The three jewels

This is about a trip i undertook on december 2008 to three prominent cities that lie in three corners of India. we started the journey from trivandrum. Tthe first stop was hyderabad.



HYDERABAD: The City of The Nizams



an ancient and beautiful city this is quite different from cities in kerala...instead of the greenery that we are used to in our state this city is set in shades of brown and prominent buildings of yesteryear lie interleaved among modern high rise buildings.home to the famous golconda fort ,char minar and the mecca masjid this city has a lot to boast of. the first thing that meets one's eye, though , is the tight security in view of the recent blasts that shook the state. wherever you go you should pass through metal detectors and take a sample shot with your camera to let them know that you do not have any bombs in your person..for one who appreciates architecture and history there is the golconda fort as a must see..and for ones(photo freaks) who like the lighter pleasures there is a whole day worth sight seeing in the film city...since i fall on the former category and due to constraints of time film city did not fall into our priority list.

Lumbini park: .among the many tourist destinations that the city hosts the first in our list was the lumbini park...after getting through the tight security , the park was our own. having visited in the evening, the bright lights of the city merged well with the dim lights of the park .....a cool breeze made the set perfect for a leisurely evening and after treating ourselves to some delicacy that a street vendor sold we settled to take in the sights and sounds of the city.....a long time later ,we turned in putting an end to the first day.

day 2: this was a day packed with action...every second of our time was accounted for. the first visit was to golconda fort....the fort stood imposing at a great height while countless steps carved out of stone led into its interiors. the climb is not advisable for heart patients. gardens and walkways adorned the ground level while the steep climb took us to deeper into the fort.after a gruelling climb in the hot hyderabadi sun( the climate is hot but dry so that you feel tired but dont sweat) we reached the top....on the way one couldnt but wonder on how many hours of patient and laborious work led to the construction of this gigantic structure...the terrain would have been anything but smooth and the workers sure didnt have steps leading them forward. at the top there are several shops that sell cool drinks and every conqueror partook of this elixir in the highest spirits. while snooping around in the interiors trying to visualise the old days when the King himself may have had taken refuge from advancing forces in the security that the fort affords one could see that the fort affords a grand view of the terrain below.....infact it was a good lookout spot that warns of the approach of enemy forces.....but the interior of the fort did not have any grandeur fit for a king ...the walls were stark ,filled with graffitti( thanks to a 100 percent literate new generation) and dull...there were no colours of luxury or royal symbols to speak of the mighty inhabitants who have walked the ways in this fort...a 360 degree view of the surrounding city is a fitting consolation for the tiring climb. a maze of paths and clearings lead down...one couldnt be sure if one has seen all there is to see .there is a light and sound show in the evenings but we missed it....but better still a kannada movie was being shot in one of the buildings and we reached right in time to see a dance scene and a stunt...and having conquered the mighty fort we set out to the next destination.

snow world: a solace compared to the scorching sun this is to give you a feel of the cool mountains while still in the hot plains.a long queue in the hot sun leads into the cool interiors where , after wrapping yourself up in sufficient warm clothing. you enter into the snow world...for South indians who have seen snow only in their dreams or movies this is the perfect opportunity to do everything you have dreamt of....throw each other with snow balls ...slide down in a mat or play snow volleyball....at regular intervals snow fall would also accompany where tiny wisps of snow fall from the sky. for those with the fleeting feet there is a corner complete with fast music and lights where you can have a snow disco....everyone seems to have gone back in years to their childhood as we see elders happily throwing snowballs at each other and not minding falling down or being thrown at. but the snow can chill your bones so you may have to go out to get back your bearings.

then we visited a graden (whose name escapes me) .it was exactly what you pictured a garden to be.. well looked after flowers, neat walkways, inviting lawns and well placed benches and everything to provide a good background for a perfect photo...this is where your cameradoes more of the sight seeing than you.

day 3:
the morning saw us in front of the famous charminar. the first and last impression i felt was disappointment because this was just a structure strategically placed in the centre but with little or no beauty.the walls are faded and full of soot and you just look at it once and turn your head to other pleasurable sights. near the charminar is the perfect shopping area.....street vendors sell everything from watches to clothes to bangles.but the quality of the items cannot be vouched for..hyderabad is the city famous for bangles and an entire street is dedicated to such beautiful trivia. bangles of all colours and make adorn the stands and the glittering glasswork on them sparkle invitingly. close by stands the mecca masjid in all its majesty...now this has immense amount of architectural beauty that even someone who is not well versed in the finer nuances of architecture can appreciate. it also houses a large number of pigeons. we could not enter and had to satisy ourselves with the external grandeur.

what is a trip to hyderabad without pearls? known for its pearls the city offers a wide collection of every ornament set in pearls. going into finer details, hyderabad is known for its biriyani but again, the biriyani we got was far different from the hyderabadi biriyanis served kerala style and did not very much appeal to my taste buds so i stuck to conventional food. if you lose your way it would be slightly difficult getting back on track unless you know telugu. some locals speak hindi or english but most of them find telugu comfortable.

for tose with still more time in their hands a visit to ramoji film city and the Buddha statue is advisable.


as a footnote hyderabad fits all its descriptions : the city of the nizams .the city of pearls, the city of bangles....