Hyderabad Untold

Before 1947, Hyderabad state was under the suzerainty of the British Crown but was not part of British India. In 1947, at the time of the independence of British India and its Partition into the Union of India and the new state of Pakistan, the British abandoned their claim to suzerainty over the Princely states and left them to decide their own future.

The Nizam, because of Islamic leanings, wished either to remain independent or to accede to Pakistan. However, for the Indian Union, this was unacceptable from a strategic perspective. The Nizam’s efforts also triggered the largest agrarian armed rebellion in modern Indian history. To deter the Nizam, Indian union chose to implement an economic blockade, which forced the state of Hyderabad to sign a Standstill Agreement with it. Eventually the Indian Union used military force against the landlocked princely state of Hyderabad. This operation, termed Operation Polo, was successful and on 17 September 1948, the Nizam signed an Instrument of Accession to the Union of India. The Constitution of India, which went into effect on 26 January 1950, made Hyderabad state one of the part B states of India and Hyderabad city continued to be its capital.

07:30 AM – 08:30 AM

Breakfast at the Hotel.

09:00 AM – 09:45 AM – On route to Charminar

On the way to Charminar pass by the Assembly Building. It is the first Legislative assembly that came into being on 1st March 1952 in the old state of Hyderabad. Next is The Mozamjahi Market for it old shops, Osmania Hospital which is one of a kind Building and then the High Court. You may have short photo stop in these places to capture the beauty of these century old buildings.

10:00 AM – 11:15 AM – Chowmahalla palace

The Chowmahalla Palace is one of the charming tourist place in Hyderabad. The magnificent was the seat of the Asaf Jahi dynasty where the Nizam’s entertained their official visitors and Royal guests The importance of this spot is “Four Palaces” with “Chow” implies four in Urdu and “Mahalat” which is the plural of “Mahalel” which means royal residences. Chowmahalla royal residence is said to take after Shah Palace of Tehran in Iran.

11:30 AM – 12:00 PM – Tea

12:00 PM – 1:00 PM – Charminar

The most charming landmarks of Hyderabad, the Charminar is the finest example of Qutub Shahi architecture. The age of this grand structure can be dated back to Quli Qutub Shah, who constructed this magnificent edifice, in 1591AD. This more than 400 year old charming structure is known as ‘The Arc de triumph of the East’. It is said that the inadequacy of water and plague forced Quli Qutub Shah to construct Charminar at the center of Hyderabad and four roads built around it in four different directions of the city.

The four minarets of the Charminar dominate the landscape of the Hyderabad. The minarets, their domed finials rising from their lotus-leaves cushion, rise high from the ground. The whole structure of Charminar contains various small and ornamental arches arranged in vertical and horizontal fashion. The cornice on the first floor upholds a series of six arches and capitals on each portico, rising to the double-story gallery of the minarets of Charminar.

Photo Stop at Mecca Masjid and Jama Masjid. Know the history of the oldest and biggest mosque in the city.

01:00 PM – 2:00 PM – Laad Bazaar

After the tea we start the walking tour of Laad Bazaar. You may shop for the specialties of Hyderabad here. Laad Bazaar is the main market for bangles,  semi-precious stones,  pearls, jewellery, products such as silverware, Nirmal,  Kalamkari paintings,  Bidriware,  lacquer bangles studded with stones, saris and hand-woven materials of silk, cotton, brocade, velvet and  gold embroidered fabrics, traditional  Khara Dupattas, lacquer bangles and perfumes.

02:30 PM – 03:30 PM – Lunch

04:00 PM – 05:00 PM – HI TEA

05:00 PM – 08:00 PM – Golconda Fort

The Golconda Fort used to have a vault where once the famous Koh-I-Noor and Hope diamonds among others were stored.

The Fort, originally built by the Kakatiya Rulers, has amazingly advanced acoustics systems that were used for signaling approaching enemy as well as for detecting conspiracies being hatched in palace corners! The Fort also is unique in the usage of natural boulders (that date back to a billion years), distinctive of the Deccan plateau, as foundation stones for the structure. This detour will trace the history of the Qutub Shahi dynasty who ruled Hyderabad between 1518 and 1687 AD.

The fort has Sound & Light show in the evening in English; Hindi language includes the stories of the rulers of this dynasty with a special emphasis on the love story between Mohd Quli Qutub Shah and Baghmati. You will also hear the story of Aurangzeb’s long and frustrating siege of the Golconda Fort.

08:30 PM – 09:30 PM – DINNER

Drop back at the hotel.

07:30 AM – 08:30 AM – Breakfast

09:00 AM – 09:30 AM – Birla Mandir

Visit Birla Mandir. The temple manifests a blend of Dravidian,  Rajasthani and  Utkala  architectures. It is constructed of 2000 tons of pure white marble.

10:00 AM – 11:00 AM – Purani Haveli

Visit Purani Haveli. It was the official residence of the Nizam. It was also known as Haveli Khadeem, which means old mansion. The main building is a symbol of 18th century European architecture. Sikander Jha lived here for some time and later shifted to Khilwat Mahal. Due to this, these buildings are called Purani Haveli.

11:00 AM – 11:30 AM – Tea

11:30 AM – 01:00 PM – Salarjung Museum

The Salar Jung Museum houses the largest one-man collection of antiques in the world. The museum building, semicircular in shape with 38 galleries, spread on two floors, displays only a part of the original collection. The ground floor has 20 galleries and the first floor has 18 galleries. The exhibits on different subjects are displayed in separate galleries. Each gallery is huge and has many artifacts on display including ones dating back to the 4th century.

01:30 PM – 02:30 PM – Lunch

03:30 PM – 05:00 PM – Shilparamam

Stop at Shilparamam, a crafts village, conceived in the year 1992. Sprawling over 65 acres (260, 00 m²) of land in the hi-tech hub city of India. Shilparamam gives a scenic ambience of Tradition and cultural heritage.

The lush and serene environment of Shilparamam is sculpted with woodwork, Jewellery, clothes and Local crafts of each region of the country .Showcasing a plethora of artistic ethos, Shilparamam is set Amidst gardens, cascading waterfalls and natural rock heights

05:30 PM – 06:00 PM – Tea

06:30 PM – 08:00 PM – Necklace Road

Hussain Sagar Lake is one of the largest Man Made lake in Asia. There are boats available which take you to the “ROCK OF GIBRALTER” where Lord Buddha statue is placed.

An 18-meter high monolithic statue of Lord Buddha towers over the lake from atop the Rock of Gibraltar. This boulevard is complete with beautiful lawns, restaurants, recreational facilities and good views of the city of Hyderabad.

08:30 PM – 09:30 PM – Dinner

Drop back at the hotel.

07:30 AM – 08:30 AM – Breakfast

10:00 AM – 10:30 AM – Tea

12:00 PM – 01:00 PM – Warangal Fort

Warangal Fort belongs to the 13^th century when it was constructed by King Ganapati Deva. The fort with exquisite carved pillars and arches was intended to be his second capital. The fort houses a temple, which is dedicated to Swayambhudevi, (Mother Earth). The fort being invincible was called the seat of power. The entrance of the fort is built in south Indian architectural style. The fort is in ruins but still provides room for interesting study that aids in research of ancient history and sculptures.

01:30 PM – 02:30 PM – Lunch

02:45 PM – 03:30 PM – Thousand Pillar Temple

Orugallu, old name of Warangal. ‘Oru’ means one and ‘Kallu’ means stone. The entire city was carved from a single rock, hence the name Orukallu, which means ‘one rock’. The city was also called Ekasila nagaram. The largest city of the State, 148 kms away from Hyderabad, The capital of the state.

It was the capital of a Hindu Shaivite kingdom ruled by the Kakatiya dynasty from the 12th to the 14th century. Thousand pillar Temple belongs to the 12th century. It is located near the Hanamkonda-Warangal highway. The construction displays the influence of the Kakatiya architectural style, there are three shrines inside the temple called the Trikutalayam, dedicated to three gods Shiva, Vishnu, and Surya. The temple is surrounded by a big garden in which many small lingam shrines can be seen. There is a carving of a Nandi bull in the form of a highly polished black basalt monolith.

03:45 PM – 04:30 PM – Bhadrakali Temple

Bhadrakali temple belongs to the 8^th century and it is among the oldest temples constructed for goddess Bhadrakali. The idol of Goddess Kali is enshrined in this temple, which is situated on a hill. The ancient temple was built during the reign of Kakatiya Dynasty. The construction bears the influence of Chalukya architectural style. The rock formations that were naturally formed around the temple make the place more serene.

04:30 PM – 05:00 PM – Hi Tea

05:00 PM – Start your way back to Hyderabad.

08:30 PM – 09:30 PM – Dinner

Drop back at the hotel

                                                                                                                Tour Ends