Hyderabad

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Hyderabad

The region of the subcontinent , today , known as Hyderabad in the district of Telangana , is very aged and dates back to the iron ages . Many episodes have shaped the character of the city and shot it to prominence in the last 400 odd years.

Deservingly, the city has had hundreds of well illustrated articles describe its allure in manifold publications over several generations .

Mine is not a regular tourist essay on Hyderabad per se . I will not be ( though righteous ) predictably waxing eloquent about the obvious locales like Charminar or Salar Jung Museum .

My family has lived in that province for over a century . They have lived in the Deccan forever.

So needless to say , we have a huge extended family spread all over the twin cities of Hyderabad , Secunderabad and its neighboring regions .

Till a couple of decades ago, Hyderbad was acknowledged mostly for its Biryani and Pearls . Currently , of course, its also acknowledged as being a fertile hub for software and finance . I have tried to compile my memories/ feelings / observations /vexations / reminiscences about my town in this blog .

The Deccan , included the parts of the region which , today, belongs to the states of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu , Maharashtra and Karnataka . Small wonder that it has a rich mix of people with varied back grounds . – Kannadigas , Marathis , Tamils not to mention the local Telugu and Urdu populace . Though the town is worthy of being called a cosmopolitan , we must understand that its relative . It was ( at least till the software boom ) surely not as metropolitan as Mumbai .

In the early 90s when I was in my very early 20s , I left my home town to work for a big financial house in the big bad world of Mumbai . The first thing which stuck me was the language . The Hindi spoken there was clearly quite different from the Urdu and Telugu mixed Hindi spoken in Hyderabad .

The yearning to hear the local parlance of my hometown never left me during my entire stay there . Every few months , when it was time to visit my family , I remember coming to the railway station hours in advance merely to walk around the platform to interact with the intended passengers speak a mix of the Hyderabadi Hindi . Chancing upon territorial words like Howla ( madcap ) , Juloos ( procession ) , Galeez ( dirty ) , chaar anna ( 0.25 INR , chaurasta ( cross roads ), Duftar ( office ) , dastakhat ( signature ) , Hallu ( slowly ) used to give me an indescribable thrill.

The second thing was the weather. Hyderabad is no where near any sea bank and hence you sweat very little . It took me a while to get used to the moist , sticky weather of the coast.

While you don’t need to change your smelling , dripping clothes as often as in the coastal areas but the minus point is the sun remains a lot in your body and instances of sunstroke are common . In those days the television was a toy to be found only with the affluent , we used to get radio announcements warning us not to venture out during peak sunny hours .

Hyderabadis are basically simple and peace loving . At every road side , you can see places of worship belonging to different religions and sects. Fridays are a sight to behold at these pious sites with crowds thronging . It’s a day sacred for both Hindus and Muslims .





The above picture shows the corner compound housing the worshipping place of both Hindus and Muslims at Nimboli Adda . There are hundreds of such collective places all over the city .

This is the city of the Nizams meaning the System or the Order .

The Nizams were noted to be benevolent rulers . I am privy to first hand narrations about how the government guards would roam around incognito at the shops and see if the customer ( especially foreign faces ) is being cheated on the price or the quality . Deccan had its own currency and at the border towns like Gulbarga, Dornakal or Ganagpur , the passengers could get their currency coverted .

The local Hali sikka was made of pure silver .It was a common practice for householders to melt the Hali rupi and make usable objects like plates etc.,

The very popular and , then , stylish Rumi Topi is very much around in my family and is exhibited as a heirloom at occasions .

Sweeping and spraying the streets with disinfectants might be typical today but for scores of decades , all over the region of Deccan , ( not only the main cities ) the roads near the religious and collective places were cleaned with flowing water blended with cowdung which is a natural repellent .

Since times immemorial , it’s a familiar sight to see ladies sprinkle the same mixture in front of their houses to settle the mud down and draw intricate designs early morning .

The state had its own public transport service which had a good network. Young maidens could travel on their own without any risk of being robbed or manhandled. In the pre metro / train days , the kingdom had a dedicated fleet of buses catering to passengers proceeding to various locations .





The above picture shows an exhibit of an old model of mini bus . Today Its kept as an exhibit at the RTC office near their chikkadpally offices .



The last Nizam’s Turkish wife , Begum Niloufer was an educated and aware lady. Not surprisingly , numerous charity organizations and hospitals are named after her . She is buried in Paris in the Bobigny cemetery along with the other members of her Seljuk dynasty . I have promised myself that one day I will surely go hunting for her resting ground .

Many of the government employees have supplemented their professions as their surnames The sons habitually inherited the line of work from their fathers. Hence ,over a period of time , the profession became their surname . For example : Karodgiri was the name of those working in the customs , Kotwali for those who used to man the police department , Baldia for those in the municipality etc.,

My awareness is mostly based on hearsay. I profusely apologise if any information I have mentioned above deviates from the truth.

The old folk of my clan only need a nudge to start talking nineteen to the dozen about their childhood and what they have heard about the childhood of their old folk. You can sit for hours and days together letting them recite without feeling tired.

Cuisine .

He who has not heard of Hyderabadi Biryani has been living under a cave . While there are hundreds of so-called ‘authentic’ Biryani joints mushrooming all over the city, there are also some eateries which strive to serve legitimately real Biryani .

Bawarchi and Paradise are some of the acknowledged names in this field. Started over 5 decades ago , the main cooks of Paradise restaurant got trained under the Iranian chefs . Sadly .,when they have over 20 non vegetarian Biryani dishes , they have only a couple of vegetarian Biryani platter which is traditionally served with Mirch ka salan and butter milk ( to balance the effects of the spices ) .

The final accompaniment to Biryani has to be the local Kubani ka Meetha ( sweet apricot ) . The bill for one family can come up to 1000.00 INR which roughly translates to 10 or 12 Euros. It makes a filling lunch for one family especially during weekends or when you have time to spare. I would surely not recommend Biryani for a working day quick lunch . Its not something you can relish in a few minutes . You need to savor each bite slowly and feel the tang of spices on your tongue .









The above picture shows the main branch of the Paradise Biryani eatery.





The above picture shows vegetarian Biryani with mirch ka salan being served at Paradise .

What else , but a hot cuppa to calm your system after heavy meal ?

At one time , Iranian chai defined the culture of Hyderabad . They have survived competition from the onslaught of bio , organic , natural , raw , albeit , healthy juice bars ( which have sprung up at every intersection ) and can be seen at many corners even today . The local fabrication of Lasa Lamsa tea is slightly sweeter but will leave you more refreshed after a few sips . They come in many flavours like chocolate , black , herbal, green tea etc.,

The public used to hang around these tea rooms sipping tea with the ubiquitous bun muska , principally in those days when burger joints had not yet raised their inevitable heads in the twin cities.

Before the rushed , stressful lifestyle of the metro era started , when the man of the house said - “ I am going to the Iranian tea house ” , then the woman of the house knew that she should not expect him to return for several hours to come . She had no say in the matter anyway .

The city offers many delicacies from near by regions like sweets made of rice starch ( poota rekulu ) , wheat flour and sugar ( madata khaja ) , bread pudding ( double ka meetha ) , gutti vankaya ( stuffed baby aubergines) along with the others.

Like a good girl , I too have assisted my mother in making pickles and chutneys . Each year , we would make pickles of mangoes, lemon , ginger , Amla and what not . Mango pickle was our family favourite and we used to buy at least 500 mangoes for this to last a whole year .

Today blame it on migration to colder weathers or the pressures of day to day life ( anything but the obvious lethargy ) many families are not able to do this themselves. Truth be told , I did try to make pickles a couple of times but the less said about the end result, the better . Grrr so much for my skills on domesticity.

Thankfully , countless chain shops provide reliable , home made pickles and spices which can be bought at reasonable prices and kept year long . I try my condiments from different establishments which are equally in the business since several decades . The masala market is volatile and every year there are new entrants in this arena , each one better than the other . loyalty is definitely not my middle name . So I don’t restrict myself to one manufacturer.

Creation of pure gold and silver foils locally known as Wakar has been in vogue since hundreds of years . The custom is maintained by traditional families . If you are nonchalantly walking in the Charminar area and you hear a dull pounding of hammer , These are used to decorate sweets or the omnipresent Biryani . This was unique to Hyderabad till the industrialization took over . Some 100 thin sheets are folded and covered with a special leather jacket and pounded for several hours by a hand held hammer.

A peculiarity of the old city is the Khova market . I don’t know if other cities too have it but it used to be sight way back then. Khova made of split milk is the main ingredient in many sweets. Near Shalibanda beyond Charminar , they used to have a unique practice . Daily at the stoke of 10:00 the khova markets opened up and and the headman would announce the rate on a daily basis depending on the weather, supply , demand etc.,

All the buyers would rush to give their orders as stocks would vanish in no time .



With so much on the platter , if you suffer from stomach burns or indigestion, then , local Unani medicine outlets can be found at every carrefour. Though it originated in Greece, its practiced with fervor in Hyderabad . The main university of Unani medicine offers research and PhD facilities too .





Shopping :

Hyderabad can be a shoppers paradise but you should know from where to buy what .

The yearly Numayish ( exhibition ) which started in the 1930s still holds attraction , nonetheless , today , its commercialized with advertisements and publicity stunts . In my university days , we used to hang around there to get a dekko of Bollywood actors who were invited as guests. It was originally started to advance the local products and give a boost to the regional entrepreneurs but present-day , they have stalls from all over the country . They must have discontinued it today but way back my cherished stall was the one selling aromatic oils and herbs from Kashmir . I have not seen it in recent times . The smallest vial of the Zulf E Kashmir hair oil would cost some 30,00 INR and it was always on our list of must-buys . Upon usage , the hair carried a fruity fragrance for several days to come .

The yearly exposition held for around 40 days starting from the first week of January in the big exhibition grounds in the city centre of Nampally . Days only for female customers , stalls maintained by only ladies , ex convicts , the handicapped are some of the unusual attractions . Its well organized with an office for lost and found , baby care facilities , water outlets at regular places , tailors offering cheap alteration et al .

Begum bazaar , Charminar Koti , Abids , Laad ( or Choodi ) bazaar are among the well known shopping spheres . Although , everything is available everywhere , I would recommend buying pearls from approved shops in the Charminar area and the sweet scented Pakeezah henna from Begum bazaar . The street smart hawkers will trick you into purchasing almost anything claiming it to be “authentic” . Be warned and go armed . Hyderabad is no hermitage and its not the dwelling of only the saints . Like all other places , here too you need to be “in-the-know”.



Places to visit .

Apart from the very obvious Charminar or Salarjung meuseum , Hyderabad offers many sights and sounds to soak in for the average visitor .

A visit to the 100 odd years’ old main Osmania University campus can take you a full day . Built in the centre of a sprawling campus , thanx to its buildings , flora and fauna , the lush grounds lure the students of biology, architecture , ornithology ( among others ) .

Early morning joggers are a frequent sight along with cyclists , those just wanting to soak in the fresh breeze or simply relax under one of the numerous heavy shaded trees.



The above picture shows the main campus of Osmania university .





The above picture shows the name board of one of the offices in the Osmania University campus .









I can assure you that apart from the conspicuous attractions ( which I have named at the start of this blog ) , a quiet visit to the Golconda forts ( described below ) , the Qutub Shahi tombs under the same fort , The Dargahs of Maula Ali , Pahade Sharif , Birla mandir made fully of white marble , the palaces of Falak Numa ( exhibition of the skies ) , Taramati , Chaumohalla will be equally beneficial .

Regrettably . Today many of these dwellings big and small alike belonging to the regality are being smoothly converted into hotels or high end spas thereby restricting deserving visitors .

You can unearth some rare gems of history and architecture when you take a leisurely walk about parts of the town .





The above picture shows the one and only mosque built in the Spanish style near Begumpet ( old airport area ) . I was not allowed inside so could not click the pictures .





The above picture shows the tomb of Sydena tomb near the Boat’s club built in Armenian style .



The above picture shows the clock tower at Secunderabad . Built by the British . Its been showing the correct time since it was built in the late 19^th century .

Credit where credit due . While the surrounding park is reasonably well maintained , go warned of the lurking addicts and the professed homeless.









The above picture shows a goat market at Amberpet. The goatherds are only too happy to let you caress their stock free of charge.



If you want a change from history , then there is no dearth of places for recreation and rejuvenation . Indira park , Lumbini park , public gardens , The Tank Bund road which was built as a dam for the Hussain Sagar lake and which bridges the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad , The zoological park , Ramoji rao studios are perfect for a day’s outing . I have tried to portray some of these sites below .

Indira park was the favourite of us cousins as it was near our residence .We would play hide and seek among the trees and bushes there , my dear hiding place being the sweet smelling group of kewra plants . The only way I would climb down was when threatened with snake bites. . I don’t know if its true but I have been told that snakes are attracted by the odour of kewra flowers. If its of any concern to anyone , then, I was not bitten even once by any snakes or bees during the hundreds of times I have climbed and holed up among those plants .

Lumbini park was constructed in the early 90s and its colourful dancing fountains is still a major draw .

Ramoji Rao studios was built in the mid 1990s . Though I have heard of its opulence from friends and family , its only recently that I got a chance to visit . I must say I was not disappointed . The ticket per head costs 900.00 INR and is worth every penny . The minus point is that you need to walk at least 5 kilometers among the layouts . There is a bus plying inside taking you station to station describing in 3 languages ( English/ Hindi / Telugu ) but be prepared to physically stress your self . Its no promenade I tell you when you go with your family including a couple of kids . It takes a whole day . Apart from the conventional, grand film settings , it houses Bonsai garden , a bird sancturary, a butterfly breeding garden and a place for children’s’ activities.

One good thing is that they have drinking water at all places so you don’t have to carry heavy water bottles. The gardens and buildings are very well preserved . That’s a welcome change from the other so called “well-maintained” attractions in the city in particular and sub continent in general. You do agree with me don’t you ?





The above picture shows just one of the rare varieties of birds in Ramoji Rao studios





The above picture shows workers trimming the studio gardens .



Golconda fort is just 1 hour’s journey from the Osmania University . A bulk of the land inside the fort compound today has been trespassed by the self proclaimed descendents of the Nizams .

I feel its my mournful duty to warn would-be visitors that the fort as such is not very well kept . Large portions of this beautiful fort has been understandably destroyed by conquering invaders . There is very little we could have done to control that .

Desecrating larger portions of this centuries’ old fort on a regular basis by the so called civilized visitors is sad , indeed .

There is no awareness or scrutinizing the tourists about how to preserve this heritage which was built over 1000 years ago with extensions and repairs done by subsequent dwellers.

Among the other information imparted to us by our guide , we were fascinated by the following teeny weeny detail . I doubt if it crosses any ones mind to find out . That is that the palanquin bearing the aristocracy had 2 dwarfs at the front and 2 men with normal height at the back because of the slant and steep steps to make sure that it did not topple . Wow logical indeed.

The voice mechanism of the fort makes it a worth a visit . Even the slightest sound like a traitor trying to remove the knife from its sheath in the main durbar will be echoed and amplified to the guards sitting scores of meters away .

No wonder they say – even walls have ears .





The above picture shows a group of “literate” college students ( ? ) writing their names on the walls . When we politely explained to them why they should not be doing this , they just grinned and moved on to the next wall.

There was no officer or guard in sight to report .





The above picture shows a view of the city from atop the Golconda fort . It’s a stressful climb of over 600 uneven rocks with not much help for the handicapped or the seniors .





The above picture shows a view of the city underneath from atop the Golconda fort.

If you do manage to climb the slippery pebbly steps , then you are rewarded with a splendid view of the town below .

Once you descend down the Golconda fort , at a short distance is the Qutub Shahi tombs . You can take your vehicle inside for a small fee. There are a group of 7-8 big tombs and you can stroll among the lush greenery for half a day . Its undeniably more tranquil than the fort itself and makes for a calm picnic spot.





The above picture shows one portion of the serene tombs which houses over 7 tombs of the Qutub Shahi dynasty.



There are innumerable places to visit , sites to view , restaurants to try out , activities to engage in and their numbers are growing day by day . I can go on and on about Hyderabad . Like most towns, this too is undergoing many advancements . Change is inescapable. Anything which does not change will start stagnating . Vast expanses are added to cater to the ever growing influx of new comers. While I can expectantly lament that the city of my childhood is fast depleting , I also need to accept that new stretches are being built and cultivated as per standards like the world famous Hi-tech city .



We cousins have spread over all the 5 continents today . We do try to meet up every couple of years in our home town where our extended tribe lives . A group sojourn of the familiar streets is a must each time as the next generation has to start getting familiar with this glorious city . We girl cousins never omit the walk around the famed Charminar , at least to fund our addiction of … what else … shopping .





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