Pic: Inaz
| Fast Facts |
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State: Andhra Pradesh
District: Hydrabad
Famous for/as: Heritage
Languages: Telugu, English
Best Season: Oct - Mar
Weather: Summer 30-40°C, Winter 14-22°C
Altitude: 536 m
Pincode: 500xxx
STD code: 040, 08413, 08414, 08415, 08418
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Hyderabad, which is almost 500 years old, is the capital city of Andhra Pradesh. It is located on the Deccan Plateau. The city has an average altitude of about 500 m above the sea level. Most of the regions have rocky terrain.
Originally, the city of Hyderabad was established on the southern banks of the river Musi. Now, the so-called original Hyderabad city is called as the historical Old City. The Old City is the dwelling to the Charminar and the Mecca Masjid. Many constructions – government buildings and landmarks – are going on in the city center, particularly on the south side of the Husain Sagar Lake. The fast development of the city, along with the development of adjoining city Secunderabad and adjacent municipalities, has resulted in the creation of a huge and densely populated metropolitan region.
With various software firms, call centers, and business process outsourcing (BPO) companies being set up during the early 1990s, Hyderabad has become one of the key areas for such information technology (IT) and IT-enabled service set-ups. Many pharmaceutical companies like Aurobindo Pharma Limited, Divis Labs, Dr Reddy's Laboratories, Hetero Drugs Limited, Matrix Laboratories, and Vimta Labs are located in the city.
A good way to cover the major tourist spots in the city is by taking one of the day trips conducted by the A.P Tourism.
History
The city's history begins with the establishment of the Qutb Shahi dynasty when Quli Qutb Shah seized the power from the Bahamani Kingdom in 1512, establishing the city of Golconda. Owing to water scarcity and frequent epidemics of cholera and plague, Quli Qutb Shah wanted to establish a city outside of Golconda. Charminar became the center of this new city and there were four major roads arising from the Charminar along the four cardinal directions.
The wealth and strategic location of Hyderabad and Golconda attracted Aurangazeb. After a tough eight-month siege, Quli Qutb Shah gave in, and in 1687, the Moghul Empire was established. During the Moghul rule, the city experienced partial ruins and lost its importance. However, having no mighty emperors after Aurangazeb, the Moghul emperor soon lost its glory and hold, and then began Asaf Jahi dynasty. Asaf Jah I proclaimed himself the Nizam of Hyderabad and established independent rule of the Deccan. The city regained its importance and became the capital city of the Asif Jahi dynasty until Andhra Pradesh was merged into the Indian Union 1948.
The twin cities Hyderabad and Secunderabad are collectively known just as Hyderabad. The rule of the seven Nizams saw the growth of Hyderabad both culturally and economically
Culture
The people from different regions of the state and country have dwelling in the city. The people like the Bengalis, Coastal Andhraites, Gujaratis, Marathis, the Sikh Community, and the people from different regions are residing in the city. The primary languages spoken here are Telugu, Urdu, Deccani, Hindi, and English. English is commonly used in governance, commerce, and business.
The Hinduism and the Islam are the most densely present religions in the city. The Muslims are densely populated in and around the Old City. The city has also houses for Christianity. Many popular churches have located across the city. The important Hindu festival is Ganesh Chaturthi; it is being celebrated for ten days. The important Muslim festival is Muharram.
Women of all religions and cultures in Hyderabad, mainly, wear either the sari or the salwar kameez. The younger population preferably wears salwar kameez. The conventional Hyderabadi dresses for women are the the salwar kameez and the khara dupatta, and for men it is the Sherwani.
Travel within city
There are countless ways in which a tourist can travel within the city of Hyderabad, as the city is well planned out with a plethora of travel options. Tourists can take up buses, auto rickshaws, taxis, trains and cars in order to commute to places within Hyderabad. Some of these public travel options are really cheap and tourists can opt for the mode of travel that they find convenient.
Bus
Buses can be a very good mode of travel while travelling within the city, as buses ply to every nook and corner and regular buses will be available for all the major destinations within the city. The buses in the city of Hyderabad are run by the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation, which is controlled by the state. The major bus stand in Hyderabad is the Mahatma Gandhi Bus Terminus, and buses from here ply to all parts of the city. Normal buses are available to commute, and deluxe buses are also available. Air conditioned buses are also available in the city of Hyderabad, but these buses ply only from Hi Tech City to the Secunderabad Railway Station. The minimum fare in an air conditioned bus is Rs 10, and the fares in normal buses can range from around Rs 5 to 15.
Tourists looking to travel in a less crowded way can opt for auto rickshaws. Auto rickshaws in Hyderabad run on meter, and tourists traveling through the city should ensure that they do not pay the auto rickshaw driver more than the fare amount. The minimum fare in order to travel in an auto is 12 INR for the first one and a half kilometers, and 7 INR for every additional kilometer. Share auto rickshaws are also available for travel within the city, and the charges are 2 INR more than the bus charge, and this mode of transport is less crowded. Auto rickshaws do not charge any extra night fares.
Taxi
Taxis in the city of Hyderabad are metered, and the prices are pre determined. Taxis are available only from the taxi stands and cannot be hailed off the road. The fares for travelling in a taxi are 80 INR as the minimum charge and 10 INR for every kilometer basically. The charges per kilometer may depend on the type of cab involved, and cabs in Hyderabad are the safest mode of travel during the night.
Meru Cabs- (+91) 40-44224422
Easy Cabs- (+91) 40-43434343
Local Train
Local suburban trains are also available for travel within Hyderabad. These trains, called MMTS trains, are the cheapest options of travel within the city, and also the fastest. Fares may range around Rs 10 to 20, and monthly passes and daily passes are also available. This mode of travel, while fast and efficient, is not very extensive as the network does not cover all the inner regions.
Cabs
In case you know your way around the city, you can opt for rental agencies, where you can find cars for rent in a daily and weekly basis. Charges in order to rent a car may range around Rs 1500 to 3000. Tourists can opt for such cars for sightseeing purposes as buses will generally be crowded.
Buses, taxis and auto rickshaws will all be available from the railway station, bus stand and the airport.
Auto rickshaws and cycle rickshaws are the best way to get around the buzzling city.
Food
The practice of preparing food in Hyderabad is a mixture of Mughal and Persian style of cooking. You'd just love eating at Hyderabad! Hyderabad is famous for its vegetarian food as well as non-vegetarian food. However, both these types of food are very spicy. If you are not used to spicy food, you should think before you choose any item. Even though very spicy, these cuisines are extremely delicious that you should not miss them. The Hyderabadi biriyani is a delicious preparation. It is an important dish of this city. With the city becoming hi-tech, you also get fast food and Chinese delicacies.
The other native cookeries include aam ka achaar, bagaare baigan, dalcha, double ka meetha, gosht ka achaar, kaddu ki kheer (a sweetened porridge prepared using sweet gaurd), kheema aaloo (the most favourite food of the native people), nahari kulche (paayaa and haleem – a traditional meat dish eaten during Ramzan), peosi (a sweetened item prepared using milk white of egg), phirni (a sweetened vermicelli porridge prepared during Deepawali), sheer qorma (a sweetened liquid dish prepared using milk and vermicelli), til ka khatta, til ki chutney, and many more delicious foods! The native people are using imli in the preparation of most of their curries.
The city is known for its Mughal influences is famous for Hyderabadi biryani which is best experienced at Paradise hotel in Secunderabad.
Shopping
Hyderabad has a huge variety of goods to offer. From antiques to handicrafts to pearls and semi-precious stones, you get anything you want. Hyderabad is known for its pearl bazaar. The artisans in Hyderabad are highly adept in piercing and stringing the pearls without causing any damage to the pearl. Rice pearl and Basra pearl are the two popular varieties of pearl available here. The pearls are intricately studded in silver and gold ornaments. Besides gold, silver, and pearl, the other metal used in ornamentation is bronze. Colorful bangles and embroidery textiles are another attraction here.
Laad Bazaar (the bangle market) is located close to Charminar. The products like artefacts, antique paintings, cotton dress materials, handloom cloths, saris, silverware, and unique handcrafts are prepared and merchandised in the city for many centuries.
Known for its variety in design color and intricacy are the bangle designs found here, along with the rich embroidery dating back to the Mughal period.
Hotels
You can find 289 hotels in Hyderabad under following categories:
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| Weather |
More Details |
Hazy
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23°C
at 01:10 AM
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Monday
High: 28°
Low: 23°
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Tuesday
High: 28°
Low: 23°
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Wednesday
High: 25°
Low: 22°
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