Hyderabad
Discover Hyderabad
Hyderabad, (Telugu: హైదరాబాదు, Urdu: حیدرآباد Haidarābād, Hindi: हैदराबाद Haidarābād), also known as the Pearl City, is the capital of Telangana in Southern India. Secunderabad, 8 km away, is its twin city. Though at one point the twins were two different cities, relentless urbanisation has meant that they are now conjoined into one metropolis, called Greater Hyderabad. Located on the hot and dry Deccan Plateau, Hyderabad is a city replete with history and tradition, It now competes with Bengaluru and Chennai for the crown of India's IT capital; Microsoft and Google have their India headquarters here.
Taste of Hyderabad...
No visit to Hyderabad would be complete without sampling its unique cuisine, a rich blend of royal Mughlai flavours, Nizams special, and spice-up culinary traditions of South India such as: Hyderabadi biryani, pathar-ka-ghosht, nahari, haleem, double-ka-meetha, khubani-ka-meetha, seviyon-ka-meetha and kheer. A popular dish of Hyderabad is biryani. It is prepared with a blending of Mughal kitchen and the style of cooking practised by the Nizams. Hyderabadi biryani has a distinct aroma. Garnished with pudina, fried onion & boiled eggs. Mostly it is served with dahi-ki-chutney and mirchi-ka-salan. Biryani was traditionally made with goat meat, but in modern times it has many variants like lamb biryani, chicken biryani, biryani khaam, biryani zard or zafrani or the most exotic of all joban malti biryani in which mutton, partridges and quails were cooked with rice. There are many stories about biryani. One of them says, in 1398 legend Turk-Mongol conqueror Timur brought a pot full of rice to feed this army. Street food in Hyderabad is better than most other cities in India and it is cheap. There has been an explosion in the number of restaurants in Hyderabad, fuelled by demand from young professionals with money to spend. Quality and variety of food, however, have not kept pace. There is a disproportionately large number of restaurants that aspire to be called "fine-dining" restaurants, but the food they serve is usually indifferent.
A Rich Past
Explore the historical roots that shaped Hyderabad into what it is today.
In the 10th century, the kings of the Kakatiya dynasty built the fortress of Golconda about 10 km to the west of what is now old city. Over the next few centuries, the fort became a major centre of diamond trade fed by the mines of Kollur, so much so that the word "Golconda" became synonymous with great wealth. The fort changed hands many times before it came under the control of Quli Qutb-ul-Mulk in 1463. He had quelled rebellion in the Telangana region and was appointed the subedar, or administrator of the region by the Bahmani sultan as a result. By 1518, he had become independent from the sultan, declared himself the Sultan under the name "Quli Qutb Shah" and established the Qutb Shahi dynasty. His son Ibrahim constructed the Hussain Sagar Lake in 1563, and in 1589, his grandson Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah moved his capital from the fort to present-day Old City due to water shortages at the old location. In 1591, he ordered the construction of the Charminar, reportedly in gratitude to Allah for stopping a plague epidemic before it could do too much damage. The name "Hyderabad" reportedly had its origins in an affair between Mohammad Quli Qutb Shah and a local Telugu courtesan named Bhagmati. He named the city Bhagyanagar after her, and after she converted to Islam and took on the name of "Hyder Mahal", he named the city Hyderabad. Hyderabad was built on a grid plan with help from Iranian architects....
Climate
Hyderabad has a tropical climate. The best time to visit the city is from mid-November to mid-February. Temperatures are mild with abundant sunshine during this time and average temperatures range from a low of 15°C (59°F) to a high of 29°C (85°F). March to June is hot and dry with occasional thunderstorms. Highs can reach 45°C (113°F) or more and a lack of air-conditioning can make it feel very uncomfortable. July, August, September and October can be quite warm and humid. Low pressure systems from the Bay of Bengal during the monsoon season can cause heavy rain for days. Telugu is the most widely spoken language. A variant of Urdu called Deccani or Dakhani, which originated in the courts and military encampments of the Islamic rulers of the Deccan, is spoken by Muslim residents and is especially prominent in the Old City and surrounding areas. In the newer parts of the city, you are more likely to hear Hindi than Urdu.
Essential Information
Best Time to Visit
Nov – Febbest time to visit the city is from mid-November to mid-February....
Getting There
Multiple Options17.238678.42941 Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (HYD ), Shamshabad, Ranga Reddy (22 km (14 mi) from the city), ☏ +91-40-66546370, rgia.customersupport@gmrgroup.in. The sleek and well-organised airport is one of the best in India. It has one integrated terminal (although passengers departing on international flights must now complete security, immigration and customs at the interim international terminal first, then go to the main terminal, with a free shuttle and premium check-in available) as well as a special Hajj terminal. (updated May 2023) As you would expect from a major international airport, there is good domestic as well as international connectivity from many locations. It is far from the city, and with the exception of Novotel, there aren't any good hotels close by. Road connectivity to the city is excellent, though. The Nehru Outer Ring Road Expressway connects to the airport - take exit 16....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
Hyderabad's public transport options have been increasing over the years. It has an overcrowded bus network and a rudimentary local train network. In the past 5 years, it has had its own elevated metro rail service that provides fast and cheap connectivity to some areas. The ubiquitous yellow and black auto-rickshaws have now been supplemented by the app-based taxi services that provide fairly good service all over the city. Driving yourself around the city may be an excellent option or a terrible choice, depending on which areas you want to go to, and how comfortable you are with other people driving like utter lunatics. The 17.36166778.4747221 Hyderabad Metro (HMR). (updated May 2023) rail system opened in November 2017. For the areas it does serve, the metro is a fast, clean and efficient mode of travel, better than driving or taking a cab.
Where to Stay
Accommodation in Hyderabad is unlikely to bust your budget, especially when compared to cities like Mumbai or Bengaluru, and rooms are usually easily available. However, because the city sprawls so much, you need to be careful about the hotel location if you want to avoid a long commute and traffic bottlenecks. Plentiful budget accommodation is to be found around the Nampally railway station and in Abids, Koti and other new city areas for a few hundred rupees a day, and tourist attractions aren't very far off. However, the facilities tend to be basic, the towels aren't necessarily clean, and air-conditioning tends to be extra. It might make sense to pay a little more and choose mid-range accommodation. The area around Hussain Sagar Lake, Begumpet, Punjagutta, Somajiguda, Banjara Hills and Lakdi-ka-Pul is close to both tourist attractions of the old city and the business areas of the new city.
Money & Budget
Supermarkets in Hyderabad include Spencer's, Big Bazaar, Heritage Fresh, Ikea, Metro Cash & Carry, Reliance Fresh, D Mart, Monarch Ergo lulu, Ratnadeep, Ushodaya and others. Most of them have multiple locations. No visit to Hyderabad would be complete without sampling its unique cuisine, a rich blend of royal Mughlai flavours, Nizams special, and spice-up culinary traditions of South India such as: Hyderabadi biryani, pathar-ka-ghosht, nahari, haleem, double-ka-meetha, khubani-ka-meetha, seviyon-ka-meetha and kheer. A popular dish of Hyderabad is biryani. It is prepared with a blending of Mughal kitchen and the style of cooking practised by the Nizams. Hyderabadi biryani has a distinct aroma. Garnished with pudina, fried onion & boiled eggs.
Language & Talk
Telugu is the most widely spoken language. A variant of Urdu called Deccani or Dakhani, which originated in the courts and military encampments of the Islamic rulers of the Deccan, is spoken by Muslim residents and is especially prominent in the Old City and surrounding areas. In the newer parts of the city, you are more likely to hear Hindi than Urdu. English is also widely understood, if somewhat less widely spoken. You can manage with just English if you are staying at an upscale hotel and are being driven around by a hired driver. English signs are common. 17.238678.42941 Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (HYD ), Shamshabad, Ranga Reddy (22 km (14 mi) from the city), ☏ +91-40-66546370, rgia.customersupport@gmrgroup.in. The sleek and well-organised airport is one of the best in India.
Safety Information
Safety Overview
Since 2014 Hyderabad has remained free of any terrorist attack, however from 2007 until 2013 the city suffered from several of them. These bomb blasts took place at Mecca Masjid, Lumbini Park, places often frequented by travellers and also at busy marketplaces. Though the chance that you will be in danger is quite low now, you should obviously make your own risk assessment. Rather than physical danger, it is more likely that the intrusive security will dampen your enjoyment of your Hyderabad vacation. Every shopping mall, theatre and palace has metal detectors and security guards patting you down. The old city area used to be a communally sensitive zone and a venue for religiously aggravated riots between Hindus and Muslims. It was common for the police to impose a curfew in that area while the rest of the city went about life without any problems.