Hyderabad, the city of Nizams
Thriving for nearly 433 years, Hyderabad is a magical city with remnants from the era of the Nizams
The sun was setting, its colours spreading through the sky. Pigeons were circling the minarets and we could hear the Azan for Maghrib prayers. As we stood on top of the Charminar - an iconic monument in Hyderabad - we wondered how this wonderful city has been thriving for more than 400 years.
When we started our journey from Bangladesh, we did not know much about Hyderabad, except their biryani, the pearls, the Nizam rulers and perhaps the Golconda Fort.
But as we started travelling around the city, we began to realise there is much more to Hyderabad. We met many patients from Bangladesh too; most come here for liver treatment.
Just next to Charminar is the Makkah Mosque and this large ornamental mosque is considered an archaeological heritage. But around Charminar, the most attractive thing is the crowd.
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At first, it looks like chaos, but if you look carefully, you will see order weaved into it. There are shops selling moti (pearls) nearby. Hyderabadi pearls are not cheap, and there are counterfeit items, so be careful before buying anything.
If you want to delve into something spiritual, you can go to the Dargah Hazrat Yousufain in Nampally where every Thursday night after 10pm, local devotees gather to sing Qawwali. It is definitely not a commercial show, as it is a holy Sufi shrine. The singing usually continues till sunrise.
When it turned dark, we climbed down the narrow stairs of the monument to have tea at the famous Nimrah Bakery and make plans for the next few days.
Just a few hundred metres from Charminar is the great Chowmahalla Palace, the seat of power of the Asaf Jahi dynasty and the official residence of the Nizams of Hyderabad during their reign. Now, it is also a museum.
It includes four large palaces, a few smaller ones, open fields and fountains. The grand pillared Durbar Hall is beautiful with a pure marble platform.
At one corner of the palace, there is a stunning collection of antique cars. Near the main gateway, there is a famous clock tower - the three storied clock has been ticking since 1750. It is worth it to spend one whole day in Chowmahalla, if not then at least an afternoon.
The Salar Jung Museum in Hyderabad is one of the largest museums in the world. The vast collection was privately collected by the Salar Jung family, later endowed to the nation, and the museum was inaugurated in 1951.
We were mainly interested to see the miniature painting collection, which includes paintings from different eras, including quite a few from the Mughal era.
Also we were happy to see paintings of artists like Raja Ravi Barma, Hemen Rai, Nandalal Bose, Rabindrannath Tagore, Abanindranath Tagore, Binode Bihari etc.
The 'Veiled Rebacca' is one of the top attractions of this museum for many. It is a life-sized marble sculpture which the Nizam collected while visiting France in 1863.
There is a real John Constable landscape painting in the Western art gallery as well - an interesting find.
From there we went to the museum in the Purana Haveli, which is mainly a collection of souvenirs, gifts and mementos presented by the dignitaries to the Nizam. We absolutely loved the long corridors.
It was interesting to see a golden throne used for the silver jubilee celebration of the last Nizam, a gold tiffin box inlaid with diamonds, models of all the landmark buildings of Hyderabad, and the walk-through wardrobe of the Nizam - almost 176 feet long.
The Qutub Shahi Tombs have mausoleums of the Qutub Shahi dynasty. The first tomb was built in 1543.
Each tomb has a sarcophagus (stone coffin) in the centre, under a big dome. Once these tombs were furnished with carpets, chandeliers and velvet canopies on silver poles, and the tombs of the sultans were distinguished by golden spires (tapered conical structures) fitted over the tombs.
You could easily spend a day here, remembering the glorious past of this city.
Nearby the Qutub Shahi Tombs, we had the famous Hyderabadi biryani. But biryani lovers of Dhaka and Kolkata may not love this dish for its spiciness.
The other famous Hyderabadi dish is Mandi, which is meat and rice mixed with spices and cooked in a spit. Served with salads and yoghurt, one serving is enough for three to four people.
A heavy lunch required a walk around the Golconda Fort to shed some calories. And so we did.
Golconda was a famous trading spot for diamonds and the Koh-i-Noor, the most famous diamond in history was found here and kept in the vault, along with the notorious Hope diamond and countless many other diamonds.
The Golconda Fort with its giant gates and stone paths is an archaeological treasure of India. It finally fell in 1687 at the hands of the last great Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.
There is a beautiful light show in the evening with a recording played in the background in Amitabh Bachchan's voice.
If you want to delve into something spiritual, you can go to the Dargah Hazrat Yousufain in Nampally where every Thursday night after 10pm, local devotees gather to sing Qawwali. It is definitely not a commercial show, as it is a holy Sufi shrine. The singing usually continues till sunrise.
Hyderabad is a magical city but you won't get to experience it fully in a short trip. Take your time while travelling to it.
