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Hydrabad

History

Hyderabad entered the records of history books with the establishment of the Qutub Shahi dynasty by Quli Qutub Shah who usurped the Bahamani Kingdom in 1512 and established the fortress city of Golconda. Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, the fifth in the line of Qutub Shahi rulers, moved his capital to the new place and thus Hyderabad came into being in 1590. Among other reasons, scarcity of water city in the Golconda city played an important role in this relocation

Golconda Fort stadium

A city on Rocks

Hydrabad an ancient city is the city of Nizams. Whole hyderabad is situated on the rocks or the rocks are on the Hyderabad I went to Hyderabad for an interview and was amazed to see the beauty of the city.
The Hyderabad Airport-“Rajiv Gandhi International Airport” is situated approximately 30 km from the city. It is such a beautiful airport in itself that all my airsickness was gone after landing on the city. Surrounded by palm trees the airport looks like a beach resort.

I took the pre-paid Taxi and was to the Hytech city for my scheduled interview.
The Hytech city is 35-40 km from the airport and the driver took the outer ring road to reach the destination.
The road is still under construction but is very beautiful. They have made the road 4-lanes for each side. The road goes between the mountains as they have made it by cutting the mountains and rocks. The view is amazing as the broad road goes through the mountains.

There I saw two rocks standing tall, imitating as the two persons standing back to backwith each other.
I asked the driver to stop the taxi and took a photo of that amazing creation of GOD.I reached the destination in about an hour and found that the Hytech city is really Hytech. After entering the full details in the register at the security and showing the e-mail invitation for the interview, I was allowed to enter the Hytech city. There it was not difficult to trace my destination. The overall experience was wonderful and I really enjoyed the trip to Hyderabad.



The last some decades have seen Hyderabad transformed from a medieval city into one of theworld's most happening places thanks to the IT revolution being experienced in India. Its recorded past is tied exclusively to the legacy of the Muslim rule of the medieval India. The vestiges of the period are found in the exquisite monuments such as Char Minar. As a part of his expansion plan in southern India, the Mughal Emperor Aurangazeb invaded Golconda and captured it after a long siege in 1687. The defeat resulted in the decline of Hyderabad. The weakening of the Mughal Empire in the 18th century emboldened its viceroys to declare their independence and Asaf Jah-I was no exception. He assumed the title of Nizam and established an independent rule of the Asif Jahi Dynasty in 1724. Hyderabad once again became a prominent capital city, ruled by successive Nizams of the Asaf Jah dynasty until the princely state was merged into the Indian Union in 1948. Today, it is the capital of Andhra Pradesh.

Charminar

Tourist attractions in Hyderabad

Charminar

A famous landmark of Hyderabad, Charminar is the shining example of the Qutb Shahi architecture. Built in 1591 to commemorate the end of the plague, the amazing rectangular monument was built upon four grand arches by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah.

Char minar

Golconda Fort

Founded originally by the Kakatiya rulers in the 13th century, the historic citadel was expanded by the Qutb Shahi rulers into a gigantic fort of granite with walls and ramparts extending some 7kms in circumference. The fortress city within the walls was famous for the diamond trade and the Koh-i-noor diamond is said to have come from here Mecca Masjid

Golkonda fort wall inside the fort made of granite stone

Mecca Masjid

India's second-largest mosque, Mecca Masjid (the biggest being Jama Masjid in Delhi) is located on Kishan Prasad Rd, near Charminar. Patterned on the Grand Mosque at Mecca, the mosque attracts thousands of worshippers during Namaaz, Friday prayers.

Qutb Shahi Tombs

The tombs were built in the memory of the departed rulers of the Golconda rulers. Located at a distance of one kilometre north of Golconda fort's Banjara Darwaza, the tombs are magnificent, that of Sultan Muhammed Quli Qutb Shah being most impressive.

Once furnished with carpets, decorative chandeliers and beautiful velvet canopies on silver posts, Qutub Shahi’s Tombs are elegant structures with finely carved stonework surrounded by landscaped gardens, displaying a distinctive style, an amalgam of Persian, Pathan and Hindu architectural styles. The various facets and corners of the tombs have been diligently upholding the distinct architectural specialties of art in the times of the past.

Snugly set amid scenic and landscaped gardens, known as Ibrahim bagh, Qutub Shahi’s Tombs are dedicated to the memory of the seven Qutub Shahi kings who dominated over Golconda for around 170 years. The most articulate specimens of Indo-Persian architecture influenced by Deccan structural styles comprise these tombs. As a result there has been the emergence of a distinctive Qutub Shahi school marked by flamboyance of domes, arches, towers and columns. These architectural features began surfacing during the era of Ibrahim Qutub Shah and rose to their climax during the rule of Muhammed Quli Qutub Shah.

The gray granite tombs of Qutub Shahi adorned with exquisite ornamentation are predominantly domed structures, which stand on an raised square base bounded by pointed arches.  Each quadrangular tomb rises to an elevation of 9 - 15 meters over the terrace. The larger tombs are double storied while the minor ones are single storied. In earlier times, Qurans were kept on stands and readers orated verses from the sacred book in regular intervals. Even golden spires topped the tombs of the Sultans to tell apart their tombs from rest of the members of the royal family. However the golden cupolas no longer exist. Few of the blue and green tiles that once adorned the domes of the tombs still grace the mausoleums. The tombs of Qutub Shahi consist of the graves of Sultan Quli Qutub-ul-Mulk, Jamsheed Quli Qutub Shah, Ibrahim Quli Qutub Shah, Sultan Muhammad Quli and Sultan Muhammad Qutub Shah.

Falaknuma Palace

Literally meaning "Mirror in the Sky", the Falaknuma Palace was built by Sir Vicar ul Umra. Designed by an Italian architect, the palace was later bought by the Nizam. Located 5km south of the Charminar, the architect is a treasure trove of precious possessions of the Nizam.

Salrajung Museum

A collection of works of art by Nawab Salar Jung III, this museum is an unique assortment of kitschy collectibles including Indian and European paintings and statuary. The Jade Room in the museum houses objects which belonged to the medieval Indian rulers like Aurangzeb and Tipu Sultan.

Birla Mandir

Overlooking the Tank Bund, the white-marble Birla Mandir exhibits an amazing sight when illuminated in the evening. Commissioned by the Birlas, India's foremost business houses, this splendid structure built entirely out of marble from the western state of Rajasthan, stands atop the Kala Pahad, the twin hillock of the Naubat Pahad. The presiding deity of the temple is Lord Venkateshwara.

Shopping

Heading westward from Charminar, you will find Lad Bazaar, a shopping centre of the Old City quarter. Ambling through the perennially congested narrow lanes will be an experience. Here you will find the famous Lacquer bangles of Hyderabad, made from shellac coated with glossy and colourful stones.

Hyderabad is known as the city of pearls. Kedarnathji Motiwale (near Bata, Pathergatti) has been supplying pearls and jewelry since 1908. The pearl market is situated near Charminar. You can buy ornaments made with Rice pearls from Char Kaman or the General Bazaar Market. Good buys in Hyderabad also include silverware, silkware, saris, paintings and artifacts.