The capital city of two South Indian states Andhra Pradesh and the newly formed Telangana is a major metropolitan city as well tourist city of India. Hyderabad lies along the banks of River Musi and most part of the city is situated on Hilly contours around artificial lakes.
One of these lakes is the Hussain Sagar which also separates it from its twin city Secunderabad. Having a rich history of about 400 years, the city has been ruled by Qutub Shahis and Nizams. The prosperity of Hyderabad’s past is still reflected by its present. Besides being renowned for its ultimate quality pearls, the city is also known for its rich cultural heritage. Not to forget the tempting delicacies of Hyderabad, its most remarkable include cuisines the Hyderabadi Biryani and Hyderabadi Haleem.
Major Attractions in Hyderabad
Hyderabad possesses and maintains a plethora of tourist spots which offer a wide and huge variety to its travelers. There is something for everyone who comes to Hyderabad. Amusement parks, wildlife and natural grounds, religious places, historical monuments, museums and much more. Below are the most exciting and admirable tourist spots of Hyderbad:
- Charminar – The Charminar meaning four minarets was built by Mohammed Quli Qutub Shah in 1591. More or less a symbol of Hyderabad, Charminar is a square building with four minarets, one at each corner of the square. On the top of it are 45 prayer spaces for offering Namaz to God. Purpose of getting it constructed was to safeguard the city of Hyderabad from epidemic and plague. Around Charminar are numerous vibrant markets where one can buy lots of interesting stuff like pearls, bangles etc.
- Ramoji Film City – The largest film studio across the globe, known as Ramoji Film City is also famous as a tourist and recreation spot besides being popular among film makers. Spread across an area of 1500 acre, this film studio is located at one hour drive from Hyderabad and was opened by Ramoji Group in 1996. This place has many natural as well as artificial spots such as streets, restaurants, hotels, amusement parks, replicas of tourist places such as Hawa Mahal, Charminar, Taj Mahal, Mughal Gardens etc.
- Shilparamam Arts and Crafts Village – Located at Madhapur in Hyderabad, Shilparamam is an arts and crafts village. It was taken off in 1992 with the idea of preserving traditional crafts and encouraging artisans. One can find profound jewellery, local crafts, sculptures, woodwork, textiles and a lot more here. Surrounded by thick greenery, sparkling waterfalls and tough rocks, it offers a magnificent ambience to its visitors.
- Nehru Zoological Park – Popularly known as the Hyderabad Zoo, the Nehru Zoological Park is located near the Mir Alam Tank in Hyderabad. This zoo is famous for being a house to a wide variety of animals which includes Bengal Tiger, Asian Lion, Indian Elephant, Python, Panther, Indian Rhino, deer, antelopes, birds etc.
Other places of tourist interest in Hyderabad are –
- Historical sites – Taramati Baradari, Falaknuma Palace, Paigah Tombs, Chowmahalla Palace
- Museums – AP State Archeology Museum, H.E.H The Nizams Museum, Salarjung Museum, Birla Planetarium and Science Museum
- Holy Places – Birla Mandir and Mecca Mosque
- National Parks – Mrugvani National Park, Kasu Brahmananda National Park, Mahavir Harina Vanasthali National Park
- Amusement Parks – Snow World, Jalavihar Park, Mount Opera and Ocean Park.
Festivals and Fairs
Hyderabad is a cultural city which celebrates all the Indian festivals with great excitement and vigor. These include Makar Sankranti, Sivratri, Ugadi, Diwali, Vinayak Chaturthi, Moharram etc. Besides these, there are a few festivals that are celebrated exclusively in Hyderabad.
- Deccan Festival – Featuring art, craft, cuisine and culture of Hyderabad, this five days long festival is organized at the Qutub Shahi Tombs. This festival is meant to exhibit and promote art, dance, music and cuisine of the city.
- Lumbini Festival – This festival is celebrated and organized by the state’s Tourism Department to honor the Buddhist Heritage of Andhra Pradesh. Beginning on 2nd Friday of December every year, this festival lasts for three days and the venue for the same is Nagarjunsagar Dam. Tourists from all over the country visit Hyderabad during this festival.
Best Time To Visit
Since the weather of Hyderabad is quite warm, it is advisable to tour the city during the months of October to February. This is the time when the weather here is pleasant with temperatures ranging between 29 and 14 degree Celsius. It is considered to be the ideal time for visiting the historical monuments and enjoying other tourist activities.
How to reach
By Air – Rajiv Gandhi International Terminal is the international airport of Hyderabad and is well connected to all the major cities of the world. The airport is located at a distance of about 20km from the city and also has a domestic terminal.
By train – Hyderabad possesses three big railway stations namely Hyderabad Railway Station, Secunderabad Railway Station and Kachiguda Railway Station. They have regular trains running to and from all the towns and cities of India.
By Road – With an extensive interstate bus terminal, Hyderabad is properly connected to all the major nearby towns and cities such as Bangalore, Mumbai, Chennai, Tirupati, Kolkata, Aurangabad etc by way of state and road transport buses. NH9 and NH7 connect the roads of Hyderabad to rest of the country so one can also drive own vehicle to the city.
