How to Reach Hyderabad, India
Reaching Hyderabad:
The city of Hyderabad is well connected to most major Indian cities through air, road and rail. It is also connected directly to some international destinations and others go via Mumbai.Reach Hyderabad by Rail:
Hyderabad is has a well-connected network of railway. The South Central Railway headquarters is located in Secunderabad and the city has three main railway stations- Kachiguda Railway Station, Secunderabad railway station and Hyderabad Railway Station or Nampally Railway Station, that connects to all the major cities in India crossing the smaller villages, towns and districts. You can enquire at 131, which is a train enquiry service that gives information on arrival, departure, fare and distance of the required train. For reservation enquiry you can call 135/1345 and for Train Enquiry (IVRS) English version call 1331, Telugu version call 1333 and Hindi version call 1332.
Reach Hyderabad by Flight:Hyderabad has an airport, Rajeev Gandhi International Airport (also called as Begumpet Airport), that has domestic and international airlines operating flights to many destinations in India and around the world. Most of the airline offices are generally open from 10:00am to 5:30pm, Monday to Friday and 10:00 to 1:00pm on Saturdays.There are many flights to and from major international destinations like Frankfurt, Kuala Lumpur, Dubai, Colombo, Doha, Riyadh, Jeddah, Amsterdam, Muscat, Singapore, Bangkok, Kuwait, Chicago and Dammam. All the major airlines like Lufthansa Airlines Malaysian Airlines Emirates Airlines SriLankan Airlines Qatar Airways Saudi Airlines Thai Airways Air India Indian Airlines Kuwait Airways ply their services to and from the above mentioned cities.
Apart from these, there are airlines like Indian Airlines, Jet Airways, Air Deccan, Kingfisher Airlines, SpiceJet, GoAir and Indigo Airlines, which ply their service to major domestic destinations like Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai, Visakhapatnam, Goa, Jaipur, Chennai, Cochin, Kolkata and many other places.
Reach Hyderabad by Road:The city is connected to the other part of the country by National Highway-NH-7, NH-9 and NH-202. There are number of bus services, both government-run and private, that take you to any part of the country. There are private taxis that take you to other parts of the country.
Reach Hyderabad by Bus:
The city is served by The Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation that runs a fleet of 19,000 buses, the third largest bus station facility in Asia. The bus station is officially called as Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station and locally as Imliban Bus Station. For further details on enquiries and Reservations you can contact:
Imliban Bus Station
Enquiries & Reservation: +91- 040-24618685
Alighting Point: +91-040-24601919
Jubilee Bus Station
+91-040-27802203
Dilsukhnagar Bus Station
+91-040-24040023
Koti Bus Station
+91-040-24657651
Enquiries & Reservation: +91- 040-24618685
Alighting Point: +91-040-24601919
Jubilee Bus Station
+91-040-27802203
Dilsukhnagar Bus Station
+91-040-24040023
Koti Bus Station
+91-040-24657651
There are private owned buses that cover most of the places in India. You will have to make advance booking over phone or at their offices located in Secunderabad near Hotel Paradise. The fare depends on the distance of your destination. During peak seasons (especially festival seasons in the month of September, October and November) the fares strike really high.
History of Hyderabad, India
Hyderabad History
Hyderabad, the city with high profile, has a garrulous history. Its history began with the establishment of the Qutub Shahi dynasty in the year 1518 when Quli Qutub seized the reins of power from the Bahamani Kingdom. The kingdom was ruled by the seven great Shah rulers who contributed to the growth and development of the city. Over a period of time, he established the fortress city of Golconda, one of the five kingdoms that emerged after the breakup of the Bahamani Kingdom. Quli Qutub's son, Jamsheed, became the King and later his brother Ibrahim succeeded him in 1550. During his reign the kingdom flourished in terms of trade and commerce. Merchants from Turkistan, Arabia and Persia frequently visited the place for trade. It was during this period that two tanks- Ibrahim Patnam tank and Hussain Sagar were built. Besides, a bridge was built on the river Musi that was known as Puranapul. Eventually after his death in 1580, his son Mohammed Quli Qutub Shah took over the throne. He found the city of Hyderabad on the banks of River Musi in 1591 and shifted his capital from Golconda to Bhagyanagar (the present Hyderabad). Like his father, the Sultan married Bhagyamati, a Telugu girl. Later he gave a title "Hyder Mahal" to his wife Bhagyamati and renamed the city as Hyderabad. That's how the city is called as Hyderabad.
During the rule of Mohammad, the fifth Qutub Shahi ruler, Charminar, the iconic monument of the city was constructed in gratitude to the Almighty for arresting the plague epidemic, which broke out during that period, before it harmed the city. It was during his reign that Golconda became one of the leading markets in the world of diamonds, pearls, steel and printed fabrics. Golconda diamond mines are the birth place of the famous diamonds in the world- Hope Diamond, Kohinoor and Darya-ye Noor. Quli Qutub Shah was succeeded by his nephew Mohammad Qutub shah, as he had no sons.
The glory of the city did not last long. The wealth, fame and its location attracted Aurangazeb, the last Mughal Emperor. He sent his son Mohammad Sultan in 1656 and he captured Golconda in 1687 after a siege that lasted eight months. Aurangazeb also imprisoned Abul Hasan Tana Shah, the last king of Golconda, in Daulatabad jail where he died after twelve years. The Qutub Shahis ruled the Deccan for almost 170 years.
Aurangazeb also took over the Deccan and the South and expanded the Mughal Empire to cover the entire sub-continent. The fall of the Mughal Empire began after the death of Aurangazeb in the year 1707. During this time, the State of Hyderabad was founded by Mir Qamruddin Chin Qilich Khan, who was the son of Aurangazeb's general Ghaziuddin Khan Feroz Jung. After the death of Aurangazeb, Emperor Farrukh Siyar made Mir Qamruddin as the Viceroy of Deccan and entitled him with the title of Nizam-ul-Mulk Feroze Jung Asaf Jah. Thus he became the first Nizam and the founder of Asaf Jah dynasty.
Asaf Jah I continued to maintain Aruangabad as the capital of his new state. In the year 1769, Asaf Jah II shifted the capital to Hyderabad. Also, languages like Persian, Urdu, Telugu and Marathi developed and Persian was made the official language up to 1893 and then Urdu up to 1948. The city was ruled by the seven Nizams for nearly 220 years. During their rule, the city saw an economical boom with the construction of huge reservoirs like the Nizam Sagar, Tungabadra, Osman Sagar, Himayath Sagar and several buildings of archaeological and public importance like Purani Haveli, Chow Mahalla Palace, Osmania University, Jubilee Hall, Assembly Building, Asifia Library, Osmania Hospital, High Court and all the buildings in Public Gardens. The state had its own currency, mint, railways and postal system. Thus Hyderabad became the largest princely state in India.
Hyderabad was the only state that had a fully fledged paper currency, which came into existence in 1916. The city enjoyed a wide circulation of this currency till 1952. The notes were printed till 1939 by Waterlow & Sons, and then onwards by the Security Press at Nasik. The notes are dated in "Fasli" years, an era that prevailed in the Deccan, associated closely with the Hijri era. If you observe, these notes are printed entirely in Urdu and other languages like Kannada, Telugu and Marathi, which were used in the state. They are signed by the "Moin-ul-Mulam" or Finance Minister. Sir R.R.Clancey, Hyder Nawaz Jung, Fakhre-yar Jung were a few of the signatories on those notes.
In 1799, the Nizam supported the East India Company in the war with Tipu Sultan of Mysore. A subsidiary alliance for military and political cooperation was signed between the Nizam and the British East India Company who gave part of their territories to the Nizam.
The Hyderabad contingent was incorporated in the Indian Army for the protection of the Nizam's dominion. Nizam Mir Usman Ali Khan Bahadur was the seventh in Asaf Jah dynasty to succeed the throne in 1911. He was entitled with "His Exalted Highness" and "Faithful Ally of the British Government" by the British. The then Viceroy of British Government declared that they had a supreme power in India and that Nizam's state was no different from that.
However, the Nizam did not like idea and under the influence of a fanatical body called Ittehadul Muslimin under Kasim Razvi, declared his intention to remain as an Independent State. He had an ambition to attain a Dominion Status for his State.
But when he saw that the Indian Independence Bill did not permit that grant of a Dominion Status to an Indian State, the Nizam sent his delegate, the Nawab of Chhatari, to meet Lord Mountbatten. Some of his (Nawab's) ministers wanted to take the matter to the United Nations Organization, which the Indian Government did not agree as any international law or outside Body, was not supposed to interfere into the Indo-Hyderabad issue, as it was domestic. They did not agree the Nizam's claim to knock the door of the good offices of UNO in that connation. However, the Nizam was keen to become Independent State and acquire the Dominion Status.
In all this, he took the support of Khasim Razvi of the Ittehadul and its up roaring troopers, the Razakars. The Hindus, who contributed 93% of Hyderabad's population, supported the "Join India" movement along with some patriotic Muslims. The State Congress leaders also supported this movement and the Nizam banned the State Congress. The communists organized some village defence squads to protect its people from the attacks of Nizam's Police and Razakars. The Nizam Government did not agree the agreement to the Indian Union. All this led to a serious threat, to the peace and harmony of the whole nation. The growing violence by the Razakars seriously put in danger to the law and order. However, the Government of India calmed the situation and the Nizam finally entered into a 'Stand Still Agreement' on November 29, 1947, with India for one year to maintain the status quo.
Meanwhile, the violence by the Razakars and the Nizam's attempt to get him an independent state grew. He also sent a delegation to the UNO to refer the Hyderabad case to the Security Council. The Government of India decided to curb these by launching a 'Police Action' against Nizam. An Indian Army led by Major-General JN Chaudhuri, entered the state from five directions and on September 18, 1948, Nizam's forces surrendered to the Indian Army. The Prime Minister of the Nizam, Mir Laik Ali and Khasim Razvi were arrested. This movement came to be known as Razakars Movement.
Thus the Razakars Movement came to an end. Soon after India gained independence, Hyderabad State merged with the Union of India in 1948 with Major-General JN Chaudhuri as the Military Governor of Hyderabad until 1949. On November 1, 1956, the state was recognized on linguistic grounds and Hyderabad became the capital city of the new state of Andhra Pradesh.
Things to do in Hyderabad
Things to Do in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh
If you are visiting the city in the month of Ramzaan (usually in the month of October/November), don't forget to taste Haleem- pounded wheat and meat cooked with coriander and mint leaves and rich spices and Sheer-Khorma- a sweet dish made of spaghettis.If you are visiting in the month of January, don't forget to visit the All India Industrial Exhibition where craftsmen from all parts of the country and from various industries like cottage, small-scale, large-scale, electronic and handloom industries exhibit their workmanship, skills and latest inventions.
All money in bills and travellers cheque should be changed into Indian currency only through authorized money changers and banks.
Some minimum precautions should be taken anywhere you travel in the city. Drink aerated or mineral water as the tap water is not filtered.
Introduction to Hyderabad, India
Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh
The capital city of Andhra Pradesh - a prominent Indian State, Hyderabad is a sprawling, bustling and vibrant city. Often described as the "City of Minarets" or "City of Nizams" or "City of Pearls", Hyderabad occupies a pivotal position in the heart of the country. It is a premier state in terms of population, revenue and importance. The city stands at an altitude of 1776ft above the sea level on the Deccan Plateau region. Attached to the city is its twin, Secunderabad, which is a part of Hyderabad and they are separated by a lake called Husain Sagar. Husain Sagar, an artificial lake, was constructed during the time of Ibrahim Quli Qutub Shah Wali in 1562 AD. A 400 years old historical city, Hyderabad is adorned with natural beauty, beautiful historical buildings, mosque and minarets, forts, bridges, parks, gardens, hills and lakes.Popularly called as the "City of Nizams", Hyderabad, today is a blend of old and new and one of the most developed cities in the country in terms of politics, education, technology, entertainment, media, fashion and arts. The standard of living of the people has developed to such an extent that it has become one of the happening and leading cities of India.
In this "City of Pearls", you can find pearls from almost all over the world. The artisans here are skilled enough to pierce and string pearls without damaging them. The other main essence of Hyderabad is the chime and shine of colorful Hyderabadi bangles in the pearl and bangle market known as Laad Bazaar. All along the streets of the old city at Charminar (Char - four and Minar - Tower) you can find hundreds of bangle shops lined up with around 2500 craftsmen weaving their magic. In addition, you can find pretty colourful clothes embroidered with copper and silver threads giving a royal look to your attire. The Hyderabadi cuisine especially the Shahi Biryaani, is much sought after.
Hyderabad is well known for its IT companies in india and lately it acquired the status of "Cyber City" or "Cyberabad". All major MNCs like Microsoft, Google, Deloitte, Motorola, Oracle, Bank of America, Wells Fargo and other companies including the Indian-based Companies like Wipro, Satyam, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, Apollo Health Street and many more have their Product Development Centre in Hyderabad Andhra Pradesh.
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| Hyderabad Overview |
Hyderabad-Andhra Pradesh is decked with many mega malls, recreational parks, IMAX Theater and many other entertainment centres. It is also home to the second largest film industry in India, the Telugu Film industry, known as Tollywood. Chiranjeevi, Nagarjuna, Venkatesh, NT Rama Rao, Negeshwar Rao, Balakrishna are some of the sought after celebrities from Hyderabad film industry. Hyderabad has made its mark in the field of sports by producing some of the luminaries like international tennis player Sania Mirza, cricket player VVS Laxman, badminton player Pullela Gopichand, former Indian Cricket player and present Indian Cricket Team Selector, Venkatapathy Raju, International Chess Player P. Hari Krishna, Olympic Bronze medalist in weight lifting Karanam Malleshwari and many others.
The city has many high-end world class hotels and restaurants like Marriot, ITC Grand Kakatiya, Taj Group of Hotels- Taj Krishna, Taj Banjara, Holiday Inn and many others.
You also have famous international eateries like Mc Donald's, Pizza Hut, Subway, KFC, Coffee Day and others in the city. There are also some exclusive and branded boutiques like Stanza, Neerus, Brisah, to name a few, where you get some of the fashionable and stylish outfits.
Not to forget are the official residence of the Nizam called as Purani Haveli, the King Kothi Palace where the last Nizam - Mir Osman Ali Khan lived and the Birla Planetarium located on the hill of Nawbat Pahad which is a tribute to the advances made in science and technology, the Paigah Tombs that are 200 years old situated at Santoshnagar and which are made of lime and mortar beautifully carved having marble inlay work on them and belonging to the Paigah nobles.
Also Osmania Hospital, City College, MJ Market (Mozam Jha Market), Unani Hospital and the Osmania University buildings, built in the time of Nizams that stand even today are the great examples of the development and architecture of the Nizam era.
The State Library, the Public Gardens are among the old and official buildings of the city. There is also a Lal Bahadur Stadium or LB Stadium, Indoor Stadium at Gachibowli, GMC Balayogi Athletic Stadium and Kotla Vijay Bhaskar Reddy Stadium where many prominent games like Asian Games, World Military Games took place. Every two years there is International Children Film Festival that takes place in the city.
Other prominent and latest places to visit are KBR Park, and NTR park/gardens that are popular parks in the city, the Statue of Buddha on the Hussain Sagar Lake. Apart from this you also have other theme parks like Ocean Park, Mount Opera, Elles World, Snow World and the latest Jalvihaar. There is also Nehru Zoological Park located close to Mir Alam Lake, which is amongst the largest Zoo parks in India.
Around 25kms from Mehedipatnam you have Chilkur Balaji Temple of Lord Venkateshwara also called as 'Visa Balaji'. There is Sanghi Temple dedicated to Lord Venkateshwara close to the Ramoji Film City.
There are some man-made lakes like Gandipet, which is the largest in Hyderabad and a major drinking water source to the city; the Himayat Sagar Lake close to Gandipet; the Hussain Sagar Lake that separates the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. Durgam Cheruvu, a lake in the HI-Tech City is also one of the happening places. There are a number of malls and entertainment centres in the city. Lifestyles, Hyderabad Central, The City Centre, and Babu Khan Mall are some of the high-end happening shopping malls where you can get everything you desire.
During your stay in Hyderabad, do not forget to taste the fabulous Hyderabadi cuisine. This Mughalai style of cooking dates back to the Asaf Jah period, which has a typical Mughalai flavour and an exotic blend of spices. This mouth-watering royal food can be found at many good restaurants in the city. Not-to-miss is the Hyderabadi Biryani; Kebabs cooked in different styles like Boti, Jhammi, Kalmi, Shikampur, Sheek and Dum; Khormas- a vegetable or meat dish cooked with rich creamy and spicy gravy; Rumali Rotis- bread as thin as handkerchief.
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