So beautiful it’s often referred to as the ‘Pride of the Deccan’, Hyderabad one of India’s most spectacular cities known for its magnificent monuments, Mughal gardens, dazzling lakes, and more. Lending an air of romance to the city is the interesting legend related to its foundation. It’s said that a young prince Muhammad Quli fell madly in love with Bhagmati, a maiden from Chichlam vil, a village across the river Musi. On ascending the throne, he built the Charminar there and renamed the village Bhagnagar (meaning good fortune) after his beloved, this city later came to be called Hyderabad.
A city known for its spectacular beauty, Hyderabad is any backpacker’s delight! Standing out on its must visit list includes prominent monuments like the Charminar, also referred to as ‘The Arc de triomphe of the East’. A masterpiece, this monument reflects the grandeur of the Qutub Shabi Dynasty, and is known for its Indo Islamic architecture replete with grand arches and exquisite minarets.
An impregnable fort, the Golconda Fort is a marvelous piece of military architecture, known for its bastions, gateways, ramparts, palaces, temples, mosques and more. One of India’s most famous forts its structure was built in such a way that it could face any known artillery attack of the 17th century. It’s said the famous “Kohinoor” diamond was taken from the Golconda Fort. Here tourists can catch up on the sound and light show explaining the fort’s history and grandeur.
A little distance away from the fort lies the Qutub Shahi Tombs, of the seven Qutub Shahi Kings that ruled Hyderabad. A mix of Indo Persian Pathan and Hindu architectural styles, these tombs are situated amidst well maintained gardens and are some of the city’s oldest monuments. Despite the ravages of time these tombs have maintained their original glory that says a lot about the architecture. It also forms the backdrop of the annual Deccan festival that showcases talent of artists from various fields.
A land of kings and royalty, Hyderabad has its share of palaces, namely the Falaknuma Palace, the Chawmahalla Palace, Basheer Bagh Palace, Hill Fort Palace,King Kothi Palace, Asman Garh Palace, Paigah Palace, Mahboob mansion, Sardar Mahal, Purani Haveli… Each more exquisite than the other, known for their exquisite architecture, lavish rooms, treasures that include sculptures, portraits and paintings, rare manuscripts, antique books and more, they reflect Hyderabad’s glorious past.
Of the several places of worship here one standing out from others is the Mecca Masjid known for its stunning architecture. Also located barely 100 meters from the Charminar, it is one of the oldest mosques in India, with brick used for its arch brought from the holy city of Mecca. Other important mosques here include the Begumpet Mosque, Todi Masjid.
Of temples here the Sri Venkateshwara Temple also known as ‘Birla Mandir’ is one of the most beautiful temples of S. India. Made of white marble brought from Rajasthan, against the backdrop of the Hussain Sagar Lake and built atop the Kala Pahad, one can get a magnificent view of the city from here. But what is more beautiful here are the exquisitely carved marble statues depicting scenes from the Mahabharata. Other famous temples here include the Balaji Temple at Chilkur,Darbar Maisamma Temple and the Katta Maisamma Temple.
Home to many museums, while the Salar Jung Museum is one of the oldest museums here known for its extensive and rich collection of arts from across the world, Should we say a visit to the BM Birla Science Centre and Archaeological Museum and Birla Planetarium can be described as simply ‘out of this world?!’ While the Purani Haveli now converted into a museum houses some personal belongings and mementoes of the Nizams. The State Archaeological Museum is another very interesting museum of relics belonging to ancient and medieval, coins from various ages, even an Egyptian mummy.
Not only adding to the beauty of the city but also providing recreational entertainments with water sports such as para sailing, boating etc, are the many lakes the city is home to. While the Hussain Sagar Lake with one of the world’s tallest statues of the Buddha is probably the most noted Lake of the city, other lakes here include the Osman Sagar Lake, Himayat Sagar Lake, Secret Lake and Mir Alam Tank.
No mention of Hyderabad is complete without a mention of its exquisite gardens, complete with fountains and other water bodies. While the landscaping in the Indra Park is spectacular, Sanjeevaiah Park is known for its rare and multi-colored roses and Public Garden for its toy train, the KBR National Park for its various species of birds found here, the Mrugavani National Park and Mahavir Harina Vanasthali National Park for its wildlife, and last but not the least the Nehru Zoological Park for over 250 species of animals and birds.
Hitec city is also now fast joining in the list of tourist attractions here. Though situated on the outskirts of the city, it showcases modern Hyderabad as one of India’s latest IT destinations.
A foodies and shopaholics dream come true, Hyderabadi cuisine is simply out of this world! While no trip to Hyderabad is complete without ‘biryani’ and ‘kebabs’, also try its other scrumptious dishes like Haleem, Paaya, Hyderabadi Kheema and top it off with the famous faloodas and firni available here!
While Hyderabad has been nicknamed the ‘city of pearls’, pearls is just one of the items that should find its way into your shopping list! From bidriware, to banjara mirror works… lac bangles to puppets or kondapalli toys and yes pearls… Hyderabad is the place to shop for it all as well as handlooms, pochampalli and venkatgiri sarees and kalamkari, ikat fabrics. Must visit shopping areas here include Basheerbagh-Abids-Nampally, Hyderabad’s most prominent shopping area, while Begum Bazaar, Mozaam Jahi Market, Charminar-Patthargatti-Lad Bazaar are other noted shopping areas here.
A city that has it all, from a wide range of stunning monuments, exquisite gardens and lakes, to rich culture and heritage, and who can forget delectable cuisine & enjoyable shopping, Hyderabad is a dream destination that truly deserves the nickname bestowed upon it the ‘Pride of the Deccan!
Mapsofindia Blog 