The Top 5 famous places to visit in Hyderabd
Hyderabad, once the city of Nizams and presently the Pearl City of India has a lot to portray its heritage. From its old architecture to the modern hitex buildings, the city is an intermingling of varied culture and religion. At the first glimpse, you would find this place to be yet another busy city, but as you settle; you would soon be exploring the gem out of the city. Be it the food, the monuments or the culture, this city gives you much more than you expect. The city has a treasure of places to visit, however there are a few places which is worth visiting. If you ever happen to come to Hyderabad, be sure to visit the below places of this IT hub.
Golkonda Fort:
One of the most ancient forts, the Golconda fort was built by Ibrahim Quli Qutub Shah Wali, the fourth Qutub king of the Qutub Shahi Dynasty. It was actually a fort build of mud but later on it was reconstructed with stones. The fort was also famous because it had mines in which Kohinoor and Hope diamonds were found. The fort which rests atop a hill is about 400 feet above the ground plain. The fort has got 8 gates called the Fateh Darwaza or the Gates of Victory. The fort is also famous for its acoustic effects at its various sections. A hand clap at a certain point below the dome at the entrance resounds and can be heard clearly at the 'Bala Hisar' pavilion, the highest point which is at a distance of around a kilometer. For the tourist’s convenience, site plan and directions are laid out at every appropriate place. The ragged and ruin look of the fort portrays it as a beautiful site. The view of the whole city from the top of the fort is amazing.
These days one of the main attractions of visiting the Golconda fort is the evening light and sound show which takes place at around 7.15 p.m. everyday. The seating capacity for this show is around 250. You would find a considerable number of visitors on weekend and holidays. The show depicts the life and the time that prevailed during the ruling of Quli Qutub Shah.
Lumbini Park:
This is like any other park in the city, large and crowded. However, the main attraction of visiting this park is that you get to have a ride to the Hussain Sagar lake and you have a laser show held every evening at a stadium very close to the park which talks about the glory of Nizams and Hyderabad. The entry to the park charges you around 10 INR per head. The park is quite well maintained in a way, especially the side where you have a small pool made. You also have few swings, some for small children and some for adults. However they are very ordinary in their nature. The food section is also not that amazing. However, the ride to the Buddha Statue in the midst of the Hussain Sagar lake is amusing and worth visiting. You can either take a steamer or a speed boat to reach to the middle of the lake where the statue is situated. Inquire before hiring a boat as some of them don’t halt at the Buddha Statue.
The next attraction which comes in is the laser show. They charge you around 50 INR per head. But the show is worth watching. It’s beautifully designed and well oriented. The sound and light effect matches each other quite well. The laser light show is clubbed with water show in the beginning and those sitting in the front row can get a few spring of the water fountains.
If I am to compare, it is a lot better than the light and sound show of Golconda Fort. The seating capacity is also more and the stadium is well maintained. So, if you happen to visit this park, opt for this park as there are 2-3 more parks in the nearby area like the NTR Park.
Shilparamam:
This place is centrally located in the city in Hitech City just opposite to Cyber Towers. If you are a shopaholic and food loving person, you would love this place. The entry fee to the Shilparamam Park is 40 INR per head. But this place has all that one would look for- shops, food stall, park, boating, etc. Although, most of the crowd comes here basically for shopping, still you have many other attractions to go for. You would get to see a lot of handicrafts and ethnic garments. This park has it all- suits, stoles, handbags, shoes, furniture, kitchenware made of woods, wooden and porcelain antiques, etc. However, the prices are a bit overrated and you need to bargain a lot to get a decent price. The food is average, but you would find the boating and the classical music show quite appealing. There are also various arts shows and galleries taking place from time to time. The park also keeps on adding various events depending on occasions. So, you would find this place a lot decent to spend an evening.
Just adjacent to the Shilparamam Park is the Night Bazaar. The entry fee to this place is 10 INR. The specialty of this place is that this bazaar remains opens late till midnight. This bazaar has quite some resemblance with Shilparamam but you would find the shops to be more authentic in the things that they are selling. Night Bazaar also conducts various events from time to time like conducting classical music show, watching IPL in a big LED screen, etc. You can see a few activities taking place every now and then. This place has some famous shops too like garments by Neerus. The ambience of Night Bazaar is more beautiful in architecture than Shiparamam. You have a small fountain at one side which looks beautiful in the evening. You could also try out applying Mehendi or making a portrait of yourself at this corner. Coming to food, you would find the restaurants located at the top in open air. The ambience is such that you would feel like sitting on the top of a hill and having food. The prices of food are cheaper as compared to the other places.
If none of the food of the above places allures you, you could try out the Biryani from Paradise restaurant which is located just behind Shilparamam. Food is a specialty of Hyderabad. There is nothing like the Hyderabadi dishes. Hyderabad is famous for its Biryani and Kebabs – what better than the Biryani from the famous Paradise. The ambience of the restaurant is also very majestic. While you would find a list of menu at this restaurant, but you shouldn’t miss out on the Biryani. In the same premises, you can also find the outlet for KFC, Subway, etc., so you would have ample choices.
Ramoji Film City:
If you have been fascinated with movies and would want to dig in deeper on how are they made and produced and how each scene in a movie is shot and manipulated, then this place is a must go. After visiting this place, you would get an idea that not all romantic and exotic locations shown in a movie are shot abroad, rather they are captured right here within a very small perimeter. Ramoji Film City is a very famous destination for locales of Hyderabad as well as outsiders. It was founded by Ramoji Rao in 1996. The location is about 25 kms far from the city on the NH4 highway. However, you would find a lot of travel agencies providing you with different packages. The basic bus fare is around 150 INR and entry fee to Ramoji Film City is 600 INR. The buses have various pick-up points and you have the option to choose your nearest pick- up point. On reaching the place, you would have to go through a security check at the main gate of the film city after which you are allowed to explore the whole campus. Entering the premises, you would find a lot of scenic beauty with lakes, ponds, gardens full of flowers, etc. The whole area is around 2000 acres and I guess that is why they call this place as city. When you take an overall look of the whole place, you can easily guess that a single movie can be easily made here without going anywhere still depicting the varied locales and places. Inside the premises, you get the red bus facility which takes you all around the campus from one place to the other. There would be a guide at each of the buses to explain you all about the various spots and the importance of the various structures. Whether you want to have a glimpse of Europe, Japan or US, you have a set up for each of these. The most interesting spot is the Ramoji Film Magic where they tell you how movies are made and produced. You would also find amusement parks and nice food outlets adding to your enjoyment.
Coming to the commercial part, Ramoji Film City has many 3 and 5 star hotels in case you want to stay. They make arrangements for wedding parties, business trips, excursion, theme park, etc. You could also find many restaurants there ranging from 5 star multi-cuisine restaurant to nominal food court. You are not allowed to bring in any kind of outside food in the campus. So, you will have to look for your choices of food inside only. Nonetheless, the place is clean, tidy, and well-maintained. If you plan to spend a whole day somewhere, this place might be a good choice.
Charminar:
It is located in the old city of Hyderabad and symbolizes Hyderabad. It was built by Mohammed Quli Qutub Shah and is one of the oldest mosques in Hyderabad. The transportation from the new and modern Hyderabad to the old and ancient Hyderabad is a drastic one. While in the new Hyderabad, you have wider roads, seems less populated and better organized, in the old city you would find narrow lanes with full of crowd and houses and small shops de-cluttered. The old city seemed to be a bit busier than the new one.
Coming to Charminar, the architecture is build following the architectural pattern of Islam. The structure is square shaped with 4 huge arches. At each corner is a minaret which forms part of the architecture. There is also a clock hung on the mosque which shows the timings. You have to climb the narrow, wide stairs of the mosque to reach to the first floor. Not much spacious but from the first floor of the Masjid, you can vividly see the view of the city (mostly crowed). The inside architecture is also quite impressive which shows why it is one of the renowned structure of India.
Very close to the Charminar is the Mecca Masjid, which is also a good place to pay a visit. This is the place where you could find both serenity and tranquility. You could also shop in the surrounding area. Try out Laad Baazar which is known for jewellery, especially exquisite bangles. If you want to purchase some good pearls, go for Pather Gatti.
Visiting all these places would give you an overview of Hyderabad in all. At one place you get to see the new Hyderabad and at the other place you get to see the old city. You know about the cultural heritage of Hyderabad at one place while at the other place you enjoy the various flavors of Hyderabad. Whatever be the thing, you are surely going to love this city.
Image Source: Wikepedia
Like it on Facebook, Tweet it or share this article on other bookmarking websites.