Day 214 of Indian places giving smiles – The tegal city of Hyderabad

As a teenager I had gone to Hyderabad on a community picnic as a group of more than 100 members and I was more interested in impressing people than being impressed with the place. Fifteen years later, we suddenly decided to go to Hyderabad with my husband and two small children to take a short break from a hectic and tiring urban lifestyle.

From one city to another- yet this was a change from the routine. And our visit to Hyderabad had to include its main attraction -the Charminar. This literally means the four minarets which are of an imposing size at the corners of a four arched structure, Built by a Muslim king Qutub Shahi in honor of his Hindu wife. It was difficult to get a good photo next to it, considering the rows of vehicles that drove slowly around it.

We also saw the Mecca Masjid the largest mosque from afar, which can accommodate many devotees during the community prayers. I preferred to shop for traditional pearl jewellry and bangles from the many interesting shops on either side of the busy street. We also had to buy the typical cotton sarees of this place. There were so many local products to see as walked slowly around the markets of this part of Hyderabad which is called the old city.

And there is definitely a new part of the city with the wide roads, the swanky malls, the glass facade buildings and the branded shops. Though I preferred to just drive past it i I couldn’t resist a visit to the multi-storeyed exclusive emporium where I even managed to get a photo with a famous film actress in the saree section.

I remember going to the Golconda Fort for the evening sound and light show as a teenager, yet climbing up the steps of this Fort in the hot sun was a different prospect. Our guide shouted at one part of the fort in the base and told us that the built in acoustics of the fort, ensured that this voice was easily heard by someone sitting at the peak of the fort. We have not given enough credit to the impressive thinking pf the behind the scenes people who have designed the Forts of this country.

As we passed by the Royal baths of the queens, I wondered what it must have been to be a royal family member of those times- surrounded by riches and servants, yet always worried about impending attacks from enemies. And most of us now keep taking our complete independence for granted, and keep cribbing about getting more riches!

We then went to the most famous museum in Hyderabad – the Salar Jung museum. I had read so much about how rich the earlier rulers of Hyderabad were. We were lucky to have a glimpse of some of their treasures including their collection of artifacts, pottery and paintings. At the stroke of 12noon we gathered at a hall to hear and watch the cute dolls come out of the clock, as the 12 gongs resounded from an antique timepiece!

I was quite excited to see the animals in one of the biggest zoos of India-the Nehru Zoological park, roaming quite freely in big enclosures as opposed to the cooped up cages that I usually see in the Mumbai zoo!

Our boat ride on the Husainsagar lake was one of the must-do activity in Hyderabad around the serene large statue of Buddha overlooking the city. The Lumbini park next to it has a musical fountain which attracts a lot of visitors.

At the majestic Birla Mandir made completely from white marble, I remember a comment made from one of my relatives who was working for the Birla group. He said that a part of his hard work earnings must have also contributed towards one millimeter or so of this construction.

We had a fancy Christmas dinner at the Krishna Oberoi hotel and my orthodox mother was appalled at sight of rows of hanging chicken pieces decorating the edge of the diners  pavilion. Though I am not much of a foodie, I had to taste the vegetarian version of an authentic Hyderbadi Biryani. Our waiter also told us to try another speciality, the Kakori Kabab, a soft snack, made specially for an old Nizam with no teeth! And we ended the meal with the most delicious desert I ever had, the Apricot pudding called Kubaani ka Meeta, served with rich cream. There was no need to care about calories when surrounded with such authentic delicious traditional Hydrabadi cuisine!

We also visited relatives staying near the posh Banjara Hills area. We had a get-together at one of the elite clubs which was previously a Nizams place of residence. We spent another evening strolling on the promenade around the Hussain sagar lake. We had to go on a boat ride on the waters of this lake that separates Hyderabad from Secunderabad.

The third time I visited Hyderabad was on official work. I did not have time to go to Ramoji Film city, India’s answer to UniversaI studios. Instead I had an opportunity to drive through Secunderabad and I had to pick up our leader who had reached world level acclaim and many awards for his contribution in the field of education. As our big vehicle tried to maneuver its way through the small bye-lanes what struck me was the inherent goodness of the local people. I had a chance to interact with a lot of Telugu speaking rural youth, who spoke to me in broken English about their great dreams for our country. I stayed for a week at a natural resort on the outskirts of Hyderabad with an unforgettable emotional and spiritually uplifting experience.

Regal food, regal culture, regal treasures, regal in heart…in my three visits to the city spanning over three decades, I have seen the transformation of  Hyderabad towards becoming one of the most  important cities of modern India.

So which Indian place gave you smiles today?

Please share your experience at Indian places that make you smile.