
If you are traveling to Hyderabad on business — as is increasingly the case now — it is easy to miss the 400-year-old Hyderabad. The city that immediately hits the eye is a sprawling metropolis of shopping malls and office buildings with glass facades. The whole of the city seems to be under construction or renovation and the roads are jammed because flyovers are being constructed.
The "old city" that was once the seat of the Nizam, the ruler of the largest and the most opulent "princely state", and the twin city of Secunderabad where the British maintained a cantonment to keep the army within striking distance of the Nizam can be seen only if you take the time out to see them.
Hyderabad's many epithets include the City of Pearls, the City of Nawabs, the Biryani City and, because of its high-tech draw, Cyberabad.
In 1463 Quli Qutb-ul-Mulk established the fortress of Golconda about 8 km to the west of Hyderabad’s present day old city. He had quelled rebellion in the Telangana region and was appointed the subedar, or administrator of the region as a result. By 1518, he had become independent from the Bahmani sultan, declared himself the Sultan under the name of Quli Qutb Shah and established the Qutb Shahi dynasty. In 1589, Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, a grandson of Quli Qutb Shah, made the decision to move his capital from the Golconda fort to the present day location of Hyderabad due to water shortages at the old location. In 1591, he ordered the construction of the Charminar, reportedly in gratitude to Allah for cutting short a plague epidemic before it could do too much damage.
The name "Hyderabad" reportedly had its origins in an affair between Mohammad Quli Qutb Shah and a local Telugu courtesan named Bhagmati. He named the city Bhagyanagar after her, and after she converted to Islam and took on the name of "Hyder Mahal", he named the city Hyderabad. Hyderabad was built on a grid plan with help from Iranian architects. French traveler Jean-Baptiste Tavernier favorably compared Hyderabad to Orleans.
The Qutb Shahi dynasty lasted till 1687, when the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb defeated the sultanate and took over Hyderabad. He appointed his governor as ruler of the region and granted him the title of Nizam-ul-Mulk. However, Mughal rule was short-lived and in 1724, the Nizam Asaf Jah I gained independence from a declining Mughal empire. Legend has it that while on a hunting expedition, he met a holy man who offered him some kulchas and asked him to eat as much as he could. Asaf Jah ate only seven, and the holy man prophesied that his dynasty would last for seven generations. Sure enough, the seventh ruler in the dynasty was the last. In honour of the legend, the flag of the Nizams featured a kulcha.
Around 1763 Asif Jah II, defeated by the Marathas and threatened by Tipu Sultan of Mysore, entered into a subsidiary alliance with a British. Hyderabad ended up as the capital of the largest princely state in British India. The British maintained their army in nearby Secunderabad to protect the Nizam and to ensure that he did not do any mischief. Hyderabad state was the richest in the country and in the 1930s Time magazine rated the Nizam the richest man in the world. In 1947, with India's independence, the seventh Nizam was reluctant to cede his principality to the newly independent India, preferring Pakistan instead. India sent in its troops and the 200 year old prophesy was fulfilled. Hyderabad became the capital of the newly formed state of Andhra Pradesh in 1956 and steadily grew in size.
The next major events in Hyderabad's history took place when Chandrababu Naidu became the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh in 1995. Among his key policies was a major initiative to turn the city into an IT hub. He cleaned up the streets, laid out IT parks and did much to attract technology companies into the city. A major achievement for him was when Microsoft chose Hyderabad as its India headquarters over rival Bangalore. Today, as Bangalore’s infrastructure is choked by the city’s rapid growth, Hyderabad's well-laid out streets are proving to be a major attraction for software and IT-enabled companies. Hyderabad takes its brand as an IT destination very seriously. Cyberabad is not just a nickname. The technology enclave of Madhapur has actually been officially named Hi tec city, and Cyberabad is commonly used in official documents.
In 2007, the suburbs of Hyderabad were merged with the city to form Greater Hyderabad
The best way to orient yourself to Hyderabad is to think with reference to two water bodies - the Musi river and the Hussain Sagar Lake. The Musi river flows from the west to the east, a few kilometers south of Hussain Sagar Lake.
In many senses, Hyderabad is the meeting ground between North and South India. The city has a culture that is distinct from the rest of Andhra Pradesh, showing Islamic influences and a courtly presence imparted from its period as the capital of the Nizamate. This is more evident in the old city. The new city resembles many provincial state capitals in India. Secunderabad is more cosmopolitan, as the Cantonment area is located in this part of the city.
Due to a recent influx of young men and women from various parts of the country, Hyderabad's culture and attitudes have taken a turn towards "modernity". However, it is good to keep in mind that the city is still a deeply conservative place and to dress appropriately, especially in the old city.
Like many Indian cities Hyderabad has a tropical climate. The best time to visit the city is from mid-November to mid-February.Temperatures are mild with abundant sunshine during this time and average temperature range from a low of 15°C (59°F) to a high of 29°C (85°F). March to June is hot and dry with occasional thunderstorms. Highs can reach 40°C (104°F) or more and lack of air-conditioning can make it feel very uncomfortable. July, August, September and October can be quite warm and humid and low pressure systems from the Bay of Bengal during the monsoon season can cause heavy rain for days.
Old city is the backward region of hyderabad. Most of the historical attractions are situated in the old city.
(The wild life parks, botanical garden and zoo have several educational programs including lectures with live snakes)
Hyderabad is well connected to all parts of the country by air, rail and road.
Hyderabad's new Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (IATA: HYD) [1] is located 22 km from the city. Note that the old airport at Begumpet is now closed. The sleek and well-organized airport is one of the best aviation facilities in India. The elevated expressway [2] to the airport is now open and takes 20 minutes. Direct international connectivity from Hyderabad is available for many countries. International carriers operating from Hyderabad are Air India, British Airways, Emirates, Gulf Air, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Kuwait Airways, Lufthansa, Malaysia Airlines, Oman Air, Qatar Airways, Saudi Arabian Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Sri Lankan Airlines and Thai Airways.
Domestic connectivity is excellent with Indian airlines operating from here including Air India, Air India Express, Indian Airlines, Indigo Airlines, Jet Airways, JetLite, Kingfisher Airlines, Paramount Airlines and SpiceJet.
Once you arrive at Hyderabad airport, one option is to take the air-conditioned buses run by the airport (Aero Express) to three designated points in the city (1) Begumpet (Paryatak Bhavan) (2) Secunderabad (Keyes High School) (3) Hi-Tec City (Opposite Shilparamam) at a fixed price of Rs 150, and two designated points in the city (4) Charminar (City College) (5) Mehdipatnam (Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital) at Rs 120 (travel time runs from 45 to 100 minutes depending on time of day and traffic conditions). The buses have a frequency of a bus every 30 minutes between 03:30 am and 23:00 pm and every hour at midnight, 1:00 am, 2:00 am and 3:00 am. You can reach the designated points and then take an auto or metered cab from there.
Alternatively, you can hire metered air-conditioned radio cabs starting from Rs 10 per km (see Get around section) Easy and Meru are approved by the Airport and are available just after exiting the terminal building. For the rest, you need to call and book with a lead time of 15 minutes to 1 hour. These cabs charge 25 % surcharge in the night (ie, Rs. 18.75 per km). Beware of taxi soliciting touts at the airport greeting area; they will try to scam you into exorbitant rates.
Hired cars are also available from a booth just before walking outside of the airport. This gives you the advantage of paying in advance, thereby avoiding any disagreements over price.
The airport can be contacted on their (toll free for BSNL/MTNL subscribers) number 1-800-419-2008 for all services and enquiries including arrivals / departure information, facilities, transport availability, etc.
Indian Railways [3] has service to Hyderabad from all over India.
There are three major railway stations serving the twin cities: Secunderabad, Nampally (Hyderabad Deccan), and Kacheguda and a minor station at Begumpet.
It's possible to drive to Hyderabad from Bangalore (via NH7) at a distance of about 560 km. The city is 752 km from Chennai (using highways NH9 and NH5) and 800 km from Mumbai (NH9 till Pune and the expressway to Mumbai.) The Bangalore Hyderabad section is part of the North South corridor which is being updated, and is a four-lane divided highway. The quality of the road is inconsistent.
Hyderabad is well-connected to all parts of the Andhra Pradesh and some parts of South India. CBS / Imliban is the biggest station run by APSRTC (state-run) situated in Hyderabad and JBS / Jubilee Bus station is in Secunderabad. [4]. Imliban is said to be the largest bus station in the world. APSRTC has pickup and drop points from various points in the city. In addition, government-run bus services of neighbouring states also run buses to Hyderabad, as do various private companies such as Kesineni Travels [5] It may be difficult to find direct buses from North India.
There are many ways to get around in Hyderabad. It has good bus service, passable autorickshaw and taxi service and a grossly inadequate local train service.
Hyderabad has good local bus connectivity and is run by APSRTC [6], a state-government owned corporation. Most buses start and at the Mahatma Gandhi Bus Terminus more commonly known as Imlibun. Apart from normal local buses, you have a choice of Metro Express and Metro Deluxe aka Veera. Since April 2008 there have also been Air-conditioned buses aka Seetala Hamsa between Secunderabad Railway Station and Hi-Tec City (minimum fare Rs 10/-).
Autorickshaws in Hyderabad should be metered, though it can be difficult for non-locals to find an autorickshaw driver who agrees to a metered fare. (This is especially true when hailing an auto in front of a 5-star hotel.) However, Traffic police are very helpful and will help engage an Auto with metered fare. Autos can carry a maximum of 3 passengers excluding the driver, but it is common to find them being overloaded to carry up to six passengers. The minimum fare is Rs 12 which covers the first 1.5kms. Each additional km is another Rs 7. There are also shared 8 seater Maxi Vans available to and fro from the suburbs to a main location of the city in that direction. Fares are mostly 2 rupees more than bus fares, but are far more comfortable and fast for short distances upto 5 km.
Metered taxis are available, but they cannot be hailed off the street. One needs to call their centralised call centre and book the service. Service is very good, especially if you are booking for longer distances. It can be next to impossible to be able to get a cab without prior booking since demand far outstrips the supply. All metered cabs have digital meters that show the distance and fare.
Operators offering metered taxis at Rs 10 per km (Most of them are now charging Rs. 12 per km for an Indica, Rs. 10 continues in case of Maruti Omni) with a minimum charge is Rs. 80 in most cases. Many taxi services prefer not to book trips that are only a short distance. In alphabetical order:
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Operators offering Air conditioned metered taxis at Rs 15 per km:
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The third variety of cabs are chartered type, example hired for maximum of 8 hours or 80 km whichever is higher. These are available from:
Local trains called MMTS [11] are available, albeit for a few places in Hyderabad, The frequency ranges from 10 minutes to around 2 per hour, save the day time and Sundays when there are fewer trains. It is a fast way of travel to the few stations it covers, and the cheapest option as well. If you plan to travel through MMTS, do check out the schedule from the website [12] or [13]. If you are foreign traveler it is advisable to take first class. Daily and monthly passes are also available at the MMTS stations.
Hyderabad lacks an expressway system, leading to traffic jams during rush hours. However, an 160 km Ring Road Expressway[14] is currently under construction.
Driving discipline in Hyderabad is, if it can be possible, worse than in the rest of India. There are long stretches of roads passing through thickly populated areas that have no median breaks, so vehicles, including motorbikes and cars, simply drive on the wrong side of the road. The accepted way to take a right turn is to go to the left edge of the road and turn right, in the face of multiple lanes of cars attempting to go straight. Red lights are broken in broad daylight while cops watch helplessly.
Several car rental agencies are available at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport as well in the following locations.
Hyderabad's interesting districts are fairly spread out, but are enjoyable to explore by foot on their own. The Old City is composed of a maze of disorienting alleyways that expand outward from the Charminar. Getting lost in the markets (where you can buy anything from hand-sequined saris to freshly slaughtered goats) and alleyways in the Old City can make for a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon. The famous Chudi Bazaar (Lad Bazaar) across from the Charminar is a chaotic tumble of goods, people, animals and vehicles are navigated quickly on foot. The Chowmahalla palace and the Mecca Masjid are both easily accessed from the Charminar. Necklace Road, Sultan Bazar (Koti) and Abids are worth taking some time to wander around. Please note that walking can be hazardous in Hyderabad. It is common for roads to be missing pavement, or simply unpaved, and bikes and autorickshaws may go to right up to the edge of the road and climb any barrier to get ahead in traffic. Walking alongside and crossing the road can be very dangerous and it is important to stay alert for erratic driving. It is always advisable to use the foot-over bridge if there is one available.
Himayathnagar: Contact Lilac Boutique for Designer Sarees, suits and blouses.
| This guide uses the following price ranges for a typical meal for one, including soft drink: | |
| Budget | Under Rs.250 |
| Mid-range | Rs.250-750 |
| Splurge | Over Rs.750 |
Hyderabadi cuisine developed as an attempt to satisfy the palate of the Nizam, his court and his army. While heavily influenced by traditional Telangana cuisine, it is distinct from it.
The most famous Hyderabadi dish is the Hyderabadi Dum Biryani. Dum refers to the baking process where Basmati rice and meat or vegetables are mixed in a pot and heated for a long time. During the Nizam's time, the Biryani was made with lamb's meat carefully cooked with rice. Culinary delicacies of Hyderabad include Gosht, which is made from a buck/billy/young goat, and is associated with the Hyderabadi cuisine. Hyderabadis prize the meat of a male goat.Kachchi gosht ki biriyani of Hyderabad, where raw meat is stir fried with spices(masala) for couple of minutes and then covered with rice and put on dum. Today, Biryani is also made using vegetables, chicken, seafood and beef. The beef Biryani is known as Kalyani Biryani, available at many small eateries in the city. Although any Irani cafe might serve this delectable dish, there are a few places better known for tasteful food than their hygiene.
Hyderabadi Haleem is another dish which is available only in the month of Ramadaan(Ramzan).
Mirchi ka salan — spicy chilly gravy, is another dish that serves as a tasty accompaniment to any rice item.
Khubani ka meetha is Hyderabad's preferred dessert sweet. It is made from apricots boiled in sugar syrup till they achieve a thick consistency. It looks similar to, but tastes different from gajar ka halwa. It is often topped with ice-cream or cream.
Double Ka Meetha is a dessert made from bread, milk and dry fruits.
Among the drinks, falooda is a favourite of Hyderabad. Irani chai is the tea of Hyderabad, available everywhere in the old city.
Street food in Hyderabad is likely to be disappoint those who have appreciated the better stuff in North India or even Mumbai, but is inexplicably popular with the locals.
In recent times, there has been an explosion in the number of restaurants in Hyderabad, fuelled by demand from young professionals with money to spend. Quality and variety of food, however, has not kept pace. There is a disproportionately large number of restaurants that aspire to be called "fine-dining" restaurants, but the food they serve is usually indifferent. In general, keep away from restaurants that call themselves "multi-cuisine" or if you see multiple cuisines on the menu, as the chances are that they are attempting to serve every kind of palate and will not satisfy any.
The older areas of Hyderabad are better places to find good and cheap food. Places close to Hi tec city, such as Madhapur and Kondapur, tend to have expensive and bad food, while in Banjara Hills and Jubilee Hills you will find restaurants that are expensive, but which sometimes serve good food. Those misled by the fact that Hyderabad is in South Indian and expecting South Indian food may be disappointed. While there are excellent South Indian restaurants in some of the older areas like Koti and Abids, the average South Indian food served here is quite bad.
Two of the biggest names in Hyderabad's restaurant business are Ohri's [44] and the BJN Group [45]. It will seem as if every second restaurant in the city is run by either one or the other. BJN generally runs upscale restaurants, while Ohri's runs both upscale and mid-range restaurants. It also runs numerous fast food places all over the city, including at Prasad's Imax, Banjara Hills, Somajiguda, EatStreet, Hyderabad Central & Basheer Bagh.
Hyderabad has a large number of outlets that are positioned as bakeries. These are primarily takeaway places, where one can buy sandwiches, burgers and puffs to go (called parcel in local parlance.) Usually, there are a few chairs and tables thrown in as an afterthought.
Many Western chains have set up shop in the posh areas of Hyderabad. Among these are Texas Chicken, McDonalds, KFC , Pizza Hut, Dominos and Subway. Most of these have multiple outlets and all of them have Indianized their fare to varying extents. The Indian pizza chain Pizza Corner also has many outlets. Barista[63], Cafe Coffee Day[64] and Java Green[65] outlets are good places to have coffee and conversations.
Pulla Reddy Sweets is an iconic chain of sweet shops. The outlets are found all over Hyderabad and are so popular that it has spawned imitators who copy the distinctive yellow signs and choose some variation of "Reddy" (a common last name in Andhra Pradesh) as the name.
There is plenty to do at night in Hyderabad, though local regulations have most places serving last drinks by 11PM. On weekdays, drinks in the some of the pubs have best offers, as most clubs are empty until Thursday or Friday nights, when the clubbers emerge. But the sheer number of nightlife spots makes it hard to choose which ones to list. As a general rule they tend to be clustered around Begumpet and Road No.1, Banjara Hills.
Alcohol is available easily from numerous Liquor Shops, known as wine shops in local parlance, spread across the twin cities, in restaurants with bars attached (includes most upscale ones) and in pubs.
Some of the good pubs and bars are part of hotels, and they have been covered along with their hotel listing under Sleep.
4 Seasons, Toli Chowki, Hyderabad. * Easy Rider, Lakeview Palace, Opp. Taj Banjara, Rs. No. 1, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad 500 034 Tel.+91-40-2784 2267 --shutdown temporarily edit
H20 Amrutha castle , Near lumbini garden. Resonable rate 150 to 300.
Club8, Life style building Ameer pet, Cheap beer, usually have offer (1+1) before 7 pm.
Cloud9, ICICI bank near old airport. Have dance floor. not very good crowd.
Hard Rock Cafe. Part of world wild chain. Excellent ambiance , check website for events. Address : GVK 1 mall road no 1 banjara hills.