Hyderabad: The city of Nizam

Hyderabad: A city of abundance. Once ruled by the Nizams, the city is now the IT hub of India. It is a Shangri La for the food lovers, especially the mouth watering Hyderabadi Biryani! Famous for its jewelry in pearl! In spite of being a metro, Hyderabad is not very typical. It has a culture of its own which retains its rich history and yet absorbs the modern trends.

My visit to Hyderabad was very sudden and short. My colleague Varsha had was back in India in her home town Hyderabad. She invited me to visit her and everything worked out well. I took two days leave from the office and flew to Hyderabad on a Thursday, that way i could make good use of my weekend.

Varsha came to receive me at the airport. After reaching home we had garma garam Chole and Poori for lunch. A perfect "Welcome to Hyderabad"! At night we went to the Hussain Sagar lake. If you want to enjoy the beauty of this lake, evening is the best time. You can feel the soft breeze in your face and enjoy the scene. At night the lake is lit at shores and the statue of Buddha located at the center of the lake just looks magnificent.

Golconda Ruins

Next day we left for Golconda Fort. Golconda was the captial city and has a fortress build by the Qutb Shahi rulers. The city was home to one of the most powerful Muslim Sultanates and was a flourishing center for diamond trade. The famous Kohinoor diamond was found in the mines of Golconda.

Qutb Shahi Tomb

At the foot of the Golconda fortress are the Qutb Shahi tombs. The eleven tombs in this area are erected in memory of the Kings and their Begums who ruled the city of Golconda for 170 years until Mogul Emperor Aurangzeb took over.

Charminar

Later in the evening we went to Charminar. It was built in 1591. It is originally a Masjid. It is situated right in the middle of a crowded road. This piece of Architecture is simply astonishing. There is an old Unani Hospital on the left and a huge Masjid on the right. Unani is a branch of medicines.


We also visited the Salar Jung Museum. However we had to rush through its chambers as we went pretty late. You need at least a day's time to visit this place. Its worth your time. It takes you back in history. It was private collection once.

Next day we went for breakfast buffet! We had paitful! A little late in the afternoon we went for a lunch buffet where I finally got to taste the Shahi Hyderabadi Biryani, it was so delectable that i almost ate my fingers. I had a wonderful wonderful time in Hyderabad. All Thanks to Varsha and her family.

The legend says that while laying the foundation of Charminar, Qutb Shah Quli prayed to God to bestow unto this city, peace and prosperity and to let the millions of men of all castes, creeds and religions make it their abode. Just like the thousands of fishes in the sea. True to the legend, the city has bloomed into a synthesis of a beautiful Hyderabadi culture. My Salam to Hyderabad!