Hyderabad Tourism

Location : On The Deccan Plateau and Musi River, Andhra Pradesh
Area : 260 Sq. Km.
Attractions : Charminar, Hyderabadi Cuisine and Pearl Bazaar
Ideal Time to Visit : Throughout the year

¤ Hyderabad, Pride of Deccan

Hyderabad is the capital city of Andhra Pradesh and is the fifth largest city in India. This bustling city is located on the Deccan plateau and the Musi river about 650 m above the sea level. The landscape of Hyderabad is quite varied with imposing hills, tanks, forests, and rock formations.
This cosmopolitan city boasts of a variety of rich cultures. There are many attractions in and around the city, offered by the tourism department of Hyderabad. Hyderabad tourism presents the majestic past of this glorious city along with the new evolving city, the beautiful old monuments, lakes, beaches and temples all add to the exuberant culture of the Hyderabad.


¤ The History of Hyderabad

Hyderabad's history starts with emergence of the Qutub Shahi dynasty. The city was won by Quli Qutub in 1512 and established the fortress city of Golconda. But due to certain inadequacies he left it and established the new city of Charminar as his capital. This beautiful and colorful city attracted the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. Thus, he took over Golconda after a long struggle in 1687. But as his empire fell, Hyderabad started loosing its charm. It disintegrated and the viceroy, Asaf Jah-I declared himself the Nizam. He established the Deccan region. The city later regained its glory, in the reign of successive Nizams of the Asaf Jah dynasty. Finally, it became a part of the Indian Union in 1948.


¤ Attractions In Hyderabad

Hyderabad is known as the city of Pearls, having a variety of tourist attractions. There are heritage monuments, lakes, parks, gardens, resorts, museums and scrumptious cuisine that lures tourists. Apart from these, Hyderabad is also a major shopping destination.

The city of Hyderabad is almost 400 hundred years old and attracts tourists with its blend of rich cultures. It is known for its interesting diamond markets, glass embedded bangles and beautiful saris.


¤ Monumental Attractions

There are many monuments of significance situated here. One of the major historical sites worth visiting is the Charminar, a majestic structure famous for its architectural excellence. It is situated in the heart of the city and is an important landmark in Hyderabad Tourism. Then, there is the Mecca Masjid, one of the largest mosques in India accommodating upto 10,000 people. It is located just nearby the Charminar.

Another travel attraction here is the Golconda Fort , a 16th century fortress. It is situated on the western outskirts of Hyderabad city. This fort is known as the center for diamonds, where there are diamond mines in the nearby areas. It is said that the famous Kohinoor originally belonged to Golconda. Thus, it one of the must visit places in Hyderabad. Then, there is the Hussain Sagar lake. It is a large man-made lake, set amidst the city. It was constructed in 1562 AD and is the connecting point of the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad.



¤ Excursion

mesmerizing city of Hyderabad extends its charm to the nearby regions also. There are many enthralling places in the vicinity to the capital of Andhra Pradesh. They are worth discovering, with an array of travel attractions.

Warangal-200 km
One of these excursion destinations is Warangal, located around 200 km from Hyderabad. This place was once the hub of Telugu culture as the capital of Kakatiya rulers. It is famous for its architecture.

Nagarjunasagar-150km
Another famous destination is the Nagarjunasagar which is located 150 km from Hyderabad. With world's tallest masonry dam across river Krishna, Nagarjunasagar is a popular tourist destination of South India. Apart from this, other worth visiting attractions are the island museum of Nagarjunakonda and the beautiful waterfalls of Ethipothala.

Keesaragutta-35 km
It is another popular destination, situated about 35 kms from Hyderabad. It is a historic temple village and was once the capital of the great Vishnukundin dynasty. Some of the famous temples of this place are Ramalingeswara and Lakshminarasimha, attracting pilgrims from around the country.

Basar-240 km
Then, there is Basar, located 240 km from Hyderabad. It is situated on the banks of the mighty Godavari River, in Adilabad district. It is famous for the only Saraswati temple in South India. Yet another destination known as Pochampally is located in Nalgonda district, situated about 35 km from Hyderabad. This lovely village is renowned in the country for its gorgeous, hand-woven silk and cotton saris.

¤ Shopping

Shopping in Hyderabad can be exciting with shops of world famous pearls and traditional arts & crafts. You can also buy textiles of all the modern brands. Apart from these, one can also look forward to buy some beautiful traditional saris famous all over the country. Shopping in Hyderabad in not confined to a particular area, you can find shops in almost every part of the city. But, the Charminar area of Hyderabad is the hub of shops, it is surrounded by the famous Lad Bazaar and the Pearl Bazaar.

Besides, there are other markets also like, Abid's, Nampally, Basheerbagh and Sultan Bazaar.


¤ Festivals

Festivals are a major part of the city's age old culture and traditions. Here many festivals are celebrated, some local and religious and some state festivals. The local festivals Batkamma and Batkamma Panduga are specially celebrated in the Telangana region.

Some of the religious festivals celebrated here are Diwali, Pongal, Ugadi, Ganesh Chaturthi, Id and others. The state festivals organized by the state tourism are also celebrated with great enthusiasm, some of these are Lumbini festival and the famous Deccan festival.


¤ Reach Hyderabad

By Air : Hyderabad is a major air transport center in the south of India. There are regular flights between Hyderabad and Bangalore, Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi, Chennai, Bhubaneswar, Nagpur, and Vishakhapatnam. Hyderabad has two airports, the Rajiv Gandhi Terminal is the international airport and the N. T. Rama Rao Terminal is the domestic airport in city.
By Rail : Hyderabad has an extensive railway network connected with Bangalore, Bhubaneswar, Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi, Chennai and other cities in India. Hydrabad is well connected by rail with all the important places within the state also. The city bus service operates from the railway station.
By Road : Hyderabad is well connected by roadways having national highways 7 and 9. The buses of Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation offer services to all the vital centers in the region. Private buses also operate here.
Local Transport : Local mode of transport in Hyderabad are buses, run by State Transport Corporation, Taxis, and Auto rickshaws.