Hyderabad

Excursion

[ Osman Sagar | Shamirpet Lake | Salarjung Museum | Asman Garh Palace | Charminar | Falaknuma Palace | Golconda Fort | Hussain Sagar Lake | Shilparamam | Ocean Park | Ramoji Film City | The Clock Room | Thousand Pillar Temple | Birla Mandir | Mecca Masjid ]

Osman Sagar:
20-km away from the center of Hyderabad is Osman Sagar, also known as 'Gandipet'. It is an excellent picnic spot with well-laid gardens. Osmansagar is one of the two lakes on the city's periphery that supplies drinking water to the great metropolis. The lake is a reservoir created by a dam across the Isa, a tributary of the River Musi. It was constructed by Mir Osman Ali Khan, the VIIth Nizam of Hyderabad after the disastrous floods of 1908 by constructing a dam across river Musi. Mokshagundam Visweswarayya planned the lake for supplying water to the city of Hyderabad. The lake is spread over an area of 46 square kilometers. It has well laid out lush green gardens and a swimming pool. It is a very popular picnic spot for the city crowd.Overlooking the lake is the heritage building, Sagar Mahal, built as a resort by the Nizam of Hyderabad and converted now into a lake resort managed by AP Tourism.

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Shamirpet Lake:
Located 24 km to the north of Secunderabad, Shamirpet has a beautiful lake and a deer park. Its peaceful environs make it a great picnic spot. AP Tourism offers comfortable cottage facilities for accommodation, while the forest lodges can be booked with the AP Forest Department office at Saifabad.

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Salarjung Museum:
Salarjung Museum is one of the much lauded tourist attractions of Hyderabad City. It is the largest one- man collections of the world by Mir Yusuf Ali Khan, popularly known as Salar Jung III (1889-1949). He served as Prime Minister to Nizam 1912, at the age of 23, but resigned two and a half years later. Thereafter he dedicated his whole life collecting antiques and art, which were the only passions of his lonely life. He spent considerable portion of his wealth for collecting them. This museum is well known throughout India for its prized collections of about 40,000 objects belonging to different civilisations dating back to the 1st century. In the year 1961 it was declared to be an "Institution of National Importance" by an Act of Parliament, known as the Salar Jung Museum Act, 1961. The Salar Jung Museum was originally housed in Diwan Devdi. It was shifted to the present building in 1968, which stands on the banks of the Musi.

The museum is full of many such interesting objects. The museum is divided into Indian Art, Children's Art, Middle Eastern Art, Far Eastern Art, and European Art. The collections displayed include sculptures, wood carvings, religious objects, swords, daggers, armours, manuscripts, furniture, vases, snuff boxes, utensils, archer's rings, ornaments, pottery, clocks, miniature paintings, portraits, silver, costumes and even toys which come from all over the world, France, England, Switzerland, Germany, Persia, China, Japan, Burma, Sri Lanka.

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Asman Garh Palace:
The palace was designed and built by Sir Osman Jah, a noble belonging to the Paigah family and one time Prime Minister of Hyderabad State. The granite turrets and arched windows of Asman Garh stand atop a hill some distance ahead of the Hyderabad TV tower. The palace now houses an archaeological museum.

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Charminar:
A splendid piece of architecture standing in the heart of the city built by Quli Qutub Shah, in 1591. This magnificent monument is the unique symbol of Hyderabad. It is a magnificent square edifice of granite, built upon four grand arches facing North, South, East and West. These arches support two floors of rooms and gallery of archways. At each corner of the square structure is a minaret rising to a height of 24 meters, making the building nearly 54 meters tall. It is these four (char) minarets (minar) that give the building, its name Charminar. Each minar stands on a lotus-leaf base, a special recurrent motif in Qutub Shahi buildings. The first floor was used as a madarasa (college) during the Qutub Shahi period. The second floor has a mosque on the western side, the dome of which is visible from the road, if one stands some distance away. The grounds are now being used for the development of a large commercial complex. Further down, a road to the left leads to the Khilawat Complex (Chowmahalla Palace). The Lad Bazaar road terminates in a square called Mahaboob Chowk where a large 19th century clock-tower looms over a delicate white mosque of the same period.

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Falaknuma Palace:
Falaknuma Palace is situated in Falaknuma, about 4 km South of Charminar. It stands on a hill overlooking the city of Hyderabad. Falaknuma served as the royal guest house for the rulers of Hyderabad, King George and Queen Mary, king Edward-VIII, then Prince of Wale. Falaknuma palace is a masterpiece designed by an Italian architect. The marble used was specially imported from Italy.

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Golconda Fort:
Golconda fort of Andhra Pradesh is a majestic monument, which lies on the western outskirts of Hyderabad city. Golconda is one of the famous forts of India. The name originates from the Telugu words "Golla Konda" meaning "Shepherd's Hill". It speaks of a great cultural heritage of 400 years and is regarded as a place worth visiting. The origins of the fort can be traced back to the Kakatiyas period Golconda was originally a mud fort, which passed to the Bahmani dynasty and later to the Qutb Shahis, who held it from 1518 to 1687 A.D.

The first three Qutb Shahi kings rebuilt Golconda, over a span of 62 years. Golconda is built on a granite hill 120m high, and is surrounded by crenulated ramparts constructed of large masonry blocks weighing several tonnes. The design of the ventilation reveals the brilliant planning of the architects; they are designed to let in a flow of fresh cool breeze, which is a respite from the heat of summer. The magnificent architecture of the Golconda fort is manifest in its acoustic system, the structural grandeur of the palaces and ingenious water supply system. The fort was famous for its diamond trade and the 'Kohinoor' diamond is said to have come from here. The massive gates are studded with large pointed iron spikes to prevent elephants from battering them down. The outer wall surrounding the entire township of Golconda, is about 11-km long, and is strongly fortified. The fort is famous for its acoustics, palaces, factories, ingenious water supply system and the famous Fateh Rahben gun, one of the cannons used in the last siege of Golconda by Aurangzeb, to whom the fort ultimately fell.

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Hussain Sagar Lake:
A one of the largest man-made lakes in Asia, located in the heart of the Hyderabad City, contributing to its immense beauty. It is a sprawling artificial lake that holds water perennially. It was built during the reign of Ibrahim Qutub Shah in 1562, on a tributary of river Musi. The unique feature of this lake it connects the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad.

The place is popularly called the "Tank Bund". A 16m high, 350 tonne monolithic Buddha statue on the Rock of Gibraltar is a major attraction at the Hussain Sagar. It is made of white granite, finely sculptured and stands majestically amidst the shimmering waters of the lake. 33 statues of the great luminaries of Andhra Pradesh are laid on the either side of the Bund, who seem to be a silent witness to the changing colours of the city.

This lake offers a fabulous time for holidaymakers and water friends and over the years it has become a favourite evening spot, while in the morning the health freaks are seen toning their muscles in jogging suits. In the evenings it is crowded with young couples and families.

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Shilparamam:
Shilparamam is a crafts village at Madhapur, set amidst lovely rocks, rippling waterfalls and gorgeous lawns, about 14-km from Hyderabad. It showcases various art forms and handicrafts of various artists from all over the State. Here Indian festivals are celebrated in the most traditional way and unique festivals bring together talents from the world over. The annual All-India Festival of Arts and Crafts held here in February brings to the limelight the cultural and artistic traditions from every nook and corner of the country and is a unique opportunity to take home a piece of India. It also has the amphitheatre where performances ranging from classical music concerts and dances to contemporary English plays are staged.

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Ocean Park:
Located at Gandipet in Hyderabad, Ocean Park is one of the first theme parks started in the twin-cities. It is a unique amusement park for the entire family and has attractions like a kiddie's pool, a 60ft high ride, the Slam Bomb, bumping cars and dry rides for people of all ages. It is also equipped with facilities like multi-cuisine restaurant.

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Ramoji Film City:
Ramoji Film City is conveniently located on the outskirts of the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. It is one of the most comprehensive and professionally planned film production centers in the world. Located at an hour's distance from Hyderabad, it is spread over an area of more than 1000 acres. The place is popular among various film circles in the world not only for its visual feast but also for its multimedia and editing suit techniques. Entrepreneur-cum-film producer Ramoji Rao owns Ramoji Film City. It is tastefully landscaped, meticulously maintained, exquisitely designed with palace-like edifices, temples, beautiful rock figurines, shopping arcades, railway station, airport and all that a producer can dream of. All a producer has to do is, enter the film city with the script and the cast and leave with the completed film reel.

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The Clock Room:
The clock room is one of the best galleries with a collection of more than 300 clocks. The major attraction of this museum is a musical clock, which was sold by Cook and Kelvy of England. The clock is a mechanical wonder, a toy figure of a watchman who pushes open the door, emerges hour after hour in a great hurry to beat the melodious gong that indicates time. Other highlights in the museum include the "veiled Rebecca", "Mestophiles" and "the Lady with the lamp".

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Thousand Pillar Temple:
4-km from Hanumakonda crossroad in Warangal district is the Thousand Pillar Temple, a fine specimen of 'Kakatiya' architecture and sculpture. It is the main attraction of Hanamkonda. 'Rudra Devi' built the temple in 1163 AD. The temple is in shape of a star and has three shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva, Vishnu and Surya. The temple is built on a 1m high platform on the slopes of the Hanumakonda hill, and has a majestic monolithic Nandi. The black basalt Nandi, a monolith, has a lovely polished finish. There are many small lingam shrines surrounding the gardens. The temple is famous for its richly carved pillars, screens and detailed sculpture. The atmosphere is calm and serene with the sonorous ringing of the puja bells, gentle chirping of the birds and the soothing cool breeze.

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Birla Mandir:
Overlooking the Tank Bund, the Birla Mandir presents an arresting sight when illuminated in the evening. This magnificent structure built entirely out of marble from Rajasthan, stands atop the Kala Pahad, the twin hillock of the Naubat Pahad. Built by Birla Foundation over a span of ten years, the main temple is dedicated to Lord Venkateshwara. It combines the architectural styles of the Southern and Northern Indian temples. The intricately carved gopurams (tower) at the base are in typical South Indian style, while the smooth sikhara (dome) at the top is in the North Indian Rajasthani style. The temple has beautiful marble carvings and some of them illustrating verses from the Ramayana. The inner shrine of the temple is a replica of the Venkateswara temple at Tirupati. The Birla Mandir presents a colourful spectacular sight when illuminated at night. A trip to Hyderabad remains incomplete without a visit to the enchanting Birla Mandir.

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Mecca Masjid:
Mecca Masjid is one of the largest mosques in India accommodating upto 10,000 worshippers. This is the biggest mosque in Hyderabad and lies within hundred yards to the southwest of Charminar. The mosque got its name from the belief that the bricks inserted over the central arch were baked out of clay brought from Mecca, and also from the grand mosque at Mecca on which it is patterned. The constructions of this mosque was started by Sultan Muhammad Qutub Shah, the work continued during the reign of Abdullah Qutub Shah and Abul Hassan Tana Shah and was completed in 1694 by the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb.

The hall measures 67m by 54m and is 23m in height. Fifteen arches, five on each of the three sides, support the roof. A high wall to provide the 'mehrab' blocks the western side. A room in the courtyard is believed to house the relic of the Prophet Mohammad. At each end does an arched gallery that is crowned by a dome top two huge octagonal columns made out of a single piece of granite each. The colonnades and door arches have inscriptions from the Quran. Now it has been wire meshed to stop birds nesting in the ceiling and liming the floor. It took about 8000 Masons and laborers and 77 years to complete.

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