I first visited Hyderabad in the year 2007, on a vacation trip. It was basically love at first sight with The City of Pearls, and it’s not a bit of exaggeration. But to my surprise, this city became my breadwinner too when I shifted here and continued to stay a blissful 6 years. Now that it’s more like my hometown, I know the nook and corner of the city.
And I won’t disappoint you here at my travel diary of India Imagine when I say let’s check out the streets of Hyderabad together!
The capital city of Telangana is a hub for historical significance episodes that occurred. The monument, buildings, palaces, market place all are the standing witness to that past era. Once ruled by the mighty Nizam and Mughals the city is an impeccable place to quench the travel enthusiast in you. And when we say travel, it doesn’t just mean a tourist destination, in this city, it also means a shopping spree and eating your heart out in the streets of the old city!
So, let’s get started wasting no time
Charminar – The Symbol of Hyderabad
When we say Hyderabad, the first thing that comes into our mind is Biriyani and Charminar! But first, let’s talk about Charminar. This 400-year-old religious and historical significance monument is the most famous landmark in the city. It has become a symbol that represents Hyderabad all over the world.
Around the festival time of Eid, this iconic monument has some extra beauty to offer you. The vibrancy and serenity around the place are hard to describe in words. Another factor that makes the monument is the marketplace around it. This market has a background of more than a century old. The most famous are the Bangles that we come across the Charminar streets. Apart from its clothes, home decor and sandals are quite popular among people coming here to visit Hyderabad!
Salar Jung Museum – The artifacts and history
I visited Salar Jung on the same day as the Charminar visit. These marvellous structures stand on the banks of Hyderabad’s oldest river, the Musi River. Salar Jung was first owned by the Salar Jung family, to exhibit their private collection of artifacts.
However, after when it comes under the Government of India the Museum has become one of the best museums in the city to date. People come across a vast collection of artifacts, sculptures and other handmade things from all over the globe. And nevertheless, to say, Salar Jung is one of the largest museums in the world to date.
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Golconda Fort – The land that creates diamonds
A month back we covered a post on Golconda Fort at India Imagine. Such is the vastness and impact of this historical significance site called Golconda Fort. It was believed to be constructed in the era of the Qutb Shahi Dynasty. Golconda is surrounded by mines that produce the world’s best diamonds.
Don’t you believe it? Remember Koh-i-noor? It was produced and kept here. The Fort is popular as a tourist destination and an excellent place for those who love to dig a bit from the part to reminisce our historical stories.
Ramoji Film City – The city within the city
Hyderabad and Ramoji Film City are synonymous. If not people from other states coming to Hyderabad do treat it that way. If you visit Hyderabad but forget to visit Ramoji will ultimately lead to a scornful look on people’s face. So, if you are visiting do visit the fantastic, popular and the most sought place in Hyderabad. It will be a day’s long affair so don’t be in a hurry. And trust me you won’t regret it a bit.
Splendid sightseeing and other activities are waiting for you as you step inside the premises. The Ramoji Film City is a film studio that is encapsulated in the vastness of 1666 acres precisely. Most of the iconic moments of Indian cinema was created here, including the most loved “Bahubali”. Tourists are attracted towards the cinematic recreations and often seen clicking pictures to reminisce their favourite movie scene. No wonder the place is called ” The city within the city”.
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Nehru Zoological Park – The kid’s zone
We visited Nehru Zoological Park last year with my kids. Well, that makes sense as the place is the perfect spot to be with your kids. The place draws tourists (locals and tourists from other states) every day due to the variety of species of animals and birds as well the nature of which the Zoo is maintained. There is a safari available if you don’t prefer walking all the lane. The zoo is opened every day other than Monday, on which it is closed for maintenance and cleaning.
Birla Mandir – The marvellous marble
A Hindu temple that fascinates you on your every visit. That’s how beautiful Birla Mandir is all about. The architecture style includes an amalgamation of Utkala, Rajasthani and the famous Dravidian designs. The entire temple was built with tons of pure marble which makes it splendidly beautiful. The idol of the deity Lord Venkateswara is carved out of beautiful granite stone. The temple premises is calm and quiet filled with an aura of spirituality and serenity.
Hussain Sagar – The hotspot of the city
Hussain Sagar is the hotspot of Hyderabad. This heart-shaped lake is enormously spread on an area of 5.7 square kilometers. The main water source that reaches here is from the river Musi. The beauty of the lake is the statue of Lord Buddha in the center of the lake. The vicinity of the lake is crowded with tourists and youngsters who come here to enjoy the sunset. There is a lot of eatery and street shops to enjoy your evening bites!
Chilkur Balaji Temple – The visa temple
Chilkur Balaji temple is situated on the banks of Osman Sagar. Devotees rush here for two reasons, first to get a glimpse of God Balaji and second to get a US visa! Well that might sound funny, but it isn’t! Chilkur Balaji is also called Visa Balaji due to the undefeated faith of devotees. They believe in praying to Chilkur for a US visa and most of the devotees have shared their success story. This temple is one of those who won’t differentiate between commoners and VIPS.
Old city – For shopping and street foods
My love for the old city is unflinching! The place is historic, there is a shopping spree in the streets of Old city, old book shops and food, food, food! What more do I need to fall in love with the place. The streets of the old city are worth a walk. They reminisce the historic events that took place once, they exhibit the age-old tradition through artifacts and handicrafts, they lure you through the most delicious street food you have ever relished.
Hyderabadi cuisine – A slice of heaven
At the start of the article, I had said, when we say Hyderabad two things come into our mind, Charminar and Hyderabadi Dum Biriyani!
Hyderabadi cuisine comes from the royal lineage. The love for food takes us way back to the 15th century. There is a vast variety of food a mixture of Mughal, Arabic and traditional Telugu delicacies. If you are thinking, Biriyani is the only food, no, you are wrong. Some other foods that can blow your mind are Haleem, Mandi and the famous Shahi Tukda. I won’t trigger your tastebuds more, just go and visit Hyderabad.
Till then, Bon Voyage!
