Location : Hyderabad,
Andhra Pradesh
Year of Construction : 1591
Best time to Visit : October to March
Attractions Around : Birla Mandir, Hussain Sagar Lake,
Golconda Fort
About Charminar
One of the must visit attractions while on a visit to the country is the
400 year old monument Charminar, also sometimes known as the Mecca of the
south. As the Statue of Liberty is to New York and Eiffel Tower to Paris,
the Charminar has over the years become synonymous with the city of
Hyderabad. The behemoth of a structure
was built by Mohammed Quli Qutub Shah in 1591 to celebrate the eradication
of plague from the kingdom. It is also said that having madly fallen in love
with a Hindu lady Bhagmati, the king built the monument at the same place
where he saw Bhagmati for the very first time. The square shaped monument is
a typical example of Tazia architectural style housing prayer spaces and a
mosque inside it.
Architecture of the Char Minar
The Charminar is built of granite and lime mortar with four sides facing
different directions north, south, east and west and having four towering
minarets at each end. Each minaret is 56 mts high and 15 to 39 mts in
diameter. 149 steps lead to the top of the minars from where a panoramic
view of the city can be had, but after a recent mishap the access is closed
for the general public. The top floor has been designated to a mosque which
has 45 covered prayer spaces and some open spaces for Friday prayers.
Other Attractions in Hyderabad
Birla Mandir
The holy Hindu temple, Birla Mandir has been built of marble brought from
Rajasthan and stands atop a small hillock known as the Kala Pahar. Dedicated
to Lord Venkateshwara, the temple can be reached by a short thrilling trek
through winding mountain paths and is always thronged by devotees and
tourists.
Nehru Zoological Park
Spread over an area of 300 acres, the Nehru Zoological Park is one of the
oldest wildlife habitats in the country. The park is a safe heaven for over
3000 different species of birds and animals and also houses other
attractions such as exhibits relating to history and geography of the region
as well as a recreational park, a mini train and animal rides.
Salarjung Museum
The Salarjung Museum was built in 1889 by the Prime Minister of Nizam, Mir
Yusuf Ali Khan. The largest personal collection in the world has 35 rooms
and over 35,000 exhibits in all. There are collection from around the world
with seperate halls for China, Japan and Burma. Besides, there is the jewel
hall, painting hall, sculpture hall and manuscript hall housing such rare
objects as Nurjehan's dagger, Tipu Sultan's ivory chair, Aurangzeb's sword
and the drinking cup of Jehangir.
Hussain Sagar Lake
The artificial lake lies in the heart of the city. The 16 mts deep lake is
believed to have been dug up by Ibrahim Quli Qutab Shah in gratitude towards
Hussain Shah Wali for having cured him of illness. The lakeside is ideal for
a pleasant evening walk while arrangements have also been made for boating.
Golconda
Fort
Just 11 km from the city, the Golconda Fort is built atop a conical shaped
mountain. The fort was built of mud by the kakatiya king of Warangal in the
12th century. It passed into the hands of Bahamani sultans of Gulbarga who
erected the fort from mud to stone. The top of the fort affords a panoramic
view of the surroundings.
Shopping around Charminar
Charminar in Hyderabad is an important commercial center of India since
Mughal and British times. Shopping around Charminar will give you an insight
into the culture of city too. One can easily find a huge variety of goods
like antiques, handicrafts, leather goods, pearls and semi precious stones.
Shops around Charminar open around 11 am in the morning and close during 10
pm. Hyderabad is famous for its refined and cultured pearls in all over
India. You can find some unique and beautiful variety of pearls like Rice
pearl and Basra pearl which are very difficult to find in any other part of
India. This place is also very famous for glass bangles and studded bangles.
Some of the handy items like Plates, bowls, vases, ashtrays, trinket boxes,
huqqa bases are also available in this city. There is one more glossy metal
in this market which is known as Bronze. The bronze artifacts are really
remarkable and worth to buy. For home makers, Charminar market also offers
several things like cushion covers, bags, bedspreads, blankets, mats,
carpets, coasters, fancy bags etc. Also you can find a wide variety of
sarees like the famous Pochampally, Venkatgiri, Narayanpet, and Mangalgiri.
If you are brand conscious then don't worry, this market has also number of
shopping malls where are several shops like Shopper's Stop, Pantaloons,
Westside, MPM Plaza etc. So if you want to buy something for you or your
family then this market is the best.
Stay At
Quality accommodation facilities are located all over the city. Some of the
best hotels in Hyderabad include Hotel Grand Kakatiya Sheraton (5 Star
Deluxe, located 3 Km from airport & 7 Km from railway station), Hotel
Taj Krishna (5 Star Deluxe, located 7 Km from airport & 10 Km from
railway station), Hotel Amrutha Castle (4 Star, located 7 Km from airport &
7 Km from railway station), Hotel Aditya Park Inn (3 Star, located 3 Km from
airport at the city's hub of activity Ameerpet), Hotel Golconda (3 Star,
located 7 Km from Begumpet airport) and Hotel Quality Inn Residency (3 Star,
located 8 Km from Rajiv Gandhi airport and 0.5 Km from Hyderabad railway
station).
Getting There
By Air : Indian Airlines and other private operators
connect the city with other major cities in India. Begumpet airport is
situated on the road between Begumpet and Parade Grounds, just 5 km from
from Secunderabad railway station. International flights are also available
to and from some of the middle east countries.
By Rail : The city has three major railway station
located at Begumpet, Hyderabad and Secunderabad. An important train
connecting Delhi with Hyderabad is the Andhra Pradesh Exp. departing Delhi
at 6:40 and reaching Hyderabad at 20:15. For more information on train
schedule and timings, refer to the official site of Indian railways at
http://www.indianrail.gov.in/
By Road : Andhra Pradesh state transport buses ply
regularly between Hyderabad and all the major neighbouring cities.
Distance from Major Cities
- Aurangaad : 554 Km
- Bangalore : 562 Km
- Nagpur : 487 Km
- Mysore : 71 Km
- Tirupati : 592 Km
- Warangal : 140 Km
