Hyderabad (India)

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Arriving in Hyderabad towards the start of the city’s business day, we were thrust directly into the maelstrom of an Indian rush hour. The cars the hotel had sent to meet my two companions and myself were tiny and apparently had no air-conditioning. They were also driven by people who seemed firmly of the belief that dying on the road would be a fine way to go, and, (to my untutored eye) they did everything in their power to make it happen.
...were struck by how clean Hyderabad seemed compared to Delhi, and how well-mannered the traffic was.

As I was alternating between hiding under the seat and trying to get out, I somehow failed to be impressed by these insights. Every manoeuvre our driver made took us within millimetres of gathering an ornamental cyclist for our bonnet, or ourselves becoming the hood ornament for some other, larger vehicle. The traffic seemed totally ... more

India assaults your senses.

It’s a cliché, but it’s true nonetheless. Step out of the plane, and there’s a definite change…everything: smell, heat, noise, all these things are different. You’ve left Europe behind and you’ve stepped into another, older, world. Different rules apply, different customs.

And that’s just the airport! Wait ‘til you get outside!

Arriving in Hyderabad towards the start of the city’s business day, we were thrust directly into the maelstrom of an Indian rush hour. The cars the hotel had sent to meet my two companions and myself were tiny and apparently had no air-conditioning. They were also driven by people who seemed firmly of the belief that dying on the road would be a fine way to go, and, (to my untutored eye) they did everything in their power to make it happen.

Somehow, despite travelling for much of the way on the wrong side of the road, we were delivered to our hotel: Sheraton Grand Kakatiya Towers, or Sheraton Towers Grand Kakatiya…anyway…those four words in one order or another, where we were suddenly immersed in the kind of quiet luxury I’d like to be able to afford on a long-term, if not permanent basis.

We did the room allocation stuff and the settling in thing, and headed out. This time in a car with decent air-con, and as we had divested ourselves of our luggage, we could all get in the same vehicle.

The two guys with me were a doctor, who now lives in Burton-on-Trent, but hails from Delhi, and a colleague who had been in Delhi a few weeks prior to this trip. Both were struck by how clean Hyderabad seemed compared to Delhi, and how well-mannered the traffic was.

As I was alternating between hiding under the seat and trying to get out, I somehow failed to be impressed by these insights. Every manoeuvre our driver made took us within millimetres of gathering an ornamental cyclist for our bonnet, or ourselves becoming the hood ornament for some other, larger vehicle. The traffic seemed totally anarchic to me, with three-wheeled mini-taxis, bicycles, buses and the omnipresent Ambassadors weaving in and out of lanes, honking horns and occasionally using the other side of the road as a convenient passing lane, despite the looming presence of a bus bearing down at speed or a laden lorry flashing lights and sounding off like some armour-plated dragon.

This is how it’s done in India, and eventually I got used to it…but that first day!

Sadly, as I was in Hyderabad to work, I had a limited amount of leisure time to explore the city and the surrounding country. However, I did get to visit a few of the ‘must see’ sights, and perhaps a few that are less commonly found by the visitor.

Here then is the Sleevie Guide to What to See in Hyderabad (and a brief guide on What to Buy in Hyderabad, as a special Sleevie Bonus).

Golconda Fort: Pivotal to the history of Hyderabad, this hilltop fort and its fortifications are stunning. The top of the fort is the highest point for many miles around, and the views are enough to have you reaching for your camera every few seconds. Visit it, but be warned – wear comfortable shoes, and be prepared for a lot of steps!

A word about the history of Golconda: The fort dates back at least to the 14th century, and was already a fortification when Sultan Quli Qutub Shah, a Turkoman adventurer from Persia made it his capital. The dynasty survived through to the fourth generation, at which point Mohammed Quli founded the city of Hyderabad (remember Hyderabad? This is an article about Hyderabad…pay attention!) in 1590.

Another three generations of the family reigned, but the final ruler of the dynasty: Abdullah, was forced into exile by the Moghuls, and died in 1672.

The area around Golconda was famous for its diamond mines, and indeed, arguably the most famous diamond of all: the Kohinoor, which is today part of the British Crown Jewels, was mined here.

If you visit Golconda in the company of a reputable - or at least a knowledgeable –guide, you will discover the secret of 14th century telegraphy. From a point just inside the main portal to the fort, and as a result of some astonishing architectural and engineering feats, a handclap can be heard clearly several hundred metres away inside the fort, and various simple signals were used to carry information from the entrance to the body of the settlement…and what’s more, from a point high among the walls of the upper fort, a handclapped signal can be heard – and replied to – at the outer perimeter wall…some 3 kilometres away!

Water for the settlement had to be hand-pumped up the steep hill, and to facilitate this, there are 7 cisterns, each the size of a VERY deep swimming pool, ranged around the hill.

From the fort, a clear view of another of the essential sights of Hyderabad can be gained. These are the Grand Qutub Shahi Tombs: burial place of the Persian rulers, the Qutub Shahi, and their relatives. These tombs are built in the same grand scale as the Taj Mahal, and in a similar fashion, with huge domes and many minarets. Sadly, I couldn’t visit the tombs ‘close up’, due to a ministerial visit…bloody politicians!

Leaving Golconda and the tombs behind, with just a brief glance over the shoulder at the huge gates through which the road now runs, but which were once an essential part of the fortifications, and another look for the fabled Bolboa tree, which stands just inside the outer perimeter wall, and has a trunk some 80 ft In diameter, we head back towards the city, and a few more essential sights.

The first of these has become a symbol of Hyderabad, and its likeness can be found everywhere. It has stood at the heart of the old town of Hyderabad since it was built, under the auspice of Mohamed Quli, around the turn of the 17th century. It is Charminar: a splendid four-towered edifice bearing splendid detail work across its proud surface, and it is without doubt the most ornate roundabout in the world…because…one of the other things to see and wonder at in Hyderabad is the traffic, and a massive amount of this flows constantly round the flanks of Charminar.

So…what’s so special about the traffic?

Well, in part it is down to the seemingly random nature with which vehicle change lane or direction, and the seamless manner in which cycles, buffalo carts, mini-taxis (more in a moment) cars, buses and lorries weave in and out of each others’ gravitational pull, and in part is due to the massive amount of exhaust clouding the atmosphere. The wonder, in light of both of the foregoing, is that anyone survives! But survive they do, and they do so with great good grace, and a smoothness of acceleration and braking sadly lacking in many a Western drivers’ repertoire. It is a veritable ballet, but one most comfortably seen from a car fitted with air-con and decent filters.

The other way to see the traffic - a much more immediate and involving way – is to grab a mini-taxi, or auto-rickshaw. These are three-wheelers, with scooter engines and box bodies which can (in theory) carry up to four passengers at a time,though I saw many more that four piling out of one on at least one occasion. They are open-sided, noisy, dirty and dangerous. They are also great fun and far and away the best way to get around. The drivers slide through seemingly impenetrable traffic with ease, and putter off to deliver you to your destination rumpled, wheezing and with a big grin plastered over your face. Fantastic!

In the immediate vicinity of Charminar, you’ll find a great fruit market (don’t forget to wash the fruit or peel it) where two beautifully fresh and sweet pineapples cost me a massive 10 rupees (about 12p). I suppose I could have haggled, but what the heck…let him have his victory!

In the same part of the old town, you’ll find the Lad Bazaar, where shops and stalls vie for your custom to sell you bangles of every conceivable colour and sparkle. Venturing into one of the shops, you’ll be shown stack after stack of bangles, and only by a great effort of will can you hope to escape without a boxful…though why you’d want to escape eludes me, as these are the perfect gift for every female friend and acquaintance back home, and it won’t break the bank, as with a bit of astute haggling you’ll be astonished how many shiny things you can afford!

Lad Bazaar is also a happy hunting ground for the photographer, with shops displaying towering stacks of copper and steel pots, stalls overflowing with second-hand books, barrows laden with a million bangles, bundles of peacock feathers hanging from a doorpost, and, looking back up the street, a great view of Charminar!

Pearls are another ‘must buy’ in Hyderabad. There are numerous shops selling pearl jewellery, or you can visit the more informal ‘market’ around Charminar. Cultured and seed pearls are the two most common (and affordable) finds, and if I tell you that four pairs of gold and pearl ear-rings, one pair with three tiny diamonds in each, cost less than £40 (after a haggle) you’ll realise that India affords great value for gift buying!

OK, it’s getting late. You’ve been up and down the fort’s many steps, you’ve braved the traffic and the bazaar, you’ve shopped yourself stupid and it’s starting to get dark. Pausing only to squirt a bit of mossie repellent on the exposed bits, I suggest you jump into a taxi of one sort or another and head back to Golconda, where, for a very small sum, you can join the many visitors who nightly sit down to enjoy the sound and light show which zips through the history of the region in dramatic fashion, with narrative, songs and poetry. You can choose the English language show or the Hindi (actually, I went to both, and while I learned more from the English, I enjoyed the Hindi version more, as there seemed to be more…poetry about it. And not understanding a word didn’t seem a disadvantage at all!)

There are many more things to see, do buy and enjoy in Hyderabad and its sister city Secunderabad, but I’m going to finish this whistlestop tour with a trip 35km or so up the road to Ramoji Film City.

You’ve probably heard of Bollywood: the Indian film industry’s Mumbai ‘home’, but Ramoji is also responsible for Hindi and Telegu films, and to dazzle and entertain, they run tours through the outdoor sets, gardens and buildings on their beautiful and substantial plot. They have also incorporated two hotels and a number of attractions to encourage visitors.

BUT

We are NOT talking Universal.

We are NOT talking Disney.

We are NOT talking MGM.

Imagine if you will a visitor to Disneyland Paris who unwittingly takes a substantial dose of some hallucinogenic drug before his excursion.

He wanders through the sights and sounds of Mickey’s Magic Kingdom.

Some days later, he tries to describe his experience to someone with whom he doesn’t share a language, sketching some things and miming others.

The person to whom he has been describing Disneyland then goes off and tries to brief a building company to construct something similar in plaster-of-paris and fibreglass…but no white-knuckle rides, OK?

Voila! Ramoji Film City!

This isn’t to say it’s naff – though frankly it is – I’m just trying to convey how...surreal the whole experience was. It was also great fun, and I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.

Which pretty much goes for my whole trip to Hyderabad. If you don’t believe me, you’re going to have to go for yourself and find out, aren’t you?

I flew with Emirates to Hyderabad, with a change of planes in Dubai. Booking direct on their website (www.emirates.com) will net you a fare of around £740.00 return, or less, depending on the day of your travel and a few other factors. Business class is around £1,800.00.

I stayed in the Hotel Kakatiya Sheraton & Towers, where an executive room (I don’t know if they have anything else) cost around $105 per night. There are four restaurants in the hotel, each offering a different style of regional cooking, and the staff are great. It was a much nicer hotel than the Taj, along the road, where we went to eat one evening. I’m sure the Taj is fine, but it all seemed very ‘western’ to my eye, and the food wasn’t great either.
 

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