Hyderabad

2007-02-11T01:35:00.000-08:00

Hyderabad:Pronounced as " Haydarābād /haɪd̪əraːbaːd̪/ ( Telugu: హైదరాబాదు,Urdu: حیدر آباد ) is the Capital City of the Indian state of Andhra pradesh. It is in the Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh. With approximately 8.1 million people (81Lakh), it is India's 5th largest Metropolis and the 41st Largest Metropolitian area in the world. Hyderabad has a twin city named Secunderabad which was formed when the British residency of the erstwhile princely State Of hyderabad had set up a Military base near Hyderabad. Hyderabad is known for its rich history, culture & architecture representing its unique characteristic of a meeting point for North and South India, and its multi-lingual culture, both geographically and culturally. Hence, Hyderabad is considered to be the gateway of southern India. Hyderabad has always been place where Hindus and Muslims have co-existed peacefully for centuries.

Hyderabad and the surrounding areas of Telangana have a distinct dialect. The Telugu spoken here has assimilated many Urdu words into it. And the Urdu spoken here is also unique, with some Marathi words and a unique Hyderabad accent, giving rise to a dialect sometimes called as Hyderabadi Hindi.

Hyderabad is also one of the most developed cities in the country. It is the emerging IT and Biotechnology hub of India. Hyderabad and Secunderabad are Twin cities, separated by the Hussian sagar(bound by the 'Tank Bund'), a manmade lake made during the time of Ibrahim Qutb Shah in 1562. The Charminar (Urdu: "Four Minars") monument, built in the center of Hyderabad by Mohammed kuli Qutub shah in 1591, is a commemoration of the eradication of a Plague in the region.

History:

Hyderabad was founded on the banks of the Musi river in the present day Andhra Pradesh by Muhammed Quli Kutub Shah, Sultan of the Qutb Shah dynasty, in 1590; this relocation was intended to relieve a water shortage the dynasty had experienced at their old headquarters at Golconda. They ruled over the Telangana region and some parts of present day Karnataka and Maharashtra.

Theories explaining the origins and etymology behind Hyderabad's name differ. A popular theory suggests that after founding the city, Muhammad Quli fell in love with and married a local Banjara girl known as Bhagamathi. He named this city after her as Bhagyanagaram. Upon her conversion to Islam, Bhagamathi changed her name to Hyder Mahal — and the new city's name was correspondingly changed to match it, resulting in the eponymous name "Hyderabad" (literally, "the city of Hyder").

When India gained independence in 1947, under the terms of independence from the British the State of Hyderabad headed by the Prime Minister, the cabinet and the Nizam opted for independence, either as a sovereign ruler or by acquiring Dominion status within the British Empire.

India then enforced an economic blockade. As a result Hyderabad state signed a Standstill Agreement with the Indian Union. On September 17, 1948, more than a year after India had gained independence, the Nizam signed the Instrument of Accession to the Indian Union.

On November 1, 1956, the states of India were reorganized on linguistic grounds. The terrorities of the State of Hyderabad were divided between newly created Andhra Pradesh, Bombay state (later Maharasthra), and Karanataka. Hyderabad and the surrounding areas were added to Andhra Pradesh, based on the Telugu speaking community. Thus, Hyderabad became the capital city of the new state of Andhra Pradesh.

Geography and Climate:

Hyderabad city is located in the center of Andhra Pradesh, in the region of Telangana. It lies on the Deccan Plateau 541 meters (1776 ft) above sea level, over an area of 260 km² (100 mile²).

Temperature: SUMMERS(April- June) are hot and dry. The maximum temperature reaches around 41ºC. Winters (November-February) in Hyderabad are pleasant and less chilly than north Indian regions. Winter days are warm and sunny, while nights are relatively colder. Night temperature during winters rarely drops below 10ºC. South-west monsoon comes to the city in June and remains till September.
Annual precipitation: About 60 cm.
Geological system: Archean.
Soil: Red Sandy, with areas of Black Cotton soil.
Surrounding terrain: Rocky/hilly. (The region around Hyderabad is known for its beautiful rock formations. There are many rock formation enthusiasts in the city.)
Climatic: Tropical Wet and Dry .

Culture:

Buddha statue at the centre of the Husain Sagar Lake

Hyderabad has been the meeting place of many different cultures and traditions. Historically, Hyderabad has been the city where distinct cultural and linguistic traditions of North India and South India meet. It is thus considered as the gateway to the South or gateway to the North. One can also perceive the strong fusion of the Muslim Culture Of India with south Indian traditions of the region.

Hyderabad is a unique cosmopolitan city and home to people practicing Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, and Zoroastrianism. Hyderabadis have developed their own distinctive culture, which is a mixture of ancient traditions of Hindu Telugu people and the centuries old Islamic Culture

Telugu,Hindi and Urdu are the principal languages spoken in Hyderabad. Telugu being one of the official languages of Andhra Pradesh (and the second most widely spoken in India after Hindi), is widely spoken here. Hyderabad has always had one of the largest Urdu, speaking populations in India, and the famous Osmania University here was the first Urdu medium university in India.

Deccani, a dialect of Urdu and Hindi, is spoken and understood there. Both Urdu and Telugu have linguistically impacted on each other in this region. The Telugu dialect spoken in Hyderabad and rest of Telangana prior to formation of the present state of Andhra Pradesh was very distinct from the one spoken in coastal Andhra.However after the creation of Andhra Pradesh,all variants of Telugu can be heard in equal measure. A large percentage of the population is also well-versed in English.

Women of all cultures and faiths in Hyderabad typically wear either the traditional Indian dress, the Sari, or, increasingly, the Shalwar Qamis especially among the younger population. A large percentage of Muslim women in the city wear either the Burqa or the Hijab. The traditional Hyderabadi garb for females are the Khara duppata and the Shalwar Qamis, and for the males, it is the Sherwani. This one of the more visible Cultural attributes of Hyderabad.

Hyderabadi cuisine is a blend of heavy Mughal influences, traditional Andhra and Telangana cuisine. A number of restaurants have come up that serve a variety of cuisines. All the major hotels in city host one or more restaurants that are popular among the cityfolk.

The most famous dish of Hyderabad is Hyderabadi Biryani. Other culinary delights include Khubani ka metha, Pheni(a sweet vermicelli delicacy eaten during the festival of Diwali), Paya and Hallem (a meat dish traditionally eaten by Muslims during the holy month of Ramzan).

Indian Mitai(sweet) shops are famous for their Ghee sweets. Pulla Reddy Sweets are famous for their "Pure Ghee" sweets. Karachi Bakery located near Mau'zzam zai, Nampally, is popular for it's Biscuits including the local Osmania Sweets. A family residing in Azeez Bagh palace in the old part of the city is famous for the preparation of Badaam Ki jaali (Almond lattice confection).

The more popular restaurants in the Twin Cities are the Madina, Bawarchi, Cafe Bahar and the Golden Persis at Paradise Corner in Secunderabad. Other restaurant chains in the city include The Taj Mahal, Kamat Hotel, and Hyderabad House.

Also widely found on the corners of every street are the cafe's which offer 'Irani chai' and 'Osmania biscuit' where one can see people sitting leisurely over a cup of 'chai' and talking for hours. The waiter's do not write down the order but have a remarkable memory of making the exact bill even after hours.

Hyderabad is also a major centre for Art, and some leading painters have been associated with Hyderabad - M.F Hussain, Vaikutam, K V Sridhar (Pops), Laxma Goud and Jagdish Mittal (renowned collector of Indian modern art).

Transport:

Airports:

Hyderabad is well connected to all parts of the country and world by air. Hyderabad city has had an airport since the 1930's at Begumpet. This airport provides two terminals, for domestic and international travels. The airport provides flights to all major destinations in India, as well as connections to locations in Middle east, South east asia, the Western countries and Sri lanka with non stop flights to and from many cities in these areas. As the demand for air travel has grown in recent years, like most major airports in the country, the Begumpet airport now suffers from overcrowding, this has led to major problems, especially in the domestic terminal, and conditions are cramped, unattractive, and sometimes unsanitary.

To meet the growing demands of the city a project to build a much bigger and state-of-art Airport is underway at Shamshabad, which lies on the outskirts of the city. The new airport, once completed, will be able to provide much needed infrastructure to handle large aircraft, and international traffic. The airport is expected to be one of the best in this region and will house world-class facilities. The airport is being developed to cater to a total of 7 million passengers a year and will in the final stage be able to cater to 40 million passengers a year. The total cost of the project is Rs 1,330 crore. The airport will be built on an area of 5,400 acres and will have the longest runway among Indian airports and will be able to handle the world’s largest passenger aircraft, the Airbus A380. The work on the flyover linking Mehdipatnam to theShamshabad Airport has started, and it is expected to be one of the biggest projects undertaken by Hyderabad Uraban Development Authority, also known widely as HUDA.

Rails:

Hyderabad has a light rail transportation system known as the Multi model transport systems[MMTS]

The MMTS connects various parts of the city with Hyderabad, Secunderabad, Lingampally and Falaknuma. Hyderabad is currently scheduled to get a Metro system to help ease urban congestion. Nationally, too, Hyderabad and especially Secunderabad are considered as among the important railway cities. The South central Railway headquarters are located at Secunderabad.

There are three main railway stations:

Secunderabad Railway Station (Which recently got ISO 9002 Certification)
Hyderabad Railway Station (Nampally)
Kachiguda Railway Station. A lot of development has come up at the Kachiguda Railway Station, like an extension of the platform. It is now the starting point of many trains like Kachiguda-Bangalore, Kachiguda-Tirupathi etc., to divert the traffic flow from Secunderabad.

Roads:

The Necklace Road

The Outer Ring Road Expressway

Hyderabad is well connected to many other locations in India, such as Bangalore, Mumbai, Kurnool, Guntur, Nagpur, Warangal, Pune, and Vijayawada, either through directly or through intermediary locations. The highway (express way) network linking Hyderabad to various parts of the country is very good. The Indian National Highways, NH-7, NH-9 and NH-202 pass through the city. The city shall also be part of the North South Corridor.Being in the heart of Telangana it is very well connected to all the towns and cities of the region.

The city has also one of the best laid out internal road systems. A series of flyovers decrease the traffic congestion in the city. Many of the important roads are 3-lane on either side. Due to the burgeoning number of personal vehicles, the city is beginning to face traffic problems. As a measure to ease this, the city plan calls for an inner ring road going around Hyderabad within the city limits and a yet to be constructed, but planned, outer ring road outside the city limits. These ring roads are expected to ease the traffic congestion by a lot inside the city since most heavy vehicles which pass through the city on the national highways can now bypass the city using them.

A "Fly Over" at night in Hyderabad

However, as in most in Indian cities, due to increasing number of vehicles, the city traffic has grown leading to chaotic traffic snarls and a lack of perceptible Lane discipline. Driving has become a stressful experience for vehicle owners. Accidents are on the rise especially with two wheelers and Auto-rickshaws.

A new Expressway called Hyderabad Outer Ring Road of about 160 km is being built now and will be done in about 4 - 5 years.

Alternative Transportation:

The city is also linked to various parts by a multi modal transit, MMT-system. 3-seater and 7-seater Autos are available within city limits. In the 3-seater autos of Hyderabad, you pay exactly by the meter. 7-seater autos are shared autos, and cost slightly more than RTC (public transport) buses. Private air-conditioned cabs operators are available on call.

Bus Service:

Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation established in 1932 started as a unit of the Nizam State Railways-Road Transport Division with 27 buses. It consists of about 19,000 strong bus fleet currently; APSRTC is the largest bus transportation service, which is undertaken by the state, in the world and is listed in the Guinness book of world records.

The APSRTC operates point to point bus services which connect important places within the city, with a very good frequency. This enables passengers to commute quickly between any two places within the city. There are 4000+ buses in the city running the point to point service.

The Imblibun bus station in Hyderabad is the third largest in Asia, with 72 platforms for 72 buses to load passengers at a time. This earlier was the largest in Asia after it lost to shanghai's bus station, China in 2005. The second largest being the Chennai Moffusil Bus Terminal (CMBT) in Chennai.

MAJOR ATTRACTIONS:

Charminar
Falakunama Palace - Built by Nawab Viqar al-Umra', a beautiful and stunning piece of architecture.
Golconda Fort - located on the outskirts of the city, Golconda Fort is one of the most magnificent fortress complexes in India.
Birla Mandir - a Hindu temple made of white marble located on top of a hill overlooking the city.
Salar Jung museum - houses the largest one-man collection of antiques in the world. Huge collection of artifacts dating back to a few centuries can be found here.
Air Force Academy - a modern and biggest Academy of its kind in South/ Southeast Asia. Open to public with prior permission and/or on select occasions.
Makkah Masjid - a stone-built mosque, immediately southwest of Charminar. Remarkable for its architecture, size and its royal splendor.
Birla Planetorium - located in the heart of the city on the panoramic hillock of Nawbat Pahad, the Birla Planetarium is a tribute to the advances made in science and technology.
Chilkur Temple - Temple of Lord Sri Venkateshwara. Around 23 km from Mehdipatnam.
Nehru Zoological Park - among the largest in Asia.
Hussain sagar - A man-made lake that separates the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. It is famous also for the 18-metre tall Buddha statue on a platform in the middle of the lake, and for the Tank bund that is the main road between the twin cities.
Laad bazar - directly to the west of Charminar, and known for its bangles.
P.Vghat - The Samadhi of the former Prime Minister, Shri P.V Narasimha Rao
Prasads IMAZ theatre - is the first IMAX theatre to open in South India. It boasts of the world's biggest IMAX screen.
Public Gardens Of Hyderabad- One of the best laid-out gardens in the country with buildings of the State Legislature, Jubilee Hall, etc.
Purani haveli - The official residence of the Nizam.
Chowmahalla Palace- It was the seat of Asaf Jahi dynasty, where the Nizam entertained his official guests and royal visitors. Built in 1750 by Nizam Salabat Jung and designed along the lines of the Shah's palace in Isfahan, this actually consists of a group of palaces each used as a Durbar Hall.
Sanghi temple - A temple dedicated to Lord Venkateshwara graces a promontory overlooking Sanghi Nagar.
Snow World- An amusement park which enables citizens of this tropical city to experience very low temperatures and snow.
Astha Lakshmi Temple - A temple located in Vasavi Colony near Dilsukhnagar is the 2nd largest Laxmi temple in India.
Wargal saraswati devi's temple - A temple located 50 km from Hyderabad towards medchal highway. It is mounted on a big rock, rtc buses are available on that route.
Madhapur - Home to many IT and ITES offices of Hyderabad.
Ananthagiri Forest - (Vikarabad - 70 km from Hyderabad).
Ramoji Film City (RFC) is the world’s largest integrated film studio complex, at nearly 2,000 acres. It is also one of Asia’s most popular tourism and recreation centres. Opened in 1996, it is located about 25 km from Hyderabad on Vijayawada National Highway(NH-9).

Charminar:

Charminar (four minaret) has been the identity of the old city of Hyderabad for centuries. It was built in 1591 by Mohammed Quli Qutub Shah to commemorate the end of the deadly plague in Hyderabad.

The four arched monument stands amidst the lively bazaars and offers splendid views of the old city.

Mecca masjid:

Just few metres away from the Charminar, this mosque is one of the biggest mosques in the world. The constrcution of the mosque was started by Mohammed Quli Qutab Shah in 1614, but was completed by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in 1692. It is said that the mosque can accommodate up to 10,000 worshippers at a time.

Lad Bazar:

Located close to the Charminar, the Lad Bazaar was founded by Ladli Begum, the wife of Mir Mehboob Ali Khan, the sixth Nizam of Hyderabad. The colourful market is truly a shopper's paradise, one can buy traditional Hyderabadi glass and stone-studded bangles. In addition the appliquéd, skirts, bags and belts set with sparkling mirrors and tiny beads by Banjara gypsies are also sold here.

Salar Jung Musuem:

Built to match the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, this museum is an amazing amalgam of antiquity and modernity. Mir Yusuf Ali Khan Salar Jung III, is believed to be the chief architect of this magnificent congeries of art.

It is said this museum has the largest one-man collection of the world. The museum displays 35,000 exhibits drawn from the four corners of the world including wood carvings, sculptures, religious objects, Persian miniature paintings, illuminated manuscripts, armour and weaponry and clothing of the Mughal emperors and Tipu Sultan.
Hussain Sagar Lake:

This beautiful lake was built by Hussan Shah Wahi on a tributary of the Musi river. The artificial lake connects the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. Along the bandh of the lake are 33 life-size statues of eminent personalities. Major attraction of the lake is the gigantic statue of Lord Buddha; the 18m high and 350 tonne monolithic statue stands amidst the lake.

Hussain Sagar the beautiful and placid lake located in the heart of the City, constitutes a continuum between history and the contemporary. Popularly known as Tank Bund, it has acquired trappings and environs that enhance its appeal to tourists as well as the denizens of the twin cities.

Parks & Recreation Around Hussain Sagar:

With numerous parks, recreation spots, temples, statuary, and a host of other tourists attractions, it has emerged as the most sought after tourist destination in the City.

Extending 24 kilometres, it built by Hazrat Hussain Shah Wali on a tributary of the Musi River during the time of that great builder Ibrahim Quli Qutb Shah, in 1562, to meet the water and irrigation needs of the city.

Necklace Road -A glittering Garland Of Hussian Sagar Lake.

A new artery known as the Necklace Road links Lumbini park in Hyderabad with the Sanjeeviah park in Secunderabad. Necklace Road is the most popular boulevard and very scenic, its magnetism increased by a three-kilometer- long row of flowerbeds and lush green lawns running from north to south. On the west is a long protective and ornamental railing parallel to a row of wrought iron benches for romance-prone couples to forget time and mundane world.The Necklace Road and the Tank Bund are great spectacles in the night and turn into rendezvous for relaxation and leisure. The Necklace Road is now much sought after by trade and industry for holding consumer melas and by the government to stage frequent cultural shows and programmes which are open to public.Flanked by the Hyderabad Boat Club in the south and the Secunderabad Sailing Club in the north, Hussain Sagar becomes the annual venue for sailing events and regattas every year. One can see several rowboats and yachts gracefully navigating in the lake.

Most Popular Prominade With Myriad Attractions:

Dotting the lawns and flowerbeds on the eastern side are an array of statues to commemorate the services of a host of luminaries who are an inseparable part of the history of the state. These bronze statues range from those of pioneers of Telugu classical poetry like Nannaya, the great saint composer Thyagaraja, the thirteenth century Kakatiya warrior queen Rudrama Devi, the illustrious founder of Hyderabad Muhammed Quli Qutb Shah, the bard Vemana of the sixteenth century to Arthur Cotton who harnessed the life-giving waters of the Krishna and Godavari rivers and made Andhra Pradesh the rice bowl of the south, and progressive writers and poets like Sri Sri and Maqdoom Mohiuddin.

Lumbini park:
It is one of the attractive leisure spots in the city. The park has a floral clock, nature trail, children’s play area, and musical fountains. The boating facility which is one of the major attractions is extended to the middle of the lake.

Lumbini Laserium:

The spectacular state of the laser show on the water screen with a musical fountain, is India’s first Multi media Laser Show, that narrates Hyderabad’s history, in a thrilling display of laser lights.

NTR Gardens:

A leisure and entertainment centre adjoining the Hussain Sagar Lake, the NTR Gardens houses a Memorial of Late Shri N.T. Rama Rao, former Chief Minister, with an exemplary piece of architecture.

The sprawling gardens, set up in an area of 36 acres, offers a serene atmosphere and yet provides recreation facilities such as Machan Tree, Japanese Garden, Car Café, Souvenir Shops, Fruit Restaurant and Children’s playing area. A mono rail system takes children around the Garden. It’s an amusement park with a difference…see it to believe it.

Sanjeevaiah Park:

One of the garden spots in Hyderabad is located near Hussain sagar lake. This park is well spread over with lush green trees meadows, beautiful landscaped gardens and play area for children. One of the significant features of the park is it has variety of high-breed rose plants of different colours. There is also a Rock Garden which is added attractions to the visitors.

Yogibear Children's Park :

Located adjacent to Sanjeevaiah park. This park is an entertainment centre for children and toddlers. The park is beautifully landscaped with small lawns. Play things like swinging bars, slides are added attractions for children. The park has a miniature Golf Tract of 19 holes, a snack bar and an event shed for conducting competitions.

Indira park:

A recreation centre for children is situated near lower Tankbund. It is an excellent place for spending evening hours amid greenery and chirping of birds. The Park has a small lake with boating facility. It also has a rose garden with flowering, bushy trees. Adjacent to the park there is skating facility for children.

World's Largest Monolith Statue Of Buddha:

The piece deresistance of the entire land and waterscape of Hussain Sagar is the 18-metre high and 350-tonne monolith of Gautama Buddha, in the middle of the lake, standing on what is known as the Rock of Gibraltar. Two beautifully decorated floating decks shuttle between the statue and the Lumbini Park, every day, several times and are equipped to stage cultural and musical shows. Another boating point is likely to come up at the Sanjeevaiah Park also. The boat rides are the most exciting experience of the tourists because they cover the most scenic spots around the lake like the Secretariat, the Raj Bhavan, Sanjeeviah Park, the Lumbini Park, Shri Venkateswara temple and the majestic Buddha statue.

Birla Temple:

Hussain Sagar lake radiates in the night the reflection of the Shri Venkateswara temple built by the Birlas on a hillock close to the Secretariat.

The temple is a quarter century old and built of white marble and represents several schools of architecture. Though the South Indian school is prominent in the construction of the rajagopuram. Utkal styles of temple architecture marks the tower over the main shrine called the Jagadananda vimanam. The towers over the temples for the Lord’s consorts Padmavathi and Andal are again in the South Indian style. The temple has a 42-feet high flagstaff and the main idol of the Lord is 11 feet tall.

IMAX Theatre:

The Prasad’s IMAX Theatre has food outlets, coffee bars, gift shops etc.. setting a new benchmark in entertainment. The center also houses a five screen state of the art multiplex with a combined capacity of 1800 seats.Prasad’s IMAX, India’s 3 rd IMAX Theatre is located in the heart of the city on the banks of the Hussain Sagar Lake. It is a fully integrated family entertainment center. Spanning an area of 2,35,000 sq ft., this centrally air conditioned facility is a high tech, one stop recreation hub providing the people of Hyderabad with a unique and exciting experience, like never before.Featuring the world’s most powerful film projector, the facility houses South India’s first Imax theatre. IMAX is a brand that is recognized worldwide. The facility possesses a 6-channel sound system with an output of 12,000 watts of digital surround sound. Hyderabad’s first food court, located in this complex, provides a sumptuous spread of multi-cuisine food interspersed with fast food counters.

Snow World:

Snow World has achieved yet another milestone by introducing Snow Fall, in thissouthern Indian city of Hyderabad, where there has never been a snowfall. This is the first of its kind of Snow Fall introduced by any Snow Theme Park or Snow Dome anywhere in the world All these snow wonders are made possible by artificially producing snow using state of the art technology supplied by Woomera Snow Guns Ltd., Australia. The snow is produced with pure mineral water.

Eat Street Food Joint:

The Eat Street food outlet at People’s Plaza, Necklace Road is a fun place for the entire family, to enjoy all varieties of ‘chaat’ and delicious snacks in the enchanting lakeside ambience.

Parasailing & Boating Facilities At Lake:

Boating and water sports are a regular feature in the Hussainsagar. The host of boating facilities on the lake, include the prestigious Bhagmati and Bhageerathi luxury cruisers. Both are ideally suited for get-togethers and meetings and Bhagmati has a beer bar-cum-restaurant.

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Added to this, is providing new facilities like parasailing, speed boats, motor boats, 48 seater launch and more.

Birla Mandir (Venkateshawara Temple):

Overlooking the placid waters of the Hussain Sagar lake, the stunningly beautiful temple is perched atop the Naubat Pahad Hill. Built out of white marble, the temple architecture is a combination of the traditional north and south styles. Birla Mandir is dedicated to Lord Venkateswara, the presiding deity of the temple at Thirumala-Tirupathi .

Nehru Zoological Park:
Located near the Mir Alam Tank, the park provides shelter to a teeming wildlife population. The park is well known as the first Lion Safari park in South Asia. One of the largest zoos in India, the park has attractions like prehistoric animal section and toy train-Hassan Ali

Excursions Golconda Fort:
This marvellous monument is located at a distance of 11 kms from Hyderabad. Situated on the outskirts of Hyderabad City, the historic fort dates back to 13th century. The city was ruled by Kakatiays of the 13th century, and was also the capital of the Qutab Shahi in the 16th century. Built on a 120 metre high granite hill, the fortress sprawls over 5 kms and is surrounded by 15 ft to 18 ft walls. One of the most remarkable features of this fort is its system of acoustics, whereby the sounds of hands clapped in the grand portico can be heard in the Durbar Hill, located atop of the hill.

Qutub Shahi Tombs:
Qutub Shahi Tombs:The tombs of Qutub Shahi kings are situated one km north of the fort. These beautiful structures are surrounded by landscaped gardens and depict the third and final stage of the 17th century architecture. There are seven tombs; some of them display beautifully carved stonework. Shilparamam:

Civic Administration:

The city is administered by Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad (MCH), whose titular head is the MAyor who has few executive powers. The real executive power of the corporation is vested in the Municipal commissioner, an IAS officer appointed by the Andhra Pradesh state government.

The MCH is in charge of the civic needs and the infrastructure of the metropolis. Hyderabad is divided into one hundred muncipal wards, each overseen by a corporator. The corporators of the administration are voted through a popular vote, and almost all the state polotical parties field their candidates.

The city is composed of one district in Andhra Pradesh, and comes under the jurisprudence of the Dostrict collector. The collectors are in charge of property records and revenue collection for the Central government. They oversee the National Elections held in the city. The metropolitan area encompasses the Ranga Reddy District, which was carved out of an earlier unified Hyderabad district.

Like other metropolises in India, the Hyderabad police is headed by a POLICE COMMISSIONER, an IPS officer. The Hyderabad Police comes under the state Home Ministry. Hyderabad is divided into five police zones, each headed by a Deputy commissioner of police.The Traffic Police is a semi-autonomous body under the Hyderabad Police.

Hyderabad is the seat of the State High Court. Hyderabad also has two lower courts, such as the Small causes court for civil matters, and the Sessions court for criminal cases.

Hyderabad contributes 2 seats to the Lok sabha (Lower House). In addition, parts of the city are part of two other electoral districts for the Lok Sabha. Hyderabad elects thirteen representatives to the State's Legislative Assembly.

It must be noted that, officially, the Indian government recognises Hyderabad as a majorcity of India and has given the metropolitan status to only four cities of India. There is a pending demand to upgrade Hyderabad and banglore to Metropolitan status as they both meet the criteria to be declared so. There is also a proposal for Greater Hyderabad which will result in the merger of 12 surrounding municipalities and 8 gram panchyats. The total area of the city would be 725km².

Economy:

Hyderabad is known as the city of pearls, lakes and, lately, for its IT Companies. The pearl market is situated near Charminar. Ornaments made with Rice pearls can be bought from Char Kaman or the General Bazaar Market. Products such as silverware, saris, Nirmal and paintings and artifacts, unique Kalamkari,Bidri Handicraft items, Lacquer Bangles studded with stones, Silk-ware, Cotton-ware and handloom-based clothing materials are made and traded through the city for centuries.

Andhra Pradesh inherited from the State of Hyderabad great academic institutes and research labs, both public and private institutes with very diverse areas of interest from Developmental Banking at the Institute for development in research and Banking Technology The infrastructural facilities for basic research in Hyderabad are some of the best in the country, hosting a large academic population from all over the country and beyond.

Hyderabad is a major center for pharmaceuticals with companies such as Dr. Reddy's Laboratories, Matrix Laboratories, Hetero Drugs Limited, Divis Labs, Aurobindo Pharma Limited and Vimta Labs being housed in the city. Initiatives such as Genome Valley and the Nano technologypark are expected to create extensive infrastructure in bio-technology.

Like many Indian cities, Hyderabad has witnessed a remarkable growth in the Real estate business, thanks to a predominantly information technology-driven boom in the 1990s and the retail industry growth over the last few years which have spurred hectic commercial activity. A number of mega malls have come up or are being built in the city.

Development of specialised IT infrastructure by private players gained over the precious years after the Government kicked off the HItec City.

IT Industry:

Cyber Towers IT Park, Hyderabad on a clear evening sky.

Hyderabad city is today known for its IT and ITenabled services, Pharmauticals and Entertainment industries. Many Call Centres, Business processing Outsourcing (BPO) firms, dealing with IT and other technological services were set up in the 1990's making it one of the major regions for call center setups in India. Ramoji Film City, the largest film studio in the world is located on the outskirts of the city.

The development of a township with state-of-the-art facilities called HITEC city, prompted several IT and ITES companies like Inforlinx to setup operations in the city. An aggressive promotion of growth in this area has led civic boosters to call the city "Cyberabad". Hyderabad has also been referred to as the second Silicon Valley of India next to Bangalore. IT exports from the city are expected to exceed Rs 12,500 crores ($ 2.5 billion) in the 2005-06 fiscal year.There have been extensive investments in Digital Infrastructure within the city promoting the setting up of several campuses by a vast Array Of companies within the city. This list includes several multinational corporations having established centres in the city. The major areas where such campuses have been setup include Madhapur and Gachibowli.

Hyderabad has been the front runner in terms of attracting huge investments from Fortune 500 Companies. Hyderabad is poised to become a global city after the city has clinched Semiconductor Fab deals from Intellect Inc, Semindia. Hyderabad has been selected as the location for India's first Fab City, a silicon chip manufacturing facility, being setup with an investment of $3 billion by the AMD-SemIndia consortium.

Education:

INDIAN SCHOOL OF BUSSINESS entrance.

Hyderabad is an important seat of learning in southern India. The city hosts three Central Universities, two Deemed Universities, and six State Universities. Among them Osmania University was established in 1918, is the seventh oldest in India, the third oldest in south India. Many institutes for technical education like Jawaharlal Nehru technological University, International Instiute of Information technology, and medical colleges such as the Gandhi medical college are located here. Also based here is Indian School Of Bussiness and the National Academy of legal studies & research . Hyderabad has various research institutes such as the Indian Institute Of Chemical Technology, Centre For cellular & molecular Biology and Central Institute Of English & foreign Languages ( CIEFL was accorded Central University status recently). It is the home of Maulana Azad National Urdu University as well as BR Ambedhkar Open University. This educational infrastructure attracts students from all over the country and some beyond, especially from Africa and the Middle East. Due to the rising IT boom in the state, Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani has now decided to start a new campus in Shamirpet area of Ranga reddy district an area in the outskirts of Hyderabad.

Research Institutions and labs:

Defence research and Development Organisation had set up Defence Electronics Research Laboratory[DLRL] in 1962, to work on the design and development of communication and radar systems. Currently DLRL is involved in the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP) of DRDO.

The other research laboratories at Hyderabad include (alphabetical order)

Advanced Numerical Research & Analysis Group (ANURAG)
Advanced System Laboratory (ASL)
Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL)
Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL)
CIEFL
Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB)
Centre for DNA finger printing and diagnostics(CDFD)
Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory (DMRL)
Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL)
Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL)
ICRISAT
Indian Institute for Chemical Technology
Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Systems (INCOIS)
Mishra Dhatu Nigam (MIDHANI)
National Informatics Centre (NIC)
Research Center Imarat (RCI)
Survey Of India (SOI)
University Of hyderabad (Central University)
National Remote Sensing Agency India's Satellite Monitoring Station.
Centre For DNAFingerprinting & Diagnotics(CDFD) - Nacharam
National Centre For Compositional Characterisation of Materials(CCCM, BARC) - ECIL
Nuclear Fuel Complex(NFC).

Media:

Hyderabad has a well-developed communication and media infrastructure. The city is covered by a large network of optical fiber cables by Reliance Telecom. The city's telephone system is serviced by four landline companies: BSNL, Tata Indicom, Reliance Infocomm and Airtel. There are six mobile phone companies: BSNL, HUTCH , IDEA , AIRTEL , RELIANCE INFOCOMM , TATA INFOCOMM access.

Radio Stations:

The city has five AM and two FM radio stations, operated by All India Radio (AIR) under the name Akashwani, Hyderabad. AIR has sold airtime on one of its FM channels to a company named DC-Interactive that broadcasts a show called Good Evening Hyderabad under the banner Radio Banner.

An FM radio station called FM Rainbow also broadcasts daily within the city. Newer FM radio stations, as in other metropolitan areas, have also been launched in the city. The programmes are in Telugu, Hindi and English.

AIR Vividh Bharathi FM 102.8 MHz
AIR Rainbow FM 101.9 MHz
Radio Mirchi FM 98.3 MHz
Radio City FM 91.1 MHz
Big FM 92.7 MHz
S FM 93.5 MHz

Television Networks:

Doordarshan runs several terrestrial television channels and two satellite television channels from its Hyderabad Doordasrshan centre. A multitude of regional television channels broadcast from Hyderabad.

Telugu Television channels are classified as:

News channels

ETV2, Gemini News, TV-9,Teja News, DD News,Vissa News, Arey News

Local(Regional) Entertainment Channels

ETV, Maa TV, Gemini,Teja, C Channel, Siti Cable, Vissa,Zee Telugu, Gemini Music Live TV, Shri channel, Zoom TV (Telugu), ETV Urdu, Ctv

Print Media:

Hyderabad has about three print media groups that publish several newspapers and magazines in English, Telugu and Urdu. The major Urdu dailies are The Siasat Daily,The Munsif Daily, The Eetemad Urdu Daily,The Rehnuma I Deccan and The Daily Milaap. The major Telugu dailies include the Eenadu,Vaartha, Andhrajyothi, Prajashakthi,Andhra Bhoomi and Andhra Prabha. The major English dailies are The Deccan Chronicle, Business Standard,The Hindu,The Times Of India , The Inidan Express and The Economic Times. Besides these major newspapers, there a number of localised neighbourhood newspapers that cater to several localities. Magazines published from Hyderabad include Swati, Navya, Andhra Prabha, Andhra Jyoti, Vipula,Vanita and Chandamama. Movie magazines include Sitara, Siva Ranjani , santosham and Jyoti Chitra.

Tollywood:

Hyderabad is the homeland of TOLLYWOOD, the Telugu movie industry. Apart from being a popular entertainment source and India's largest film producer, as measured by the number of films made every year (followed by Bollywood), Tollywood also provides livelihood to thousands of its citizens and contributes a large amount of revenue to the local government.

Earlier, many of the Telugu films were produced in Madras. However, the improvement in Hyderabad's infrastructure and initiatives such as setting up of the Ramoji film city have changed the situation. Today not only are Telugu films made here, even films from Bollywood are being shot in Hyderabad.

Sports and stadia:

Sports besides Cricket are popular in Hyderabad. In the inaugural Premiere hockey league in 2005, Hyderabad Sultans won the championships. Hyderabad recently got a new cricket stadium, Vishaka International Cricket Stadium, which was later renamed to Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium.

Sporting Icons of Hyderabad:

Syed mohammed Hadi - Olympic tennis player.
V.V.S Laxman - Indian Cricket player.
M.L.Jaisimha - Former Indian Cricket Player
Abbas Ali Baig - Former Indian Cricket Player
Krishna Murthy - Former Indian Cricket Player
Mohammed Azharuddin - Former Indian Cricket team captain
Ghulam Ahmed - Former Indian Cricket team captain
Abid Ali - Former Indian Cricket player
S.Venkatapathi Raju - Former Indian Cricket player and Present Indian Cricket Team Selector
Pullela Gopichand- Badminton player (Winner of The All England Badminton Championship - 2001)
Mithali Raj - Present captain of Indian Women's Cricket Team
Sania Mirza - Tennis player who is the first Indian woman to win a WTA singles title.
Saina nehwal - Badminton player
Gagan Narang - World class Shooter
Mir.H.Ahmed^{[Citation needed]}- International Polo Player
Abu Tayeb Mohammed (ATM)Yahya - Former India's #1 Junior Table Tennis Player
Mir Khasim Ali - Former Indian Men's Table Tennis Champion
Nandanoori Mukesh Kumar - Olympian and Former Indian Hockey player
Shivlal Yadav - Former Indian Cricket Player and Former Indian Cricket Team Selector

The National Games:

The selection of the city as a host of the National Games in 2002 resulted in a major investment to build some of the best world-class stadiums in the country. Later these stadiums played host to the Afro Asian Games held 2003. Today the List Of stadiums of international standard found in Hyderabad is large and diverse.

Stadia:

The earliest stadium built in the city is the Lal bahadur Stadium Formerly known as Fateh Maidan, it was, till recently, the city's only stadium that could conduct International cricket matches. The first cricket match was played here was on November 19, 1955. With the construction of the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium at Uppal, it is unlikely that any more cricket matches will be held here.

The city also houses the Swarnandra pradesh Sports Club and theG.M.C balayogi Stadium.