"Hyderabad", the city of the Nizams and our H.O. becokend us for some work in the month of November. Winters were yet to start there, or may be winters never start there. We reached there by the East Coast Express from Howrah in the evening. The car picked us up from the station and went around winding on the unknown roads at night. There are no taxis available like Kolkata, but the autos work as taxis and you have to book an auto to travel from one place to another.
If one wants to click pictures inside the museum, they have to pay for the click, and I was happy go clicking around the museum.
Then the bus went through the city and from near the famous "Charmiar". the bus didnot stop at the Charminar, as it is a specifically shopping area and crowdy. In fact there's no plce to park the bus.
From there we were taken to the "Chowmahala palace". This palace is very beautiful with nice gardens and foutains. The belgium cut glass chandeliers are awesome. One could imagine how they would look when they are lighted with the candles "The Dancing of the lights on the floor, along with the singing of the dear, the beauty is never faded, from the eyes of the beloved" .Don't know wether anything like that ever did happen on those days within those walls, but thts how I felt about the place. The Chowmahala Palace has also been transformed as a musem of the Nizams and I clicked more pics
It was a "durbaar hall" where the Takht-e-Nishan was placed, but looked more like a dancing hall to me, where everyone could go round and round dancing.
From the Chowmahalla palace we were taken for lunch at 1:00 P.M. We could realise that the bus was going round and round the same places each time we passed a place. We ate at an All-veg "Ayenger's Lakshmi Restaurant" at Nampally. The food was good. Not so spicy as we had heard of the food at Hyderabad.
After lunch, we again boarded the bus and were taken to The National Museum. Photography at the National Museum is not allowed. Infact they dont even allow to take the camera inside the complex even if the batteries are out. So all the travellers had to leave our cameras with the travel agent. So, we just took one pic outside the building.
Then we were taken to a shop, for purchasing pearl jewellery. It was a standalone shop somewhere within the city, but looked as if it was in some lonely area. The guide told us that , it was a Govt. recognised subsidised shop, but somehow it didnt seem so as the jewellery items seemed to be quite highly priced.
It was nearly 3:30 P.M when we left that shop and now the bus was moving towards "The Golconda Fort"
The guides there told us that that the above metal ball like instrument is a vibration sensor. If someone clapped at this point, it can be heard at the top of the fort. Quite interesting mechanism. I wish i could have gone to the top of the fort to hear that , but it would mean a time and energy consuming effort, for which I was not prepared at that time . May be some other time , if I visit this place again!!
We reached The Golconda Fort by 4;00P.m. The evening sun just behind the highest tower of the fort was stunning. the slanting rays made me think, how the fort must have been duing its hey days.
The Breeze was cool in the evening sun, and after the hectic day in the hot sun, the The Golconda fort provided us the respite of coolness and peace. People were picnicing over the gardens surrounding the fort.
The city tour was supposed to end at The Lumbini park, but I and my friend had decided to go for a bit of shopping at Charminar. So, we left the bus and took an auto to Charminar, who took Rs 80 for the trip (after we cancelled many autos as they were charging higher rates as much as 150rs.)
Commuting of tourists by autos at Hyderabad can be a big headache, as the autowalls tend to charge a high amount for commuting from one area to another. Bargaining is a must.
At Charminar, we shopped for glass and stone studded bangles. Most of the market was closed as it was a Sunday. So we coudnt buy any pearl items, but spent a lot of time for the bangles. Many of the vendors sell their wares at cheap rates by the footpath.
As the night started to fall, we decided to go back to our guest house and went to the bus stand. There we saw, that The Chowmahalla palace is just in the next road near the Chaarminar. So if by any chance you are at Charminar and want to see the Chowmahalla palace, you need not take any auto or rickshaw.
(Day - 2 : OFFICE. In the evening a few of our colleauges from Kolkata joined us at the Guest House)
Day 3: Morning we spent at the GH as we had no tickets for going back home. But because of one of our colleauges, also visiting Hyderabad for the first time (reached Hyd. last night) and had to attend office that day, was too much excited to see around, at least nearby places. Though he had wanted to visit the Charminar, but due to some altercations last night,a curfew had been announced in that area, and so we decided not to go there.
Booking an auto we went to Lumbini Park adjoining the Hussain Sagar lake (Hussain Sagar is a lake in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India, built by Hazrat Hussain Shah Wali in 1562, during the rule of Ibrahim Quli Qutb Shah. )
You have to take tickets to enter the Lumbini Park. It is a childrens park with lots of activities for the kids as well as adults .
We went directly to the ticket counter for the ferry ride in the Hussain sagar Lake. In the middle of the lake there is small island called the Rock of Gibraltar (i don't know why)where an 18 mtr high Buddha Statue has been erected.
In the evening sun the city, the park and the lake, everything seems beautiful and calm.
We stayed there for an hour watching the changing lights flooded at the statue. It was already dark when we reached back the Lumbini Park. From there we went walking towards the NTR Park. Its about 15-20 minutes walk from the Lumbini park on the opposite side of the Road.
The NTR Park is a big park, and seemed good for familiy picnic. Though it was night, the park has been properly lighted to get the desired ambience of calmness.
While going back to the Guest House, we stopped at The Paradise, famous for its mouth watering Biriyani, to get some packed for us too.
That was the end of out trip to Hyderabad, as we had got tickets back for home for the next day.
................Coming back home is always a Good Feeling :) ...........................
The evening life seemed quite buzy just like any other city. After all it was Saturday night- weekend.
Day 1: Sunday, we had the whole day and to do nothing.. and so we decided to go sight seeing the city.
We found that the best way to see the most of the city was to take a city tour bus ride, and so we went at Prenderghast road, where many tour operators are working. We booked our tickets for a city bus leaving at 9AM from that point.
The manager of the travel agency, put us on a bus, and there it went round the city. At one point an old man , nealry the age of 60yrs boarded the bus and started shouting that all people who have come for city tour should disembark from the bus, and those who are going to visit the Ramuji citu should stay on the bus. Since that person's accent was so much different from ours, we felt quite confused as to what was happening and got down the bus. The bus went aways and we saw that the old man started taking the names of travel agency and no. of tickets who had booked thorugh them. there were amny people who had booked tickets from different travel agencies. We were all gathered together when the old man said that the city tour starts from 'here'. "Here"??? What did he mean??
We asked him again and he mumbled something. "Why cannot he tell clearly??" and then he said that this was "The Birla Mandir's" entarance. Everyone is being given a time of one hour to visit the temple and come back, as the city tour bus will be coming to pick us all up within an hour.
Ok, so that was the "here". THE BIRLA MANDIR is situated at a height and we had to climb up the hill. It reminded me of going up the Jwala Devi temple at Himachal Pradesh, the difference being that the path is not so clumsy there.
While walking we met a lady who had also come from Mumbai for some work and that day being Sunday, just like us decided to have a look around the city.
The Birla mandir is a beautiful place, neat and clean with very strict security. We passed through the security after keeping our mobiles and camera at the counter. It is a nice place, built of white marble with a clock tower. We spent a nice time sitting at the temple. One can see the view of the whole city and the HUssainsagar Lake. the breeze felt so good and we did not feel like coming back, but had to, or else we would miss the bus.
After coming down back to the main road, we saw the bus was standing and was about to leave. We reached 'JIT" = Just in time, or else the bus would have left without us.
We boarded the bus, this was a different bus, and were instructed that whenever, we get up the bus after a sight seeing we sit back in the same seats to avoid any arguments with anyone. The Guide, took 150 Rs. each for tickets for all the other places where we would be visitng during the tour, which included the Nizam's Museum, The Chowmahhala Palace, The National Museum and The Golconda Fort.
And so, after the Birla Mandir, we went towards the Nizam's Museum. This place looked more or less like "Bengal's Bonedi bari" (Old houses of Rich Bengalis). The garden was missing more greeny and flowering plants and the palace was surrounded by a scanty the garden. We entered one of the building which has been transformed as the museum.
Day 1: Sunday, we had the whole day and to do nothing.. and so we decided to go sight seeing the city.
We found that the best way to see the most of the city was to take a city tour bus ride, and so we went at Prenderghast road, where many tour operators are working. We booked our tickets for a city bus leaving at 9AM from that point.
The manager of the travel agency, put us on a bus, and there it went round the city. At one point an old man , nealry the age of 60yrs boarded the bus and started shouting that all people who have come for city tour should disembark from the bus, and those who are going to visit the Ramuji citu should stay on the bus. Since that person's accent was so much different from ours, we felt quite confused as to what was happening and got down the bus. The bus went aways and we saw that the old man started taking the names of travel agency and no. of tickets who had booked thorugh them. there were amny people who had booked tickets from different travel agencies. We were all gathered together when the old man said that the city tour starts from 'here'. "Here"??? What did he mean??
We asked him again and he mumbled something. "Why cannot he tell clearly??" and then he said that this was "The Birla Mandir's" entarance. Everyone is being given a time of one hour to visit the temple and come back, as the city tour bus will be coming to pick us all up within an hour.
Ok, so that was the "here". THE BIRLA MANDIR is situated at a height and we had to climb up the hill. It reminded me of going up the Jwala Devi temple at Himachal Pradesh, the difference being that the path is not so clumsy there.
While walking we met a lady who had also come from Mumbai for some work and that day being Sunday, just like us decided to have a look around the city.
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| The Birla Mandir - Hyderabad |
After coming down back to the main road, we saw the bus was standing and was about to leave. We reached 'JIT" = Just in time, or else the bus would have left without us.
We boarded the bus, this was a different bus, and were instructed that whenever, we get up the bus after a sight seeing we sit back in the same seats to avoid any arguments with anyone. The Guide, took 150 Rs. each for tickets for all the other places where we would be visitng during the tour, which included the Nizam's Museum, The Chowmahhala Palace, The National Museum and The Golconda Fort.
And so, after the Birla Mandir, we went towards the Nizam's Museum. This place looked more or less like "Bengal's Bonedi bari" (Old houses of Rich Bengalis). The garden was missing more greeny and flowering plants and the palace was surrounded by a scanty the garden. We entered one of the building which has been transformed as the museum.
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| Entrance to the Nizam's Museum |
If one wants to click pictures inside the museum, they have to pay for the click, and I was happy go clicking around the museum. 
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| The Throne |
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| Glass painting portrait of The nizam A Full length portrait of Osman Ali Khan |
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| Magnifying glass |
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| Royal Closets |
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| Clicked from the bus |
From there we were taken to the "Chowmahala palace". This palace is very beautiful with nice gardens and foutains. The belgium cut glass chandeliers are awesome. One could imagine how they would look when they are lighted with the candles "The Dancing of the lights on the floor, along with the singing of the dear, the beauty is never faded, from the eyes of the beloved" .Don't know wether anything like that ever did happen on those days within those walls, but thts how I felt about the place. The Chowmahala Palace has also been transformed as a musem of the Nizams and I clicked more pics
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| The |
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| the Chandelier |
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| The Chandeliers - Look at the difraction of light |
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| Doorway |
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| Tea Table |
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| Going for the Hunt |
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| Killing our Tigers |
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| The Dining Hall chandelier |
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| Types of Swords and Shields |
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| Buggy |
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| Royal Buggies minus the Horses |
From the Chowmahalla palace we were taken for lunch at 1:00 P.M. We could realise that the bus was going round and round the same places each time we passed a place. We ate at an All-veg "Ayenger's Lakshmi Restaurant" at Nampally. The food was good. Not so spicy as we had heard of the food at Hyderabad.
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| Somewhere at Nampally - clicked after lunch |
After lunch, we again boarded the bus and were taken to The National Museum. Photography at the National Museum is not allowed. Infact they dont even allow to take the camera inside the complex even if the batteries are out. So all the travellers had to leave our cameras with the travel agent. So, we just took one pic outside the building.
Then we were taken to a shop, for purchasing pearl jewellery. It was a standalone shop somewhere within the city, but looked as if it was in some lonely area. The guide told us that , it was a Govt. recognised subsidised shop, but somehow it didnt seem so as the jewellery items seemed to be quite highly priced.
It was nearly 3:30 P.M when we left that shop and now the bus was moving towards "The Golconda Fort"
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| The Sensor |
The Breeze was cool in the evening sun, and after the hectic day in the hot sun, the The Golconda fort provided us the respite of coolness and peace. People were picnicing over the gardens surrounding the fort.
The city tour was supposed to end at The Lumbini park, but I and my friend had decided to go for a bit of shopping at Charminar. So, we left the bus and took an auto to Charminar, who took Rs 80 for the trip (after we cancelled many autos as they were charging higher rates as much as 150rs.)
Commuting of tourists by autos at Hyderabad can be a big headache, as the autowalls tend to charge a high amount for commuting from one area to another. Bargaining is a must.
At Charminar, we shopped for glass and stone studded bangles. Most of the market was closed as it was a Sunday. So we coudnt buy any pearl items, but spent a lot of time for the bangles. Many of the vendors sell their wares at cheap rates by the footpath.
As the night started to fall, we decided to go back to our guest house and went to the bus stand. There we saw, that The Chowmahalla palace is just in the next road near the Chaarminar. So if by any chance you are at Charminar and want to see the Chowmahalla palace, you need not take any auto or rickshaw.
(Day - 2 : OFFICE. In the evening a few of our colleauges from Kolkata joined us at the Guest House)
Day 3: Morning we spent at the GH as we had no tickets for going back home. But because of one of our colleauges, also visiting Hyderabad for the first time (reached Hyd. last night) and had to attend office that day, was too much excited to see around, at least nearby places. Though he had wanted to visit the Charminar, but due to some altercations last night,a curfew had been announced in that area, and so we decided not to go there.
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| The Lumbini Park |
You have to take tickets to enter the Lumbini Park. It is a childrens park with lots of activities for the kids as well as adults .
 |
| Ferry to the Rock of Gibraltar at Hussain sagar |
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| The Rock of Gibraltar |
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| The Buddha Statue |
We stayed there for an hour watching the changing lights flooded at the statue. It was already dark when we reached back the Lumbini Park. From there we went walking towards the NTR Park. Its about 15-20 minutes walk from the Lumbini park on the opposite side of the Road.
The NTR Park is a big park, and seemed good for familiy picnic. Though it was night, the park has been properly lighted to get the desired ambience of calmness.
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| Ticket Counter of NTR Park |
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| Snail Fountain |
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| Lights in the fountain |
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| View of the NTR Park |
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| Garden in full bloom |
That was the end of out trip to Hyderabad, as we had got tickets back for home for the next day.
................Coming back home is always a Good Feeling :) ...........................
Thanks for this nice informative post....
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