Hyderabad

Hyderabad is known for its rich history, culture and architecture representing its unique character as a meeting point for North and South India, and also its multilingual culture, both geographically, culturally and intellectually. Also known as The City of Nizams and The City of Pearls, Hyderabad is today one of the fast developing cities in the country and a modern hub of Information technology, ITES, and biotechnology.


Charminar
The major landmark in Hyderabad with four graceful minarets located in the old city. It is built as a memorial for plague victims. Charminar in most occasions is used to represent the city and the state and is hailed as a unique Deccan monument. It is in the midst of Charkaman.

Falaknuma Palace
Built by an Italian architect through one of the Paigah nobles, Nawab Viqar al-Umra', complete in Italian marble. It's a beautiful and stunning piece of architecture with Louis XIV-style decor, a lavish Mughal ambience, Italian marble staircases and ornate fountains. It has now been undertaken by Taj group to develop this as Heritage Hotel.

Golconda Fort
Once abandoned by Qutub Shahis, Golconda Fort is one of the most magnificent fortress complexes in India. Seated on a hill on one side and spiraling fort on the other, it's location and internal design made it one of the strongest forts in the world.

Chowmahalla Palace
It was the seat of Asaf Jahi dynasty, where the Nizam entertained his official guests and royal visitors. Initiated in 1750 by Nizam Salabat Jung and designed along the lines of the Shah's palace in Isfahan, this actually consists of a group of palaces each used as a Durbar Hall. It has now been aesthetically renovated and is also venue for conferences.

Salar Jung Museum
The museum houses the largest one-man collection of antiques in the world. Collections includeThe Veiled Rebecca and other huge collection of artifacts dating back to a few centuries. A mere day isn't enough to cover the whole museum.

Taramati Baradari
It is Located near Golconda on the way to Gandipet. It was built by a Qutb Shahi sultan. Newly added structures are the venues to many conferences. Similar structures like Premavati and Bhagmati can be seen from here.

Mecca Masjid
A stone-built mosque, which lies immediate southwest of Charminar. Remarkable for its architecture, size and its royal splendor, this is one of the most beautiful mosques in Hyderabad. It is famous for its symmetry and the gateway bricks that are believed to be from Mecca.

Birla Mandir
A Hindu temple made of white marble located on top of a hill overlooking the city.

Birla Science Museum
The science centre is another beautiful structure, reflecting the advances made in science and technology. The interior décor matches the architectural exterior of the centre built over 10,000 sq ft (930 m2). The centre is host to a number of divisions such as the Planetarium, the Science Museum, and the centre for Applied Mathematics and Computer Sciences.

Public Gardens
Located adjacent to the Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium, the gardens host the Horticulture department of Andhra Pradesh, the state museum of history and archeology and a sprawling park. Beside this is the Lalithakala thoranam, which is a venue for various cultural activities.

Ravindra Bharati
The stage for all performing arts, especially for those enhancing the state and Indian cultures. Shows are held almost every evening throughout the calendar year which include musical and dance performances, drama, award ceremonies and special events of the government.

Birla Planetarium
The Planetarium is another magnificent building with a big dome resembling that of the Gol Gumbaz in Bijapur and some of the earliest government structures in New Delhi. A special attraction are the shows which unveil the mysteries of the cosmos and the origins of the universe, comets, eclipses, unidentified flying objects and the clash of titans. The latest addition is the Dinosaurium, which houses a collection of dinosaur egg fossils. The highlight of the museum is a mounted
Kotasaurus yamanpalliensis, the remains of a 160 million old dinosaur.

Purani Haveli - The official residence of the Nizam.

King Kothi Palace - The last Nizam, Mir Osman Ali Khan lived here.

Qutub Shahi Tombs
Home to various Tombs dedicated to Rulers of Qutub Shahi dynasty, located at Shaikpet, near Golconda Fort. These are an example of Deccan architecture with large minarets, huge domes, delicate marble designs and multiple inner passages.

Paigah Tombs
These are recently discovered series of mausoleums with unique geometrical sculpturesof Paigahs who were noblemen under the Nizams.

Lumbini Park
This is one of the popular parks in the city. The main attraction of this park was the Musical fountain. It is now replaced by the 1500 seater Laserium, the first of its kind in the state. Boat rides take you across the lake to give you a closer glimpse of the Buddha.

Ananda Buddha Vihara
It is a Buddhist tourist destination. Located at posh Mahendra Hills, it houses meditation hall, a museum and rest houses for monks etc.

Hussain Sagar
It is a man-made lake is also famous for the 19-metre tall Buddha statue on a platform island called Rock of Gibraltar in the middle of the lake, and for the Tank Bund which consists of beautiful gardens and statues of famous personalities. Boating and water sports are a regular feature here. Tall monolithic Buddha statue erected in the middle of the lake adds charm to this lake.

Nehru Zoological Park
This zoo is the largest in India by area, houses a large variety of animals, birds, nocturnal species, aquatic and amphibian species. Located close to this is the Mir Alam Sagar, which is proposed to be converted into an Aquarium along the lines of Sentosa, Singapore. Its unique feature is the 21 in-built masonry dams which are jewel shaped.

Kotla Vijayabhaskara Reddy Botanical Gardens
These gardens located at Kondapur are spread across a sprawling area of 130 acres (0.53 km2), housing different varieties of herbs, plants, trees etc. These gardens provide a complete visual treat to the eyes with water bodies, meadows, and rich grasslands - nature at its best. Night Safari Park is adjacent to this.

Chilukuru Balaji Temple
It is the temple of Lord Sri Venkateshwara. Located around 23 km from Mehdipatnam.

Necklace road
This popular boulevard lies on the other side of the lake, linking the IMAX theatre and Sanjivaiah park. This has become the-place-to-be for the Hyderabadis in the evenings. This strip provides a scenic atmosphere with lush lawns and long rows of flower beds. Eat-Street,Water Front are popular restaurants located on this strip. The latest addition to this strip is the Jala Vihar, a mini water world designed to soothe your senses.

NTR Gardens
This leisure spot is located beside the IMAX theatre. Situated on 36 acres (150,000 m2) of land adjoining the Hussain sagar, these gardens provide of entertainment and recreation to families and youth alike. It also houses a memorial of Late Shri N.T.Rama Rao, former Chief Minister. It is renowned for its creative design which includes tree-top restaurants and architecture.

Osman Sagar, Gandipet
A man-made lake, the largest in Hyderabad. The lake is a major drinking water source to the city. Abutting the lake are lush gardens that provide an ideal ambience for a holiday.

Himayat Sagar
It is the twin lake to Gandipet lake. It comes along the way on Outer Ring Road enroute to airport which is a beautiful view.

Lotus Pond
A beautiful garden built around a pond situated in Jubilee Hills, said to have been designed by an Italian designer. This garden is currently maintained by the Municipal Corporation. It is also home to a few rare species of birds.

Shilparamam
Located opposite Cyber towers, HITEC city, it is an arts and crafts village which was conceived with an idea to create an environment for the preservation of traditional crafts such as sculpting wonders from stone, weaving in cotton, silk and gold thread, Dhaka muslin, Kondapalli toys, Bankura horses, gudda-guddis of Punjab, temple arts and a motley of Indian arts and crafts. Close proximity to this is the Shilpakala vedika, a conference hall built with exquisite ethnic decor as well as with all state-of-the-art facilities.


Ramoji Film City
Ramoji Film City (RFC) is the world’s largest integrated film studio cum theme park, at nearly 3,000 acres (8 km²). It is also one of Asia’s most popular tourism and recreation centres. Recently, it has made its way to the Guinness Book of World Records for being the largest film studio in the world. Opened in 1996, it is about 20 min. drive from Hyderabad on Vijayawada Highway.

Kasu Brahmananda Reddy Park
A sanctuary for Peacocks and Anteaters along with many other species including Monkeys and Snakes, the sanctuary is the green spot of the richest area of the city, Jubilee Hills.

Mahaveer Harina Vanasthali Park
Located near posh locality of Vanasthalipuram, previously it is a hunting (shikari) spot for Nizams it is now a picnic spot for the city people. Nischalvan Eco-tourism project is located here.

Mriganavani wildlife sanctuary
A sanctuary for deer and leopards, it is located enroute to Chilkur. The Outer Ring Road passes over (flyover) through this national park which is a thrilling experience.

Anantagiri Hill station
Located near Vikarabad, just 2 hour drive from Hyderabad, it is the place where River Musi originated. It is an exotic hill station far away from hustle and bustle of the city, providing trekking, camping and many adventures to do. Added to this are many up coming hill resorts where you can spend a happy weekend or vacation. In one word to say it is the Araku Valley of Hyderabad.