Hyderabad then and now
By Shona Adhikari

RETURNING to Hyderabad after more than 50 years was an experience that I had been looking forward to. I had a faint recollection of the time I had played on rocks at Secunderabad, during my father’s posting at the Army cantonment there. Those rocks, warm to the touch, were perhaps the earliest memories I had of my childhood.

Reaching Hyderabad late in the evening, I decided to venture out early the next morning to get a feel of the city, and visit Hyderabad’s most famous monuments the Charminar and the area around it, before it became too busy.

The Hyderabad that I saw was very different from the one I had imagined. I drove past the Raj Bhawan towards the enormous expanse of the Husainsagar Lake. Along the way I saw amazingly modern structures reaching skywards, but hardly any old houses.

The driver of my car was obviously proud of the age of modernity that had arrived in his city. Old monuments did not interest him much. But he agreed to take me to the Charminar. The famous stucture was every bit as imposing and spectacular as I had imagined. The entire area was already bustling with activity — children going to school with heavy satchels on their backs, eateries around the square full of people catching a quick bite on their way to work, burka-clad women on foot and in autorickshaws and vendors with hand-carts doing their utmost to attract all and sundry.

I was intrigued to find that Charminar, which has a mosque on the upper level, had a tiny temple tucked away on one side of its massive base. A little ahead stood an ancient mosque with massive gates, dating back to the times of the Charminar. In this area, which for all purposes may be considered the very heart of the city, time seemed to have stood still. It was gratifying to find that’ at least here my mental image of Hyderabad was still alive.

The streets around the Charminar are narrow and four massive gates lead out from the square. Many of the buildings that line the streets and the square are at least 200 years old, having been built by a succession of Nizams. While hoardings and glowsigns indicate the year, the Charminar is much as it was at the time when the Nizam’s legendary photographer, Raja Din Dayal, took his famous photograph of this historic monument.

The same evening we again drove to Charminar when the sun was just setting. My guide had a keen sense of history, and the Hyderabad that I glimpsed through his eyes that evening was simply fascinating.

Following the same route taken in the morning, we drove towards the Husainsagar Lake. On the way we passed an unusual structure that was still being built. It looked like a castle out of a book of fairy tales, complete with turret and gables, and even had a windmill on the side! The building was Amruta Castle, and was planned to be a hotel. It has been designed by a French architect, on the lines of a castle at Germany.

The Husainsagar lake built and named after Husain Wali, and architect from Baghdad, has been the main water body in the city for centuries. A large statue of the Buddha was erected in the middle of the lake. Boating and yachting clubs are situated on the banks and it is possible to sail all the way to the statue. Along the lake runs the wide Tank Bund Road, with larger than life sized figures of Andhra heroes, and historical and mythical figures lining one side. The road connects Hyderabad with its twin city Secunderabad.

We passed a whole array of Parsee bakeries, that are said to make the most amazing breads. Further down the road is Paradise Circle, full of a large number of Irani restaurants, serving what my guide calls a decent Biryani.

The new shopping complex, Swapnalok, is situated right next to shops that are over 100 years old. Available nearby is Abdul Kader’s amazing cut-glass —a must for discerning city shopper as well as outstation visitors.

For traditional Andhra food, ‘Abhiruchi’ is one of the best places, while the nearby ‘Chat Corner’ also does brisk business. More serious diners choose to eat at Hyderabad’s oldest Chinese restaurant— Nanking.

Telugu language is the common platform for the people of Telengana, Rayalseema and Andhra. While there are many wealthy old residents of the city, a large number of new settlers from Tamil Nadu have moved to Hyderabad.

We next came to the Fateh Maidan. This is the spot where prior to the seige of the Golconda Fort, the army was defeated by the Mughals. The Golconda army is said to have included many Dakhani Sikhs, darker in complexion than their brethren in the north. The descendents of these legendary Sikhs still live in a special Sikh village.

The sizable Parsee population of Hyderabad lives around Pendegast Road. Due to their close links with the Nizams for generations, the Parsees of the city have a lifestyle different from those in Bombay. On ceremonial occasions they wear Muslim-style achkans and headgear.

The Hyderabad Public School is a gracious structure built by the Nizams. On the left is the Country Club, which was earlier the home of Bashir Jha.

There is much more to Hyderabad that deserves mention. Among the places worth seeing are the Legislative Assembly building, Osmania University, with its sprawling campus, Telugu University, Osmania General Hospital and the gracious High Court building. On top of a rocky hill stands the Birla Mandir, and nearby is the Birla Planetarium-cum-Science Centre.

The Salarjung Museum houses an amazing collection of rare and unusual art objects collected by Nawab Salar Jung 111, and is definitely worth a visit.

For those with a historical bent of mind, a visit to Hyderabad would not be complete without seeing the famous Golconda Fort. Just a half hour’s drive from the city, the fort is the venue of an exciting sound and light show on the life and times of the Qutab Shahi Dynasty.

Hyderabad is all this and more — a city with a great historical past, but ready to move on to the 21st century with vigour.