Hyderabad's Nehru Zoological Park aka Hyderabad Zoo

Hyderabad is dry and it doesn't rain as much here as it does in many other cities of the country. As a result, the Hyderabadi terrain is largely composed of rocks. Huge boulders of stones strewn around everywhere with a few shrubs and fewer trees anywhere in sight. Its a lot like Ahmedabad in that respect, albeit, I have to say that the Government in Hyderabad has really worked in making this city even more beautiful. As I have already mentioned in my post about Durgam Cheruvu aka Secret Lake, the tourism department of Andhra Pradesh has worked wonders for the city of Hyderabad.

The Zoo in Hyderabad aka Nehru Zoological Park in Hyderabad is one such place that is really well created and superbly maintained. The whole zoo is lush green with trees and extremely well maintained. The animals are not kept in cages as with the usual zoo, but instead they are all kept in huge open areas and trenches are dug to ensure that they do not jump out. This made photographing the animals a lot more fun and I hope it helped the animals live better too. The moment I entered the zoo, I went berserk with my camera. There was so much to click and so little time.

We saw the beautiful white tigers lazing around in the afternoon and they were a lot of fun to photograph in the open as there was a trench separating us from them and no barbed wire as is the usual case. Here is a picture of the white tigers.

I also had a chance to snap a beautiful photograph of this pair of Herons - if I remember the name correctly, and here is that.
There were many ponds and lakes in the zoo itself and at one of these water bodies, I found this pair of swan.
While clicking snaps in the Butterfly garden, I came across a large variety of flowers, cultivated to attract a large variety of butterflies. On such beautiful snap is showcased below.
This picture of two lovebirds on a small pillar is one of my favorite snaps from the zoo. This pair of lovebirds was standing right under the light from the sun and it allowed me to get this beautiful snap with the birds well illuminated and defined by the sunlight.
In the butterfly park, I managed to get a superb snap of a butterfly sitting on a flower and it does look very beautiful. I have seen hundreds of similar snaps, but still I like this photograph of butterfly too.
Wildlife photography - even in a zoo, made me realize the importance of having a proper DSLR, as the slow shutter speeds and fast reaction times required leave very less room for error. My Canon S3 IS fell woefully short of my expectations while shooting in the zoo.

Here is one snap from the lake which I took while waiting for the boat to take us on a joyride around the lake. I don't know if this is the picture of a Heron or that of a swan, but the contrasting colors do make it look beautiful. I was not able to really focus well on the black bird and that does show in the photograph, but its a good snap nevertheless.

The Zoological Park in Hyderabad is a huge place and besides the Mir Alam Tank it also has a small toy train you can take a ride in and a small animal safari through a region where they have kept the cheetahs and the lions in the wild. The whole tour of the Nehru Zoological Park, Hyderabad will easily take a full day. I will not recommend the Zoo for tourists coming to visit Hyderabad for a 3-4 day visit, but for the IT crowd and students living in Hyderabad, the Zoo is definitely a must visit. Some more details about the zoo.

Mir Alam Tank, Hyderabad
The last picture was taken at the Mir Alam tank which forms a boundary of the Nehru Zoological Park. Mir Alam was a Prime Minister of Hyderabad from 1804 to 1808 and he was instrumental in building this mile long arched dam with 21 arches. Its construction was started on 25th July 1804 and was completed on 8th June 1806. Andhra Pradesh Tourism offers boating facilities that include mechanised boats, steering boats and speed boats. The speed boats available here are mostly hired for film shootings. A 20 minutes trip on the boat takes anything between Rs 20 to Rs 150 depending on the type of boat hired. Guest House accommodation is also available.

Timings of the Hyderabad Zoo

April to June : 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM
July to March : 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM

Fees for the Hyderabad Zoo

The entry fees are Rs 20 for adults and Rs 15 for children. The fees for various other rides like Train Ride, Elephant Ride, Maharaja Elephant Ride, Safari Ride and the Nocturnal Animal House range from Rs. 15 to Rs 50. Carrying a camera inside the zoo also costs Rs 20 and if you want to bring in your four wheeler you will have to shell out an additional Rs 500 for that.

Ananda Buddha Vihara, Buddha Temple at Hyderabad

It was a boring Sunday. Jigar had scrambled over to my place in Begumpet and we were bored watching television and had nothing to do. We were also going through a serious abstinence phase and so Jigar wanted out and I wanted photography. I had read a small byline in my Lonely Planet about a quaint Buddhist temple on a hill in Hyderabad and off we went to the Ananda Buddha Vihara, Hyderabad.

The Lonely Planet guide provided accurate details to the destination. We went up to East Maredpally and from there took a rickshaw to Mahendra Hills. Not surprisingly, the rickshaw driver hadn't heard of the place either. We asked him to take us to Mata Amritanandmayi's Ashrama which is next to Ananda Buddha Vihara as he concentrated on coaxing the rickshaw above the steep streets of Mahendra Hills. The buddhist temple of Ananda Buddha Vihara is the last building at the edge of a hillock, just adjacent to Mata Amritanandmayi's ashrama.

The sight of the temple is guaranteed to take your breath away. And as you climb over its steps and watch the city, you will wonder why no one told you before about this place. The Ananda Buddha Vihara offers some beautiful views of the city. As you enter the huge hall of the temple, with lights flooding the hall through the huge French windows, you will be surprised by the calm serenity of the place. The temple has a huge golden Buddha statue in its center. You can undoubtedly forget yourself sitting in this magnificent hall.

Outside the hall there is a small garden with a beautiful idol of Lord Buddha under a tree. It seems to be depicting the scene where Lord Buddha is supposed to have attained Nirvana. There is also a lotus pool and a waterfall in the garden. There is a wide variety of many beautiful flowers and plants in the garden too.

We went out of the temple and just down the road, I spent some time photographing Jigar with some kids on the streets. They were overjoyed when I showed them their pictures on the LCD.

A view of the road down towards the city.

We were very tired by the time we reached Ananda Buddha Vihara. But the rest in the temple did us a world of good. I had a grand time photographing the many different cloud formations that adorned the beautiful blue skies of Hyderabad that day. The sky in Hyderabad - and I am saying this with the experience of watching it nearly everyday from my top floor balcony - springs up many different patterns of clouds and color. The skies in Ahmedabad and Mumbai in contrast look grey, bleak and gloomy. Here are some pics with some beautiful cloud formations.

The clouds move across the skyline of Hyderabad like an armada of ships sailing across oceans.

The Ananda Buddha Vihara trust, was first set up at Tukaramgate about 24 years ago. Now it functions from a sprawling 3-acre land in Mahendra Hills. It organises the annual Buddha Jayanti celebrations and organises lectures on full moon day (Poornima) every month. The trust has also been involved in printing Buddhist literature in English and Telugu languages and translated several Buddhist works into the regional language. The Mahendra Hills complex is being run by Ven Sangharakshita Mahathera from the erstwhile composite Bengal state. Mahathera settled in the city and looks after the affairs of the Trust. The monks at the temple are very approachable and will tell you all you need to know about Buddhism.

The Ananda Buddha Vihara is undoubtedly one of the best places in Hyderabad to spend some time in solitude, peace and quiet.

Qutb Shahi Tombs, Hyderabad

Planned and built during the reign of each one of the monarchs himself, the Qutb Shahi tombs, lying a kilometre to the north of Golconda in Hyderabad are a combination of Persian, Pathan and Hindu styles of architecture. Muhammed Quli Qutb Shah built the Charminar and is considered to be the founder of Hyderabad. Nowhere else in the world does an entire dynasty find a common resting place.

Trellissed balconies, overlapping arches, arched corridors and rich ornamental parapets make the Qutb Shahi Tombs look spectacular.

The tombs of the Quli Qutub Shahi dynasty have stood the test of time braving human negligence and the assault of time and weather. Besides the tombs of the Quli Qutb Shahi dynasty, there are tombs of the people who were near and dear to the buried royals too.

There is a tomb of Fatima Sultan, sister of Muhammed Qutub Shah. Between Muhammed Quli’s and Jamsheed’s tomb there is the mausoleum of Kulsoom Begum who was Mohammed Qutub’s grand daughter. There are tombs that belong to Taramathi and Premamathi, Muhammed Neknam Khan, who served in the army of Abdullah, Fatima Khanum, one of Abdullah’s daughters. There is a tomb of the Sufi saint Husain Wali. It is believed that Husain wali built the Husain Sagar lake, which connects the cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad.

Here is a picture showing the corridors of the famous Qutb Shahi Tombs.

The Qutb Shahi tombs are closed on Fridays. There is a museum nearby that houses weapons, utensils etc of the Qutb Shahi period.

Timings
Museum : 11:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.
Qutb Shahi Tombs : 9:30 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. - Closed Fridays

Bus Routes
65S, 80S, 80P, 142S

Ticket Price
Rs. 2

Salarjung Museum, Hyderabad

The Salar Jung museum in Hyderabad on the banks of the Musi houses one of the largest one-man collection of artifacts ands antiques in the world. Salar Jung 3, Abdul Qasim Yousuf Ali Khan, was prime minister to the Nizam at the age of 24. He was in lineage of hereditary Diwans to the Nizams of Hyderabad. He was a frequent traveller abroad. On his visits he visited museums and collected some of the greatest masterpieces of all times like the Veiled Rebecca in marble, the Margarette and Mephistopheles in a single block of solid wood. This place is a must visit on any sightseeing tour in Hyderabad city.

The different collections constitute of Indian Art, Middle Eastern Art, Far Eastern Art, European Art, Children Art along with a Founders gallery and a rare manuscript section. There are all sorts of weapon and clothes from that era too.

A photograph of the Vieled Rebecca at the Salarjung museum in Hyderabad.

Old timers say that the huge collection of Salar Jung, who remained a bachelor was siphoned away by the domestic help and later thieves and what remains is just half of what was collected by the prime minister. Even that half is undoubtedly impressive. The museum attracts nearly 10 lakh visitors annually.

A photograph of an Egyptian painting from the Salarjung Museum in Hyderabad.

For those of you who are interested in the architecture of Hyderabad city, the area around the Salarjung has some wonderful buildings. You can go sightseeing in Hyderabad and visit the impressive building of the Osmania University and the High Court in its vicinity too.

SalarJung Museum Entry Fee : 10/- for Indians Rs. 150/- for Foreigners

SalarJung Museum Timings : 10:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. Closed on Friday

Photography : Permission

City Buses : 2, 8, 9, 72

Popular As : Largest One-Man Collections Of The World

Exhibits : Mughal Miniatures, European Paintings & sculptures, Chinese Porcelain, Japanese Silk Paintings, Carpets, Clocks, rare manuscripts, jade and ivory works etc.

Durgam Cheruvu aka Secret Lake, Hyderabad

Imagine you are sitting under a tree on top of a hill with a cool breeze blowing across your face and in front of you is a wide expanse of blue water surrounded by granite hillocks. And all this, right in the middle of the City of Hyderabad. Hyderabad sightseeing is always fun, not just because of the wonderful locals, and the beautiful locations but also because of the efforts that the AP Tourism Department has taken to develop most tourist places.

Durgam Cheruvu literally means Secret Lake in English. During earlier times, this lake used to supply water to the Golconda Fort. It lies just beside the posh Jubilee Hills area. The lake is called Durgam Cheruvu because there was no road leading to it for years and it was completely enclosed from all sides, making it difficult to know that there was a lake beyond the rocks. This was why very few people used to visit this place.
Today, the lake has been beautifully developed and landscaped with many different plants adding to the beauty of the garden on its banks. Usually this place has a large number of young lovers looking around for nooks and crannies. But on weekends, there are usually more families who come to enjoy the beauty of this lake. On top of the lake there is an amphitheatre and sometimes there are rock fests that are held in these beautiful, picturesque surrounds as shown in the photographs above.
This secret lake is surrounded by beautiful rocks which are very old and interest many geologists. On one hand of the Durgam Cheruvu, you can see many buildings of IT companies being built.
Durgam Cheruvu lake in Hyderabad also provides the facilities of boating on its waters. You can take a pedal boat and move around the waters for 1 hour by paying up only 120 bucks – provided you can brave the Hyderabadi sun. There are other rides also available for nominal prices in mechanized boats and also in putty boats.
The Secret Lake is open from 9:30 in the morning to 6:30 in the evening. There is a cafeteria and refreshment center on the top of the lake. Some more infrastructure is also getting built by the government these days.

How to reach there?
Durgam Cheruvu is near the Babasaheb Ambedkar college. The best way to reach this place is to look for a crossing near to the Madhapur police station on the main road that goes to Madhapur from Jubilee Hills. From the cross roads near the Madhapur railway station, you need to take a left turn if you are travelling in the direction from Jubilee Hills to Madhapur and keep moving. Ask around a bit and soon enough you will come to the ticket window near the lake.

Remember that it might be closed due to heavy rains in the monsoon too. You can call and arrange your trip to Durgam Cheruvu.

Phone Numbers of this place are 91-40-23110523 and 040- 55510372.

Reminiscing Hyderabad

Having been very recently laid off, I am back at home and enjoying myself while reminiscing over my beloved Hyderabad. I used to live in Begumpet and from my top floor flat we used to get a beautiful view of the Hussainsagar lake. My room mates have also been laid off and have returned home and so now that there is no more hope of my returning to that beautiful flat in Begumpet again, I am missing Hyderabad all the more so.

The mornings in Begumpet where the cool wind used to blow till mid day, the delicious, mouth watering idlis that I used to have after my morning workout in the gym where I used to be fed with my daily dose of Telugu songs, those indolent Sunday afternoons spent watching TV or reading books till one amongst us used to get all up and excited and there we used to jump one on top of the other-laughing and fighting, my weekends sojourns to malls and museums and mausoleums all around Hyderabad, the peaceful Mecca Masjid - an oasis amongst the noise and the hulla of Charminar, the hot afternoons spent in vain trying to get a movie ticket from Inox and Adlabs, the beautiful evenings spent beside the Hussainsagar that seemed to turn into a turbulent ocean during the rains, the quiet 'khopchas' that we had discovered atop the Birla Temple amidst all the melee for darshan there, the beautiful view that we had from behind the Birla planetarium - which was in fact much better than the whole show inside, the swirling winds atop Golconda and the joys we had had climbing atop it, the beautifully well preserved Indira Gandhi Nature Park and its animals, Durgam Cheruvu and its panoramic views, the night we spent listening to rock music at Shilparamam, the superb garden we discovered behind Hi Tech city, the beautiful shaded by lanes of Banjara Hills, the cool winds that used to caress our faces on our walks along the Begumpet road, the dark red skywalk over Begumpet road that was my secret hideout for a quiet time alone, the ice creams that we had taking night walks along the road and all the late night escapades that I have had walking along the Necklace Road.

The times that I have had in Hyderabad have been some of the best days of my life. I saw the world, I made some very special friends, I lived, I loved and I enjoyed. That was what made those moments in Hyderabad some of the most fulfilling moments of my life.

I believe that the core of a human being is formed because of the experiences that he goes through. Travel and life in different circumstances is probably one of the best ways to go about enriching your experiences and your soul. I believe that the myriad experiences grant depth to the soul and aids one's understanding of the universe besides unleashing one's creativity. Back home, life is a lot more comfortable and much smoother. But soon it will be time to move, to my greatest conquest yet. Till then, let us travel in beautiful Hyderabad.

Birla Temple

The industrialists Birlas have built temples all around the country in most major cities. The Birla temple in Hyderabad is also one such temple established by the Birla Trust. The temple sits atop one of the highest hillocks in the city, adjoining the Hussainsagar Lake.

When you enter the lane near the Reserve Bank of India, you see stalls lining both sides of the lane in what can now be called as typical Indian Temple Gateway style. As you enter, there is a small book store, water facility and parking to the right and a place to remove your chappals, mobiles (which are not allowed) and any other electronic devices (Cameras etc.) on the left. Next, you are led up towards the top through a criss cross route that has a few idols of different gods on the way to the top. There is a place here which has inscribed teachings of various religions put up in the marble on the walls. No matter how crowded the place is, there are some places in the temple that are always empty and where you can sit serenely and enjoy the beautiful surrounds of this place. The timings for Darshan are limited and hence the temple is usually full of people. The views of the surrounds are also worth the upwards trek to the top of the hillock.

A short walk ahead from the Birla Temple is the Birla Science Center and Birla Planetarium. This place is at quite some height and from the back of the Birla Planetarium, one can actually view the cricket stadium where ICL matches are being played in Hyderabad. The science center is a must go for kids and young adults. Whereas the planetarium is a must go for viewers of all ages. In the heat of Hyderabad, when I first visited the planetarium, I slept blissfully. It’s an AC planetarium with the whole show projected on the inside of a round dome. The visuals are beautiful, albeit a bit old. In order to view the show, the chairs are more like well constructed beds as the show is projected at the ceiling of the dome.

Both the science center and the planetarium are very picturesque places that are very quiet and serene. There are not too many people who visit these huge places and it’s a lot of fun to explore them precisely because of that.

Hussainsagar Lake, Hyderabad

The Hussainsagar Lake lies in the heart of the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. This sprawling lake was built in the 16th century by Hazrat Hussain Shah Wali during the rule of Ibrahim Quli Qutub Shah on a tributary of the Musi river to suffice the irrigation needs of the city of Hyderabad. The photograph above shows a panoramic view of the city as seen from the lake. Courtesy : Wikipedia.

A huge monolith statue of Gautam Buddha sits in the middle of the lake which is amazingly well maintained. The water might stink at all times, but the surrounds of the lake are very well maintained. This photograph has been taken from the Lower Tank Bund side of the lake which has the famous Missamma temple, the sprawling Indira Park, Bharat Sevashram Sangha and Ramakrishna Mission.

The surrounds of this beautiful lake are replete with landmarks. As seen in the photograph above, the Prasads IMAX theatre, one of the largest IMAX theatres in Asia is in the background of the lake. The Andhra Pradesh Secreteriat Building, Birla Mandir aka Sri Venkateswara Temple, Lumbini Park - named so after the birthplace of Gautam Buddha etc. are on the Southern side of the lake. The Northern border consists of Secunderabad Sailing Club, Sanjeevaiah park, Hotel Marriott and Hazrat Saidani Ma Saheba tomb. Both these sides are connected with the Lower Tank Bund road on the Eastern bank of the lake and the Necklace Road on the Western bank.

The recently built Necklace Road and the Tank Bund are beautiful at night and turn into perfect places for rendezvous for relaxation and romance. The Necklace Road is now much sought after by trade and industry for holding consumer melas and by the government to stage frequent cultural shows and programmes open to public.

The entire Hussain Sagar complex comprising parks, statuary, recreation spots etc. was the created by one of India’s most renowned architect Charles Correa who also visualized the Buddha Poornima project.

The 18-metre high and 350-tonne monolith of Gautam Buddha in the middle of the lake stands on what is called as the Rock of Gibralter. There are two floating decks which run regularly between Lumbini Park and the statue.

Loony Trivia:

The first time this huge monolith was ferried to the middle of the lake, it broke down and the statue sank to the bottom of the lake. Two years later, it was taken out and again installed at what is now referred to as the Rock of Gibralter.

The Hussainsagar Lake is wonderfully well created, well maintained and is the ideal spot for on the spur picnics, long drives, having food and snacks, for a romantic evening with your partner and also for enjoying the breeze late at night.

I used to live in Hyderabad in a flat that had a view of this beautiful lake and the breeze from it helped our sleep during the hot Hyderabadi summer nights.

Hyderabad MMTS Routes and Information

The MMTS or Multi Modal Transport System in Hyderabad is essentially the local train system of Hyderabad, started as a part of the South Central Railway. But for anyone who has lived in Mumbai and travelled in its chaotic trains, the Hyderabad MMTS will come as a fresh breath of air. The trains are efficient, well built, clean, roomier and much very less crowded too. And just like Mumbai does, they decrease the travel time in a big way at nominal fares. Just like Mumbai, a common pass for both the APSRTC and Hyderabad MMTS is issued by the authorities to facilitate the commuters.

Unlike Mumbai though, the city of Hyderabad has train lines running all around its circular spread. This makes it important to board the right train at the right time. The map of the tarin routes is present on the MMTS website itself and so is the timetable.

Hyderabad MMTS is a boon for people travelling to distant areas like Madhapur, Gachibowli, Hi Tec City etc.

For all enquires about Hyderabad MMTS, call 139.

Hyderabad Bus Routes

Bus Routes of some of the major buses in and around the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad are copied here. The Andhra Pradesh government has most of its information on websites and I found this out from one such site only. I will also be posting the Hyderabad MMTS timetable here for reference later.

This timetable is for buses that ply in and around the city of Hyderabad. If you want to go to some other city by the state transport A.C. Luxury buses - A.P.S.R.T.C. buses, you can go here for the timetable and routes.

A few other site links where similar information about Hyderabad's local buses is posted :

A Blog on Hyderabad

Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation Website

Hyderabad Blues

I stayed in Hyderabad for close to a year. I loved the city from the time we landed at the Begumpet station to the day I left for Pune. It was a wonderful topsy turvy ride which I enjoyed to the fullest.

I was in this beautiful city for my first job at Satyam - then a well reputed IT giant. Apart from visiting, wide eyed, this beautiful city, I also had ample opportunities to interact with the locals and I also savoured the varied gastronomic delights that it had to offer to the fullest.

Hyderabad is the city of Nizams and is famous for its food that has a Nizami touch added to it. The Hyderabadi Biryani is undoubtedly the most famous of all Hyderabadi dishes. The famous Nizami food on offer throughout Hyderabad is usually non vegetarian fare and for a vegetarian, that too for a vegetarian who doesn't eat a lot of rice, it was very tough for me to find food to tingle my taste buds in the right spots.

This led to an exploration of Hyderabad all over the city and this blog is a consequence of that. I have eaten in almost every good restaurant of Hyderabad and I will lovingly describe in my coming posts where one can find the best food for the price.

My journey around Hyderabad started with Uttarayan and ended with Diwali. The Hyderabad Blues are chronicled henceforth.

Golconda Fort

All of us were to assemble at 3 in the afternoon at the Mayfair bus stand opposite to Anand theatre. We asked a few people the best way to reach Golconda. Mehdipatnam was thus decided as the first stop to reach. A minority amongst the womenfolk - there were 4 gals and a happy me, I had collated information from my sources who had informed me that 49M was the bus to Mehdipatnam. The gals were a bit late - as usual, and the buses were not coming. Dimple had a brainwave and she flagged off a cab. The cabbie agreed to drop us off as near as possible to Golconda. And thus we reached Toli Chowki. From there we all of us got into a single rickshaw that took us right into the Golconda Fort, through small paths, huge gates, a huge lake and a lot of people. It cost us around 10 bucks a person.

The moment we entered the gates of the fort, we saw the history of Golconda, inscribed in stone as captured in the snap on the right. The fort derives its name from "Golla Kunda" aka A shepherd's hill. The fort was initially under the control of the Kakatiyas, then to the Bahamanis of Gulbarga, then onto the Qutub Shahi dynasty and finally to Aurengzeb - the last of the great Mughals. The moment we entered the fort, guides swarmed us. Inspite of Dimple's vehement protests, we finally agreed to have a Government certified guide for 150 bucks - for half the fort and started the journey.



The Golconda Fort was unique because of the acoustics present in the fort. A clap at the Fateh Darwaza - the entrance of the fort could be heard right at the Balahissar tower ramparts. The system was built such that the gaurd at the Balahissar Tower would inform the gaurd at Fateh Darwaza of any suspicious movement. Once this was ruled out, only then will the gaurd at Fateh Darwaza open the gate.


Lifting the huge stone that the man in the adjoining picture is shown lifting was the Entrance Test for all army aspirants in those days. Even I tried my hand at it. And failed.
The fort was completely self sufficient with its own supply of water from wells and food that could be grown in it. Because of this it was believed that the Golconda fort was impregnable.

But even its three concentric stone walls, impregnable as they seemed, were no defense against treachery. Aurengzeb, bribed a saboteur to open the Fateh Darwaza for him and won the fort.



There is a famous story about two sisters, Taramathi and Premamathi, who are believed to have lived in these little palaces, and legend has it that when they sang from their pavilions, their voices, pure and clear floated right across the vast undulating rock strewn landscape, to charm the royal entourage on Golconda’s Balahissar terrace. Apparently, the buildings had been cleverly positioned so that the sisters’ music was carried on night winds to their enraptured audience.

On the way to the top, we saw the baths - hamams of the queens, the ammunition depot, the accounting section, the place where the Wazir - the main minister of the Nawab used to sit and the elaborate mechanism of fans that was in place in those days to keep them cool inside the fort.

There were places in the fort that were full of bats and at night could have been eerie. Imagining the Nawab, his courtiers and the grandiose that had once been associated with this place, where the famous Kohinnoor is said to have been found, was tough amidst such ruins.

Half way to the top, I realised the folly of taking on Golconda with the womenfolk. Parita was dead tired, Dimple suddenly lost her tongue, the usually indefatigable Monika was deflated and Naiya was quietly taking pictures. Somehow we egged each other on and kept pushing ourselves to the top as slowly more and more of Hyderabad came to our view.

When we reached the top, the view was awe inspiring. We could see the city of Hyderabad on one side and the sprawling fort all around as the strong wind threatened to blow us away. It was a captivating view from the top and we rested there, waiting for the sun to slowly sink down on the city of Hyderabad.

There was a sound and light show organised in the fort below, but we were too tired to wait and we made our way back home by a rickshaw to Mehdipatnam and my trusted 49M through Banjara Hills to Secunderabad.

All in all, it was a wonderful half day trip that made us determined to visit Golconda again for the fort and the Qutub Shahi tombs both.

Loony Tips:

Spend a whole day visiting both, the Qutub Shahi tombs and the Golconda Fort.

Hire a guide. Or else you are wasting your time.

Listen to the acoustics of the fort.

Don't miss out on the sound and light show as we did.

Golconda is a beautiful place to photograph. Spend more time and you will get some amazing pictures.

Avoid climbing Golconda in the hot sun.

Bring lots of water and some food to chew on for the trip.

Sound and Light Show Timings

November to February : Winter

Show starts at 6:30, Duration : 55 Minutes

March to October : Summers

Show starts at 7:30, Duration 55 minutes

English version : Wednesdays and Sundays

Hindi version : Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.

Telugu version : Thursdays.

No show on Mondays.

Good Links For Golconda:

A wonderfully well written travelogue

Nice Photographs and Descriptions

Hyderabad's Mecca Masjid

Mecca Masjid in Hyderabad is one of the oldest and the biggest masjids of India. Muhammed Quli Qutub Shah began building it in 1617 under the supervision of Mir Faizullah Baig and Rangiah Choudhary. The Mughal emperor Aurangzeb completed the construction in 1694. It took 77 years to come up as the magnificent edifice we see today. Like many other ancient buildings in the city, the mosque is a granite giant with awe-inspiring innards. The main hall of the mosque is 75 feet high, 220 feet wide and 180 feet long, big enough to accommodate ten thousand worshippers at a time.

This is a snap of the Masjid as viewed from the Charminar which is just 100 yards away from Mecca Masjid. The beautiful clouds with the blue sky in the background, which are a Hyderabadi specialty make a fine picture.

I had missed out at visiting the Jama Masjid on my last visit to Delhi and so I was very keen to visit this one. It is believed that the Mecca Masjid is one of the top ten largest masjids in the world. This close up photograph with the people in it might give you a sense of the size of this magnificent structure.

The name of the mosque has an interesting short story behind it. It is believed that some bricks were brought from Mecca and inserted in the walls of its main arch. Hence it came to be known as Mecca Masjid. There are fifteen arches that support the hall of the mosque. Three walls of the great hall have five arches each. This huge hall is 75 feet high, 220 feet wide and 180 feet long. No wonder it can accommodate about 10,000 people at a time during worship. It is said that about 8000 workers had been employed to construct this grand mosque. The mosque took 77 years to be completed.

This snap shows an exquisitely graceful, rectangular, arched and canopied building housing the marble graves of Asaf Jahi rulers from Nizam Ali Khan to Mehboob Ali Khan and their family. It is possible that this structure came up during the rule of the Asaf Jahs because it contains the tombs of the Nizams and their family. At both ends of this resting place for the Asaf Jahs and very much a part of it, are two rectangular blocks with four minarets each. The Charminar and its surrounds are extremely crowded, old city locations with hawkers, sellers, buyers, tourists, policemen all seemingly congregating at the same location. Amidst all this hustle bustle, the masjid seems to be an oasis of peace and calm.

This is a frontal view of the Masjid which has lots of pigeons flying around the small lake in the front and nesting in the numerous minarets of this worship place.

There is a room in the courtyard of the mosque that stores ancient and holy relics. It is believed to contain the hair of Prophet Mohammed.

Being very near to the Charminar, it is recommended to keep a trip to the Mecca Masjid at the same time at which you visit the Charminar and the Chowmohalla Palace. It is also advised to keep away from Mecca Masjid during times of communal tension.

Most days of the year though, you can have a quiet and serene moment with yourself near the man made pond, which has soothing blue water. There are seating arrangements at the edges of the pond and it is believed that if a visitor sits on it, the person will surely visit Hyderabad again. Dunno about you, but as far as Hydi goes, I am bewitched.