Hyderabad is a beautiful blend of contemporary and historical places. Exploring this amazing city and its rich culture is a must for travelers. The post Why Hyderabad is worth a visit appeared first on Light Travel Action.
You are not a travel enthusiast if you don’t jump on every chance you get to travel. And that’s how I landed in Hyderabad. As soon as a friend invited me over to visit, I booked my air tickets and packed my bag for my Hyderabad trip.
I arrived late in the evening and a serene sunset welcomed me into the city. Sunset makes me happy, philosophical, and melancholic at the same time. If you too feel so, check these meaningful sunrise and sunset captions.
What is Hyderabad famous for?
Hyderabad is famous as a Hi-tech city that is becoming a cultural melting pot. People from various parts of India have settled in this city for education and work.
Hyderabad is famous for its pearls, biryani, historical monuments, and Ramoji Film city. What actually attracted me to Hyderabad was its culture and history. Check out the top must-visit historical places in India, here.
Though there were things that I was expecting I was also in for a surprise. Coming from Punjab, I was a little afraid about exploring the city alone. Almost all of them were just my fears.
I planned an itinerary and I tried to stick to it. I am often not able to do that as anything can change my mind- weather, convenience, to name a few.
But I had decided that I definitely wanted to cover a few things. Some were the touristy places that most people visiting Hyderabad would visit and some were the ones that piqued my interest.
1. Visit Birla temple and Museum
On the first day, I decided to visit the Birla temple, Birla Planetarium, and Birla science museum.
I missed out on checking the closure time for Birla temple and arrived right at the time of closure (around 12 noon). Make sure to arrive early because of the timing and also because you will have to go barefoot and the ground was extremely hot even during February.
Sadly, I couldn’t see much there as I was late. So, I walked towards the Birla planetarium and Birla science museum which were just a few minutes’ walk away.
Though Planetarium and science museum were okay, what amazed me was the art items on display at the art gallery. The huge, fancy, and expensive collection includes sculptures, crockery, glassware, dolls, idols, decorative items, etc.
One mesmerizing thing that I saw there was a beautiful tapestry. A staff person said that it was made up of expensive threads, and precious stones. Sadly, photography was not allowed.
2. Get Acquainted with Art at Salar Jung Museum
As soon as I entered the premises of Salar Jung Museum, I noticed a long queue. I should have kept this for a weekday, I thought. Anyways, it didn’t take long to get the ticket. Not wanting to waste any more time, I rushed inside. Salar Jung museum is huge, and if you are interested and art and history, you can easily spend 2-3 hours here or even more.
It has an impressive collection of thousands of art objects, manuscripts, books, and a lot more. The artifacts majorly belong to Mir Yousuf Ali Khan, who is also known as Salar Jung III.
Arms and armors, ivory objects, sculptures, Indian textiles, paintings, carpets, furniture, and decorative items are on display. You will also find Chinese, Japanese, and European art collections at the museum. I was totally awed by the artifacts at display.
Out of all the priceless items in the museum, what caught my attention the most was this rich exhibit of sarees. Learn how to drape a perfect saree.
3. Walk around Char Minar
I had been reading about it since school. It would be a shame not to visit it. Char Minar is located in the old city and it is a famous landmark.
It was as crowded as expected and it was difficult to find your way in the vast sea of humans.
I was tired of walking in the museum so I decided to just look at the Char Minar rather than go upstairs there. The weather was hot and it was getting more crowded around there.
4. Shop at Laad Bazar
I decided to explore the nearby market and have a look at the stalls selling all kinds of goods and trinkets. If you have even a slight interest in jewelry or shopping, you would be spending a lot of time here.
I bought a few items as gifts and souvenirs. Don’t forget to bargain. I walked around and asked the prices at a few stalls and finally bought from a shop where I saw many local women buying stuff.
I love shopping and Jaipur is one of my favorite places to shop. Find out the top souvenirs to pick while shopping in Jaipur.
5. Peek into the history at Golconda Fort
Golconda Fort is located on the outskirts of a hill. Though most of the fort is in ruins now, it can be an interesting place to visit for people interested in history and architecture.
According to the Telangana Tourism official website, “It was originally known as Mankal, and built on a hilltop in the year 1143. It was originally a mud fort under the reign of Rajah of Warangal. Later it was fortified between the 14th and 17th centuries by the Bahmani Sultans and then the ruling Qutub Shahi dynasty. Golconda was the principal capital of the Qutub Shahi kings.”
Avoid visiting during the noon time as it can get quite hot there and there isn’t any restaurant or place where you can relax. Just a small shop that sells cold drinks, ice cream, etc. There is a long path that leads towards an old temple on a hillock. Up next a little further is what seems that the highest place in the fort premises where you can the view of the city.
6. Get Amazed By The Qutub Shahi Tombs
I had not planned on visiting this and neither was I aware of the existence of these tombs. While roaming around the premises of the Golconda Fort, I saw a few tombs. As I wasn’t much happy about the Golconda fort, I decided to visit these next. And I didn’t regret the decision.
These tombs were built by Qutub Shahis in the memory of the departed kings of Golconda. There are seven tombs that have dome-like structures built on raised platforms.
Some tombs were undergoing renovation and some had been recently renovated. It made me happy to see that a lot of effort was being put into reviving their glory. These 7 tombs in this area were built by the Qutub Shahis. These tombs exhibit a combination of Persian and Indian architecture.
There was a middle-aged man who introduced himself as a guide. I’m not sure if he was an authorized tour guide but he seemed to have quite a good knowledge about the history of this place. He charged a few hundred rupees for his service. I don’t regret spending that money.
7. A Glimpse into the luxury at Chowmahalla Palace
While searching online for places to visit in Hyderabad, I had come across pictures of Chowmahalla Palace. It looked like a place worth a visit. Chowmahalla Palace was built in the 18th century and covered 45 acres of land which is now limited to about 12 acres.
It is a huge palace that consists of four palaces- Afzal Mahal, Tahniyat Mahal, Mahtab Mahal, and Aftab Mahal. There is a clock tower and a grand Durbar hall exhibiting the grandeur of the palace.
The place that amazed me the most was the Dubar hall. It is a masterpiece of artistic intricate work and design. A beautiful fountain and lush spread of lawn add to the splendor of this palace.
There are many galleries in the palace displaying furniture, crockery, clothes, pictures, vintage cars, etc., that give you a glimpse into the opulent lives of the rich and influentials of that era. At the souvenir shop located inside the premises, you can buy things like books, jewelry, clothes, decorative items, etc.
8. Don’t miss out on the local flavors
I’m a vegetarian so I was looking online for a place that served a vegetarian option. When in India, you must try these vegetarian Indian thalis from various parts of the country.
I finally zeroed down at Paradise Biryani which was located nearby and had great reviews. It was delicious indeed but the portion was huge for me. So I got that packed to relish it later. Don’t ever waste food!
Food tastes a lot more delicious when you are exhausted and hungry. At the end of one such day I tried Uttapam and tea at Udupi restuarant. I still remember the lingering savoury taste.
The next day my friend took me out for a brunch at a restaurant that served lip-smacking south Indian meals. For the first time, I had Guntur Idlis and they were saturated with desi ghee. I was full, satisfied but I knew I’d need to work on digesting that.
I wish I had more time to visit Shilpramam, IKEA store and Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad. That’s still on the list. There’s a lot to do and visit in Hyderbad. Start exploring!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, it is safe to travel in Hyderabad. Be as careful as you generally would be while traveling.
I would suggest you dress modestly in Hyderabad if you are traveling, using public transport, and visiting places. I wore jeans/capris and a t-shirt/top during my trip.
There is a lot to try. I loved the Biryani and many other options for south-Indian food.
Khubani ka Meetha, Sheer Khurma, and Shahi Tukda are some of the famous sweet dishes of Hyderabad.
Telugu, Urdu, English, and Hindi are spoken in Hyderabad.
Laad bazar, Begum bazar, and General bazar are good for traditional items. GVK One Mall, Inorbit Mall, and IKEA are some of the popular places to shop in Hyderabad.
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