HYDERABAD: WHERE NOVELTY MEETS HISTORY!

India, a land of rich cultural heritage, traditions, customs and languages. Each state in India has its own uniqueness in terms of traditions as well as history. One such state is Telangana with its capital, Hyderabad, the royal city! Hyderabad has been successful in developing itself with all the modern amenities, yet it has maintained its rich heritage. The city will welcome you with its technology industry, sky scrapers, exclusive hotels and restaurants along with several historic sites. Hyderabad is also known as the City of Pearls so don’t forget to buy some authentic pearl sets before leaving the city!

The journey from the airport to the main city is indeed a soothing and relaxing experience for all the weary travellers. So, if the commencement is so beautiful, how would the entire experience of your tour be? Your expectations will reach its zenith for sure and Hyderabad won’t disappoint you! Hussain Sagar lake has a mesmerising beauty and the you can spend some time near this water body to rejuvenate yourself. Apart from the technology-based sectors, the historic sites like Charminar, Golconda fort, Salar Jung Museum, Chowmahallah Palace and many others are worth-mentioning!

Charminar, meaning the four minarets is a monument and a mosque which is one of the best tourist attractions. The surrounding area has many shops that sell the most famous pearl of Hyderabad, glass bangles and other jewelleries. You have to climb quite a number of steps to reach the top of the monument from where you can behold the city! The structure is quite impressive, and its grandeur can be completely felt! There is a Hindu temple known as the Bhagyalaxmi temple at the base of Charminar, hence this amalgamation of Hindu and Muslim structures is worth cherishing!

One of the magnificent and strategically constructed forts in India is the Golconda fort that you surely cannot miss! The structure of this fort is well-planned so that it remains safe from the attacks of the enemies. The strategy behind the construction will mesmerise you for sure and you need to find this out after visiting the place to get the real essence of it! This fort once had a vault where the world-famous Kohinoor and other diamonds were stored.

If you want to witness and experience royalty, Chowmahallah Palace is the place where you must visit! It was once the seat of Asaf Jahi dynasty where the Nizam welcomed his distinguished and royal guests.

You will be welcomed by huge decorative chandeliers as soon as you enter the main palace so get ready to be awestruck! The vintage cars, crockeries, weapons and clothes are safely kept here for all the visitors to see and get the flavour of royalty. The surrounding is very peaceful, and the cool breeze has an enchanting power that will make you attracted to this majestic enclosure.

Love antiques? Salar Jung Museum should definitely be there in your list. It houses the largest collection of antiques in the world! Starting from the paintings of Salar Jung, to the royal items, weapons, marble statues, Chinese and Japanese items, clocks etc can be found under one roof.  Have lots of time in your hand so that you can visit all the antique collections and if you don’t have that much time, do witness the brilliant marble statue of Veiled Rebecca, the miniature paintings, the two-sided wooden statue and the Chinese and Japanese collections! You cannot complete your visit without beholding these jaw-dropping antiques!

Your tour will remain incomplete without the special Hyderabadi biryani and south-Indian Cuisines, isn’t it? Paradise restaurant is the place you must visit for amazing biryani and other north-Indian and Chinese dishes. For south-Indian cuisine, the local roadside stalls are the best and don’t forget to compliment it with a refreshing cup of coffee! Happy journey to all!

--Photographed & Written by Sayantani Sengupta