Hyderabad is the capital of Andhra Pradesh in Southern India, located on the banks
of the Musi River and the Deccan Plateau.
Situated in the region of Andhra Pradesh. Hyderabad has an estimated metropolitan population of 6.1 million (61 lakh), making it India's sixth-largest metropolitan area. Hyderabad is known for its rich history, culture and architecture representing its unique character as a meeting point for North and South India, and its multilingual culture, both geographically and culturally. The ‘twin cities’ of Hyderabad and Secunderabad are one of the major centres of Information Technology development, so much so that Microsoft has one of its two overseas offices here.
A popular theory suggests that after founding the city, Muhammad Quli fell in love with and married a local Banjara girl known as Bhagamathi. He named this city after her as Bhagyanagaram. Upon her conversion to Islam, Bhagamathi changed her name to Hyder Mahal and the new city's name was correspondingly changed to match it
PLACE TO VISIT
Charminar - is the enduring symbol for Hyderabad. Commissioned by Mohammad Quli as a memorial at the end of a severe epidemic, the four arches face the four cardinal directions. Minarets top the columns and the entire structure looks ethereal when it is illuminated after dusk.The Charminar has long been the icon of Hyderabad. The towers rise to a height of 48.7 m above the ground. There is a mosque with 45 prayer spaces located inside in the upper storeys. The structure actually stands in the middle of a busy road, but a pedestrianization project is under way. Atop the minarets, you get a panoramic view of Hyderabad city.
Golconda Fort - 11 kilometres from city centre, is counted among the most remarkable in India. The city was the center of a flourishing diamond trade. Magnificent diamonds were taken from the mines in the hills surrounding Golconda, including Darya-e Nur (meaning "sea of light"), at 185 carats, the largest and finest diamond of the crown jewels of Iran. By the 1880s, "Golconda" was being used generically by English speakers to refer to any particularly rich mine, and later to any source of great wealth.
Falaknuma Palace - Built by Nawab Viqar al-Umra', a beautiful and stunning piece of architecture. The most opulent of the Nizams' many palaces, Falaknuma was built in 1872. A huge amount of money was lavished on the interior, which is particularly impressive and features the works of Florentine sculptors.
Chowmahalla Palace - Once the centre of Hyderabad , Situated near Charminar. It was the seat of the Asaf Jahi dynasty where the Nizam entertained his official guests and royal visitors.
Qutub Shahi Tombs - The Qutb Shahi kings are buried in marvellous tombs, the constructions of which they personally oversaw. All seven sultans are buried in the same compound where garden paths wind past these phenomenal monuments.
Salar Jung Museum - The museum houses the largest one-man collection of antiques in the world. Collections include "The Vieled Rebecca" and other huge collection of artifacts dating back to a few centuries. A mere day isn't enough to cover the whole museum.
Botanical Gardens - These gardens are spread across a sprawling area of 120 acres, housing different varieties of herbs, plants, trees etc. These gardens provide a complete visual treat to the eyes with water bodies, meadows, rich grasslands - nature at its best.
Hussain Sagar - A man-made lake that separates the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. It is famous also for the 18-metre tall Buddha statue on a platform island called "Rock of Gibraltar" in the middle of the lake, and for the Tank Bund that is the main road between the twin cities. Boating and water sports are a regular feature here.
Bhongir - It is 50 Kms from city of Hyderabad on the outskirts moving towords Uppal and you see a big rock on top of which a old monument can be seen. Near by you will find a temple also.
HOW TO REACH
By plane - Hyderabad's new Rajiv Gandhi International Airport is located at Shamshabad, 40 km away from the old airport at Begumpet, which is now closed. The new airport is one of the best aviation facilities in India and a real relief compared to the chaos of Delhi and Mumbai airports. Getting to the airport now requires a bit of extra time. Till the express road to the airport is completed, you will need to allow at least 1:00 to 1:45 hours to get there before check in.
Domestic check in and security put together take around 10 minutes in total.
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, Srilankan Airlines and Thai Airways.
By train - Indian Railways runs its 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.
By car - If you don't mind a long drive, Hyderabad is at a drivable distance from Bangalore (via NH7 - 552 km). It is 752 km from Chennai (NH9 and NH5) and 753 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.
By bus - 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. Imliban is said to be the largest bus station in the world. APSRTC is in the guiness book of world records for having the highest number of buses in a particular state in the world.
