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Post by anshjain97 on Mar 24, 2015 16:25:24 GMT
I had put it off too long. Possibly the most historical of all big cities in South India, I just had to visit Hyderabad. Finally the opportunity came in October last year. Hyderabad has been ruled by several Islamic dynasties over the centuries. Even during the British rule, Hyderabad still was a princely state with considerable control over the territory, with British presence and oversight. And it was among the richest princely states in India, benefited hugely by its diamond trade. It was interesting to see many of these nicely-decorated halls. I think they are used for marriage ceremonies and the like. This area is the Old City, home to the busiest markets, oldest monuments and best snacks in the city. Our first stop was the Nizam's Museum, housed in a historic building. The 'Nizam' refers to a ruler of the Asaf Jahi dynasty, which ruled Hyderabad from the 18th century till India's independence in 1947. All the items in the museum, which were the Nizam's possessions and many of them were gifts by foreign dignitaries, are made of gold and/or silver. Below is a copy of the Quran, done by fingernails. Below is the Nizam's huge wardrobe- it is said he never wore a pice of clothing more than once. Below is THE most well-known icon of Hyderabad, the Charminar (translating as 'four towers'). Built in 1591, its purpose is still not completely known, though it is accepted that it was built to commemorate the end of the plague. It forms the centrepiece of the Old City and was built on an important trade route.
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Post by anshjain97 on Mar 25, 2015 7:07:17 GMT
Busy area around the Charminar: A very popular cafe and bakery, serving some famous Hyderabadi cookies. One of the major sights here is the Mecca Masjid, one of the oldest mosques in the city, and among the largest in India. It is named so, as the central arch was made by soil brought from Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The mosque is home to the tombs of the Nizams and of some of their family members. The tombs: In a day or so was the Islamic festival of Eid. Some animals, such as goats are used as sacrifices. Below is the large complex of Chowmahalla Palace. (which is really a complex of 4 palaces, Chowmahalla means 4 palaces). It was the official residence of the Nizam. It's very well maintained and thankfully photography is allowed in most of the place. Below is the main hall of the palace. The ceiling: And a closer look at it: Upstairs are several halls, this one is home to some furniture and household items, as well as ceramics, of the Nizams. A view looking back into the main hall: The weaponry gallery:
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Post by bjd on Mar 25, 2015 10:00:54 GMT
In a city with historic palaces and monuments, it's funny to see a bakery proud to be open since 1993.
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Post by anshjain97 on Mar 25, 2015 11:19:20 GMT
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Post by anshjain97 on Mar 25, 2015 14:01:15 GMT
In the middle of the lake there is a Buddha statue. Boats are available from Lumbini park, shown below. Standing 17 m tall, the statue is the tallest monolith of Buddha, and was built in 1992, by the state chief minister, who was inspired by the Statue of Liberty. Now, we're in the busy district of Koti. We were visiting the British Residency. A poster on the Lonely Planet Travel Forum has a blog on lesser-visited sights and after reading about the British Residency in Hyderabad, I decided on visiting. Now part of a university campus, the British Residency is a grand building which housed the British Resident during the rule of the British in India. While the Nizam of Hyderabad had quite some autonomy over his territory, he had to accept the presence of a British resident who would be an advisor. Inside the university campus: While it certainly was an untouched sight, it was interesting to see it being used as a movie set. I think I later read that the set was supposed to be as a courthouse. The front of the building: The presence of so many police cars and media vans was a bit shocking at first, until we realised it was all just a movie... Because of the movie set, going inside was not possible. So we just had a look at it from the outside. The driver we had hired said that in 25 yrs of living in Hyderabad, he had never heard of this place. Back outside: Below is a gurudwara, the place of worship for Sikhs (followers of the Sikhism religion). In the Old City now: Hyderabad is known as the City of Pearls. The most opulent of the Nizam's palaces is the Falaknuma Palace, now a hotel. So visitors can't just drop in for a look, unless they're going for a meal or are staying there.
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Post by mossie on Mar 25, 2015 15:31:30 GMT
This is of great interest to me. I served on 152 Hyderabad squadron in the RAF, it was so named because the Nizam of Hyderabad paid for at least 2 RAF squadrons to be fully equipped in 1940, aircraft included. He was reputed to be the richest man in the world and was weighed against all his gold and jewels each year. His headdress, the name of which I forget, was used as our squadron badge.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 25, 2015 18:52:56 GMT
I love the photo of the wardrobe back at the beginning, but what I notice the most about all of these impressive buildings is that everything is white. Is that the acknowledged dominant colour of the official architecture of the city? If so, is that by design or is it simply because all of the local building stones are white?
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Post by nycgirl on Mar 26, 2015 0:41:33 GMT
The Chowmahalla Palace is exquisitely beautiful.
That statue of Buddha is indeed reminiscent of the Statue of Liberty. Even before I read your caption, it reminded be of what the statue and Liberty Island look like from a distance.
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Post by anshjain97 on Mar 26, 2015 2:32:20 GMT
Very interesting, Mossie. Will be great if you have any additional information you'd like to share about him?
Interesting observation, Kerouac, I had never thought much about that. In any case I'm not too sure, sorry about that.
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Post by anshjain97 on Mar 26, 2015 2:58:10 GMT
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Post by htmb on Mar 26, 2015 3:56:10 GMT
Ansh, this is really wonderful and quite interesting.
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Post by anshjain97 on Mar 26, 2015 11:30:48 GMT
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Post by fumobici on Mar 26, 2015 15:02:20 GMT
This is just amazing.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 26, 2015 17:28:25 GMT
Wonderful I would have loved to be at the musical performance.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 26, 2015 17:32:26 GMT
How long did you spend in Hyderabad? There seem to be so many palaces and temples to see that I'm afraid I would go into architectural overload if I had to see them all in a very short time.
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Post by anshjain97 on Mar 26, 2015 23:44:07 GMT
I had about 2.5 days for this. Not a lot for such a city, but certainly decent enough for an introduction and recognising that I have to go back some day!
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Post by htmb on Mar 27, 2015 2:33:08 GMT
You really covered a lot in two and a half days, Ansh.
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Post by bixaorellana on Apr 13, 2015 2:08:17 GMT
Super report, Ansh -- very complete overview & excellent photographs. I notice you usually mention a good area for eating in the various cities you visit. One of these days we may have to convince you to give us some starter lessons in Indian food. Waddaya think?
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Post by anshjain97 on Apr 13, 2015 7:44:22 GMT
Bixa, I will make sure my mother pushes me to learn some cooking over the summer, so definitely.
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Post by htmb on Apr 13, 2015 21:13:32 GMT
You know, we'll remind you of that promise later.
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Post by lugg on Apr 16, 2015 19:07:46 GMT
What a great report Ansh . I especially enjoyed seeing the ceiling details . fascinating also to read about the acoustics in the fort.
Ditto re looking forward to some recipes.
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