Hyderabad (India)

The ‘twin cities’ of Hyderabad and Secunderabad are one of the major centres of Information Technology development, so much so that Microsoft has one of its two overseas offices here. A delightfully elegant disposition, a miracle of technological revolution or a city with quite some tradition - Hyderabad is really all of these and more. The wide roads and public parks in the garrison town of Secunderabad, the leisurely pace of Hyderabadi people who still have the time and the gentility to offer adaab and to cook up a slow simmering storm in flavourful cauldrons do this special city real proud.

Sightseeing:

Birla Mandir:
Birla Mandir, a modern temple on the shores of Hussain Sagar Lake in Hyderabad provides an excellent view over the city from the summit. The magnificent marble structure stands atop the 'Kala Pahad', the twin hillock of 'Naubat Pahad'. It is said that the marble used in its construction was brought all the way from Rajasthan and it is dedicated to Lord Venkateshwara.

Qutub Shahi Tombs:
The tombs of the Qutub Shahi rulers are domed structures built on a square base surrounded by pointed arches. In the centre of each tomb is a casket overlying the actual burial vault in a crypt below. Originally, these domes were overlaid with blue and green tiles. However only a few of them can be seen now.

Raymond's Tomb:
The tomb of Michel Raymond, a French mercenary and a close friend of the then Nizam lies in Saroornagar in east Hyderabad. An annual commemorative 'Urs' fair is held at his 7 m high black granite tomb bearing the initials JR.

Nehru Zoological Park:
One of the biggest zoos in Asia, it houses of over 250 species of fauna. Some of its highlights are the lion safari park, pre-historical animals park, natural history museum, nocturnal birds, a children park with a train ride along with special sections and amusement facilities.

Salar Jung Museum:
Salar Jung Museum has the largest one-man collection of antiques in the world, exhibiting over 35,000 objects of art such as Chinese Porcelain, Aurangazeb's Sword, Daggers belonging to Queen Noor Jehan, Emperor Jahangir and Shah Jahan, Sculpture, Indian paintings and Persian carpets. The most notable of these are the Veiled Rebecca, Bezzoni's translucent white marble statue, the Arms section, the Jade section and the Oriental Section.

St. Joseph's Cathedral:
The Cathedral of Saint Joseph is perhaps the most beautiful in the twin cities. It is situated in the Gun foundry area.

Birla Planetarium:
Situated on the hillock of Naubat Pahad, the Birla Planetarium is a tribute to the advances made in science and technology. Sorting a beautiful dome-shaped architecture, tt was inaugurated by Late Mr. N.T. Rama Rao on 8th September, 1985.

Hussain Sagar Lake:
Ibrahim Quli Qutub Shah constructed Hussain Sagar Lake in the midst of the city in 1562 in the honor of Hussain Shah Wali, who helped him to recover from illness. Forming a link between the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad, it is also known as Tank Bund as it was once the cantonment area of Secunderabad.

Hi-Tech City:
A preferred destination for famed Software Companies; Hi-Tech City is the hub of IT industries and is situated in the outskirts of the city.

Paigah Tombs:
Situated at Santoshnagar, the tombs of Paigah nobles, relatives of Nizams, are said to be about 200 years old and have unique lime and mortar construction and are beautifully carved sporting a marble inlay work on them.

Sanjeevaiah Park: Sanjeevaiah Park, a major recreation centre next to Hussain Sagar, is named after the former President of India, Mr. Neelam Sanjeev Reddy. The highlights of the park are a rose garden, rock garden and a floral clock.

Chote Hazrat Ki Dargah: Chote Hazrat ki Dargah situated inside Devan Devadi was built during the period of the Asif Jahis, in the memory of Hazrat Ali, the son-in-law of prophet Muhammad. The row of arches and 400 stairs leading up to Dargah present a majestic sight.

Jama Masjid:
Muhammad Quli Qutub Shah built the Jama Masjid, the oldest mosque in Hyderabad, in 1597.

High Court:
A beautiful Mughal-style building built in 1916 of local pink granite and red sandstone carved panels and columns, the British architect Vincent Esch designed it. It is said to have been estimated at a cost of 2 million rupees.

Falaknuma Palace (Star of Heaven):
One of the most magnificent of its kind in India, it was built by Nawab Vikar-ul-Umra Bahadur atop a 650 m high hill.