The provenance of the city’s name has a quaint story behind it. One of the theories is that the fifth king of Golconda, the illustrious Mohammed Quli Qutub Shah, founded this city of Bhagyanagar in 1591 for the sake of his lover Bhagmathi. Later, he changed the city’s name to Hyderabad.

Hyderabad’s many rulers have left their imprints on the city contributing to its melting pot character.
Not many know that Hyderabad was the richest princely state in India and perhaps, even the world, under the Asaf Jahs who ruled in the last few centuries till the British arrived. The Nizams, who trace their lineage to Central Asia, were very enlightened rulers too, building not just palaces and lakes but also hospitals, schools and colleges. They were also great visionaries and patrons of the arts, architecture and science, and their legacy can be seen everywere in Hyderabad. It is also a city where a sizeable chunk of the population is Muslim, much more than any other city in India perhaps, and they have enriched the city’s culture and cuisine to a great extent.

THE HEART OF HYDERABAD

The Charminar dominates the psyche of any Hyderabadi, just like the Statue of Liberty in New York or the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Said to have been built soon after the city’s founding to mark the end of an epidemic of the plague, the graceful building with its four (char) minarets (minar) stands for everything Hyderabad is about – its confluence of cultures, its royal heritage, even the little Hindu temple at its base showing how religions can co-exist peacefully. It is quite spectacular when lit up at night and offers a view of the old city from its ramparts. It is the nerve centre of the old city.

The Charminar towers over the Mecca Masjid mosque where up to 10,000 faithful gather for their Friday prayers. Started by Quli Qutb Shah, it was finished by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in 1694. Some of the Qutb Shah family is buried in its premises too and though pigeons are a menace at the building, its huge columns and stately arches made of single slabs of granite pose an imposing sight.
Next door lie the busy bylanes of Lad Bazaar market road where everything is available, for a price. It fills up to near capacity on weekends when women in burkhas haggle over anything from lacquer bangles and pearls to pots and pans. Some distance away is the Moazzam Jahi fruit market; Hyderabadis from all walks of life stop by at its ‘Famous’ ice cream parlour.

Just a short walk through Lad Bazaar lies the 220 year-old Chowmahalla Palace, still belonging to the Nizam and perhaps therefore, in very good condition. Once the seat of the Asaf Jahi dynasty, the spacious building with an Khilwat (durbar) hall featuring ornate stucco work, a marble seat and crystal chandeliers, was just opened to the public earlier this year after five years of restoration and will be used to host exhibitions and cultural events.

The magnificent palace with a giant central pool and fountains is still not really on the tourist trail yet, so there was just one other visitor when I visited. At that time, they had an exhibition of effects from the Nizam’s private collections including one of rare hundred-year old photographs of not just state functions, but personal and intimate ones of the harem and children.

EXQUISITE ARCHITECTURE

he Golconda Fort is not as iconic as the Charminar, but it is older and more fascinating. Built by the Kakatiya kings in the 13th century, it was improved upon by Sultan Quli Qutb Shah. The fort is an impressive example of acoustics with voices at the front gate being carried seven levels up and a system of water pumps that ensured that the harem could have running water in their showers. The sultan’s fort building skills were only exceeded by his tolerance for all religions. Indeed, his wife Bhagmati was Hindu, and the tiny temple on the topmost ramparts of the fort directly opposite the king’s court still stands. Using the acoustical expertise at his command, he had a platform built for his favourite dancer Taramati for her to dance a kilometres away as the crow flies. Seated at his court, he could listen to the sounds of the musicians at the now-restored Taramati Baradari. Today, a sound and light show tells the story of Golconda and the Qutb Shahi kings most evenings.

The kings lie buried in tomb complex that is perhaps the largest in the world. The style of architecture is Indo-Saracenic with a distinct local Dakhani touch. It is quite an oasis of respite and green away from the city – there are young couples and families everywhere. The Paigah tombs built by the Paigah nobles are also elaborately designed examples of Dakhani architecture.

Even Osmania University, one of the oldest in the state, is an architecture student’s dream. The Arts College is a fine synthesis of European, Islamic and Hindu architectural traditions and motifs.

Unfortunately, I missed a peek at one of the most lavish palaces in Hyderabad, now in private hands and under renovation. Built on a hill about 5km from the Charminar and a blend of Italian and Tudor architecture, the Falaknuma (or “heavenly abode”) Palace now belongs to the Taj Group of Hotels who will open a 75-room luxury hotel on its premises in 2006. One wonders what will happen to all the treasures it held including famed collections of jade, paintings, statues, furniture, manuscripts and books.
And so it is with other heritage buildings in Hyderabad.

Scores of private palaces and buildings remain yet to be conserved, but with increasing activist initiatives by private citizens, one hopes that that will change.

ARCHIVES OF HISTORY

The Salarjung Museum is a huge magnet, one suspects, for people mainly curious about the collecting propensities – and by extension, money – of one man, Nawab Mir Yousouf Ali Khan Salar Jung III. It is a testament to the fabled wealth of the Nizams, said to be the richest royal family of their time in the country. Despite being ‘only’ Prime Ministers to the Nizams, five of the family had done so by the time Salar Jung took over and a lot of his collection was inherited from his wealthy forefathers. Still, the bachelor relinquished his post in 1914 to devote himself to his collection till his death in 1949. And what a varied collection it is: traditional Indian art, Italian sculptures, Middle Eastern carpets, Chinese jade and Japanese Imari porcelain are among the 48,000 artefacts and over 50,000 books and manuscripts. The Indian collections – especially the bronzework – are more interesting to a foreign visitor, though the translucent ‘Veiled Rebecca’ a marble statue by Italian sculptor Bezoni is quite stunning. Much of the museum though is ill maintained.
While the Salarjung Museum is the personal collection of one man and documents Indian, Far Eastern and European art and artefacts, it says little about the man or the family collecting it.

For another comprehensive collection of traditional Indian art, make an appointment to see Jagdish and Kamala Mittal’s private collection (1-2-214/6 Gagan Mahal Road, Tel: 040-763-1561) amassed by the artist and his wife over forty years.

If you are interested in the history of Hyderabad, head instead to the Nizam’s Museum at Purani Haveli