The Pearl City, Hyderabad with its unmatched blend of history and modernity, hypnotizes everyone, whoever sets his/her foot in this beautiful city of Nizams. With a history as old as 400 years and the status of metropolitan city, Hyderabad promises a unique refreshing experience to all.
From historical monuments to natural getaways to mouth-watering world famous cuisine to appealing shopping places and thrilling entertainment parks, this city has it all to keep you glued. There are many tourism places to visit in Hyderabad, from families, young group of friends, children to senior citizens, everyone will find something of their interest in Hyderabad.
This city is a place worth visiting at least once in a lifetime. In fact, it is impossible for anyone to soak in the multifarious charms which the city has to offer in a limited time span.
Located on the banks of the Musi River, the city of Hyderabad was established in 1591 CE by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shahies. The city is noted for its unique culture, a lineage which can be traced back to the Asaf Jahi rulers, who were great patrons of literature, art,architecture, culture, jewelry collection and rich food.
The moment you emerge from the Hyderabad airport, the city that immediately hits the eye is a sprawling metropolis of shopping malls, flyovers and office buildings with glass facades. And you are left wondering, where did the largest princely state of the Nawabs vanish? The city of Hyderabad depicts an interesting confluence of the traditional and the modern, the past and the present. So, don’t feel betrayed by these inventions, synonymous of modernity as alongside the metropolis Hyderabad, also exists the Old City with an altogether unique charm of its own.
Hyderabad can be divided into the historic city established by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah on the southern side of the Musi River that forms the Old City, while the New City encompasses the urbanised area on the northern banks.
The Old City is composed of a maze of disorienting alleyways that expand outward from the Charminar. Most of the historical attractions are situated in the old city. Here is a list of the most popular tourist spots in Hyderabad; the ones which you mustn’t not miss:
Charminar
The capital city of Telangana, Hyderabad is a popular tourist destination and presents its visitors with a mesmerising contrast of age old traditions, culture at one end and modern facilities, amenities of a metropolitan city at the other end. Hyderabad is one city, which has no dearth of tourist attractions.
The very well known Charminar of Hyderabad is located at the Old City. This square shaped structure with a height of 56 m and breadth of 30 m was constructed in 1591. It was built by Sultan Mohammed Quli Qutb Shah in the honor of his wife Bhagmati.
Also referred as the ‘Arc de Triomphe of the East’, Charminar is adorned with four towers in each corner. The minarets on each side, is of 48.7 m height, each with four storeys. Chaminar has a small mosque as well on the top floor. There are 45 prayer spaces which are still visited by people, particularly on Fridays. Lighting in the evening is quite glamorous and makes for a worth watching site.
Golconda Fort
Just 11 km away from the city, the architectural marvel Golconda Fort is well connected to the rest of the city. Built by Qutub Shahi Kings, this fort presents an impressive structure, with eight gates and 87 bastions.
Its impressive structure has majestic walls which are as high as 15 to 18 foot and a parameter of close to 11 km. Along with brilliant architecture, this fort also captivates its visitors with its system of acoustics, its water supply system, ‘Rahban’ cannon and Ramdas’ prison which has carved Hindu deity in it.
Ramoji Film City
Since 1991, Ramoji Film City has been alluring tourists from every corner of the country. One of the largest film studios in the world it has the capacity to house almost 50 film units within a given point of time.
It is also listed in Guinness Book of World Records as well. Spread over 2500 acres, it is situated about 30 km away from Hyderabad. Its brilliant architecture and sound technical facilities make it suitable for all the pre and post production of a film.
Hussain Sagar Lake
Connecting the twin cities, Hussain Sagar Lake boasts of being the largest artificial lake in Asia. On the tributary of Musi River, it was excavated during Ibrahim Quli Qutub Shah’s reign, in 1562 AD. It has got its name after Hussain Shah Wali.
The main attraction is 16 m high white granite statue of Lord Bhudda with a weight of 350 tonnes, situated at the middle of the lake. The lighting show here is worth watching.
One can take a ferry ride to the statue, which takes and brings back visitors at regular intervals. One can indulge in various recreational activities which are offered here such as boating with the choice of speed boats as well as motor boats, water-skiing, parasailing and cruising. The 48 seater launch offering dinner to its guests is a perfect place for private parties.
Birla Mandir
Located atop 280-foot-high hillock of Kalapahad, the beautiful Birla Mandir has derived its name from the industrialist Birlas who have constructed Birla temples in various parts of the country. Constructed in 1976, it is said it took close to 2000 tonnes of white marbles to build this stunning temple which was brought from Rajasthan. It has drawn its architecture from the amalgamation of three known architectural designs – South Indian Architecture, Utkal temple Architecture and Rajasthani Architecture.
The temple has 11 ft. tall statue of Lord Lakshminarayana with a magnificent lotus carved around it. It also has separate shrines for deities such as Venkateswara, ‘Padmavati’ and ‘Andal’ as well. The complex also houses a separate temple of Lord Bhudda.