Sights in Hyderabad & Secunderabad
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Chowmahalla Palace
In their latest act of architectural showmanship, the nizam family has sponsored a restoration of this dazzling palace – or, technically, four (char) palaces (mahalla). Begun in 1750, it was expanded over the next 100 years, absorbing Persian, Indo-Saracenic, Rajasthani and European styles. The southern courtyard has one mahal with period rooms that have been reconstructed with the nizams’ over-the-top furniture; another mahal with an exhibit on life in the zenana (women’s quarters) that includes bejewelled clothes, carpets and a bride palanquin; antique cars (one nizam allegedly used a Rolls Royce as a garbage can); and curiosities like elephant seats, a clock with a…
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B
Birla Mandir
The Birla temple, constructed of white Rajasthani marble in 1976, graces Kalabahad (Black Mountain), one of two rocky hills overlooking the Hussain Sagar. Dedicated to Venkateshwara, it’s a popular Hindu pilgrimage centre and affords excellent views over the city, especially at sunset. The library here is worth a visit (open 4pm to 8pm).
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Paigah Tombs
The aristocratic Paigah family, purportedly descendents of the second Caliph of Islam, were fierce loyalists of the nizams, serving as statespeople, philanthropists and generals under and alongside them. From 1797, the two families began inter-marrying as well, solidifying their close bond. The Paigahs’ necropolis, tucked away in a quiet neighbourhood 4km southeast of Charminar, is a small compound of exquisite mausoleums made of marble and lime stucco. The main complex contains 27 tombs with intricate inlay work, surrounded by delicately carved walls and canopies, stunning filigree screens with geometric patterning and, overhead, tall, graceful turrets. The tombs are d…
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C
AP State Museum
The continually renovated AP State Museum hosts a collection of important archaeological finds from the area, as well as a Buddhist sculpture gallery, with some relics of the Buddha and an exhibit on Andhra’s Buddhist history. The ever-expanding museum also has Jain and bronze sculpture galleries, a decorative-arts gallery, an exhibition of paintings by Lahore painter AR Chughtai, and an Egyptian mummy. The museum, like the gorgeous Legislative Assembly building down the road (both commissioned by the seventh nizam), is floodlit at night.
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D
Nehru Centenary Tribal Museum
Andhra Pradesh’s 33 tribal groups, based mostly in the north-eastern part of the state, comprise several million people. This museum, run by the government’s Tribal Welfare Department, exhibits photographs, dioramas of village life, musical instruments and some exquisite Naikpod masks. It’s basic, but you’ll get a glimpse into the cultures of these fringe peoples. There’s a small, interesting library here, and next door is the tiny Girijan Sales Depot, selling products made in tribal communities. Both are across from Chacha Nehru Park.
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E
Heh the Nizam’s Museum
The 16th-century Purani Haveli was home of the sixth nizam, Fath Jang Mahbub Ali Khan (r 1869-1911), rumoured to have never worn the same thing twice. His 72m-long, two-storey wardrobe of Burmese teak is on display at this museum. Also on exhibit, in the palace’s former servants’ quarters, are personal effects of the seventh nizam and gifts from the Silver Jubilee celebration of his reign. The pieces are unbelievably lavish and include some exquisite artwork. The museum’s guides do an excellent job putting it all in context.
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Qutb Shahi Tombs
These graceful domed tombs sit serenely in landscaped gardens about 1.5km northwest of Golconda Fort’s Balahisar Gate. You could easily spend half a day here taking photos and wandering in and out of the mausoleums and various other structures. The upper level of Mohammed Quli’s tomb, reached via a narrow staircase, has good views of the area. The Qutb Shahi Tombs (Rs. 20) booklet is sold at the ticket counter.
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Ramoji Film City
Movie fans can’t miss the four-hour tour of Ramoji Film City, an 800-hectare movie-making complex for Telugu, Tamil and Hindi films. This place has everything – dance routines, gaudy fountains, flimsy film sets – and the whole thing wraps up with a Wild West song and dance number. Buses 205 and 206 from Koti Women’s College, north-east of Koti station, take an hour to get here.
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Golconda Fort
Although most of this 16th-century fortress dates from the time of the Qutb Shah kings, its origins, as a mud fort, have been traced to the earlier reigns of the Yadavas and Kakatiyas.
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F
Health Museum
Located in the Public Gardens area is the Health Museum, where you’ll see a bizarre collection of medical and public-health paraphernalia.
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G
Mecca Masjid
This mosque is one of the world’s largest, with space for 10,000 worshippers. Women are not allowed inside.
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Birla Planetarium & Science Museum
Next door to the Birla Mandir is the Birla Planetarium & Science Museum.
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Lumbini Park
Lumbini Park is a pleasant place to enjoy sunsets and the popular musical fountain. The Tankbund Rd promenade, on the eastern shore of Hussain Sagar, has great views of the Buddha statue.
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