That's why quite rightly most people associate Hyderabad with pearls.
Source of the pearls
China and Japan supply the entire city market with all the pearl it needs. Raw pearls are drilled, boiled for about four days and bleached to rid them of their dark colour. Later, they are placed in glass bottles containing hydrogen peroxide, water and ether and sunned for four to five days in glass sun boxes with mirror base. Finally, they are washed and assorted according to their shape and size.
Take a walk around Patar Gatti and Lad bazaar in Charminar, the oldest commercial areas in the twin cities where pearls can be transacted for. Some pearls stores present here are more than a century old. Those shops market mainly stones like garnets, topaz, jade and corals.
The vendor finds out whether pearls are natural or not just by a simple dip in hot water. Natural pearls retains their colour while cultured pearls tend to fade.
The state has a rich cultural heritage. The great composers of carnatic music Annamacharya, Tyagaraja and many others chose Telugu as their language of composition, thus enriching the language. Kuchipudi is the state's classical dance form. Andhrites have been movie buffs decades. The state produces about 200 top notch movies per year.
Charminar, hyderabad’s grandeur apparent, lords over the pearl shops offering varities of Hyderabadi Bangles, Pearls and captivating collection of bangles. The most loveable city and the best of the sort, that's our Hyderabad.
Kuchipudi, a blend of music and abhinaya, is Andhra Pradesh‘s unique contribution to dance it have flowered from a village called Kuchelapuri or Kuchelapuram in Krishna district. From its birth around 300 B. C., it has remained a continuous and living tradition of this region, performed by men of the Brahmin community.
ACCOMODATION
Above all, Hyderabad's accommodation options are also superb. No matter you want budget or luxury accommodation, the city has hotels and resorts to cater every type of vacationer. Many of them are located within the heart of the city, and hence are within the proximity to all world-class tourist attractions.
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