Hyderabad is the capital city of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. With more than 6 million people (60 lakh), it is India's 5th largest metropolis [1] and 36th largest metropolitan area in the world. It is known for its rich history, culture and architecture representing its unique characteristic of a meeting point for north and south India, both geographically and culturally. Hyderabad is a place where Hindus and Muslims have been co-existing for centuries. It is also one of the most developed cities in the country and is the emerging IT and biotech hub of India. Hyderabad and Secunderabad are twin cities, separated by Husain Sagar (also known as Tank Bund), an artificial lake constructed during the time of Ibrahim Qutb Shah in 1562.
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The Charminar(Urdu: "Four Minars") monument, built in the center of Hyderabad by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah in 1591 as a commemoration of the eradication of a plague. The Charminar is a beautiful and impressive square monument, with each side measuring 20 m, and each of the edges having a pointed high minaret. It derives its name from these four gracefully carved minarets which soar to a height of 48.7 m above the ground, commanding the landscape for miles around. Charminar literally means 'Four Minars'. Each minaret has four storeys, each looking like a delicately carved ring around the minaret.
Every side opens into a plaza through giant arches, which overlook four major thoroughfares and dwarf other features of the building except the minarets. Each arch is 11 m wide and rises 20 m to the pinnacle from the plinth. The monument overlooks a mosque Once upon a time each of these arches led to four royal roads. Each of the four arches has a clock which were put up in 1889.
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There are two galleries within the Charminar, one over another, and above those a terrace that serves as a roof, bordered with a stone balcony. It is vaulted underneath and appears like a dome. There is a large table raised seven or eight feet from the ground with steps to go up to it. Nothing in the town seems so lovely as the outside of that building. A thriving market still lies around the Charminar attracting people and merchandise of every description. In its heyday, the Charminar market had some 14,000 shops, a unique conglomeration of a grand oriental bazaar. The whole market around the Charminar is crowded with shops which sell glass bangles in rainbow colours.
Secunderabad is the twin city of Hyderabad, India, and is separated by the man made lake, Husain Sagar, from the capital of Andhra Pradesh. Secunderabad was founded in the 18th century as a British cantonment, and to this date has a large Army presence. Named after Sikandar Jah, the third Nizam of the Asaf Jahi dynasty, Secunderabad had its own municipality and city government, until recently when it was merged with Hyderabad, the district. In common parlance however, Secunderabad is seldom used these days outside the twin cities. Instead Hyderabad is used normally. The population of Secunderabad Cantonment is 204,182 (2001 census). Hyderabad was founded on the banks of Musi river by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, Sultan of the Qutb Shahi dynasty, in 1590; this relocation was intended to relieve a water shortage the dynasty had experienced at their old headquarters at Golkonda.
Theories explaining the origins and etymology behind Hyderabad's name differ. A popular theory suggests that, after founding the city, Muhammad Quli fell in love with and married a local Banjara girl known as Bhagamathi. He named this city after her as Bhagyanagaram. Upon her conversion to Islam, Bhagamathi changed her name to Hyder Mahal — the new city's name was correspondingly changed to match it, resulting in the eponymous name "Hyderabad" (literally, "the city of Hyder"). Another theory states that the city got its name from the fourth Caliph of Islam, Ali ibn Abi Talib, who is also known as Haydar-i Karrar ("valiant lion"), probably, due to the Qutb Shahi rulers' leanings towards the Shi'i traditions of Islam.
In 1687, Hyderabad and the Golconda fort was besieged and conquered by forces under the ruler of the Mughal Empire, Aurangzeb (alternatively known as Alamgir I). This event led to fall of the Qutb Shahi Dynasty and the abandonment of the Golconda fort. Thereafter, a succession of regents called the Nizams governed the city first as agents of the Mughals and then as an independent princely state. In the 18th century as a British cantonment was set up close to Hyderabad, this new township was named Secunderabad. Over the centuries, the city has been ruled by the Qutb Shahis, the Mughals, the Asaf Jahis and after independence, the people themselves.
Geography and Climate
Hyderabad city is located in the center of Andhra Pradesh, in the region of Telangana. It lies on the Deccan Plateau, 541 meters (1776 ft) above sea level, over an area of 260 km² (100 mile²).
The original city of Hyderabad was founded on the banks of river Musi. Now known as the historic old city, home to the Charminar and Makkah Masjid, it lies on the southern bank of the river. The city has grown over the centuries on both banks and is now a metropolitan area that spreads out from the Musi river.
Summers are hot and dry, with day time temperatures touching 45 degrees celcius on some days. Winters are milder, compared to the cities of Northern India. But it may plunge to below 10 degrees celcius on certain days. The lowest recorded temperature was 6 degrees celcius.
Economy
Hyderabad is known as the city of pearls and pearl ornaments. The pearl market is situated near Charminar. Products such as silverware, saris, Nirmal and Kalamkari paintings and artefacts, unique Bidri handcrafted items, lacquer bangles studded with stones, silk-ware, cotton-ware and handloom based clothing materials are made and traded through the city for centuries.
Hyderabad city is today known for its IT and IT Enabled Services, Pharmaceuticals and Entertainment industries. Many call centers, Business Process Outsourcing(BPO) firms, dealing with IT and other technological services were set up in the 1990s making it one of the major regions for call center setups in India. Ramoji Film City, one of the largest film studios in the world is located on the outskirts of the city.
Hyderabad is known for its academic institutes and research labs, both public and private institutes with very diverse areas of interest from Developmental Banking at the Institute for Development in Research and Banking Technology, to eye care with state-of-the art medical facilities at the L. V. Prasad Eye Institute. The infrastructural facilities for basic research in Hyderabad are among the best in the country, hosting a large academic population from all over the country and beyond.
Hyderabad has been selected as the location for India's first Fab City, a silicon chip manufacturing facility, being setup with an investment of $3 billion by the AMD-SemIndia consortium.
The IT Industry
Cyber Towers IT Park, Hyderabad on a clear evening sky.The development of a township with state-of-the-art facilities called HITEC City, prompted several IT and ITES companies to setup operations in the city. An aggressive promotion of growth in this area has led civic boosters to call the city "Cyberabad.
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Hyderabad has also been referred to as the second Silicon Valley of India[4]. IT exports from the city are expected to exceed Rs 12,500 crores ($ 2.5 billion) in the 2005-06 fiscal year. There has been extensive investments in digital infrastructure within the city promoting the setting up of several campuses by a vast array of companies within the city. This list includes several multinational corporations having established centers in the city. The major areas were such campuses have been setup include Madhapur and Gachibowli.
Education
Indian School of Business entrance.Hyderabad is an important seat of learning in southern India. The City hosts two Central Universities, two Deemed universities, and six State Universities. Osmania University is one of the oldest Universities in India. Technical institutes such as Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Chaitanya Bharati Institute of Technology and International Institute of Information Technology are found here. |
Also based here is the highly acclaimed Indian School of Business. Hyderabad is famous for its various research institutes such as the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, University of Hyderabad, Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, National Institute of Nutrition and Acharya NG Ranga Agricultural University.It also has an open university for distance education BR Ambedkar Open University. The city therefore attracts students from all over the country and some beyond.
Research institutions and labs
Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) had setup Defence Electronics Research Laboratory(DERL) in 1962, to work on the design and development of communication and radar systems. Currently DERL is involved in the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP) of DRDO.
The other defence research laboratories at Hyderabad include
* Advanced Numerical Research & Analysis Group (ANURAG),
* Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory (DMRL),
* Advanced System Laboratory (ASL), and
* Research Center Imarat (RCI)
* National Remote Sensing Agency, India's Satellite Monitoring Station.
Demographics
The city population is estimated at over 3.69 million in 2001 while the population of the greater metropolitan area is estimated at over 6.39 million. Religiously and culturally, the city is evenly divided between Muslims and Hindus which includes a visible population of Christians. Languages spoken include Urdu, Telugu and Hindi. There is also a very visible population of people, of tribal origins, who have immigrated to the city in search of work. These people, called the Banjaras, have their own distinct culture and language very different from other languages spoken in this region.
Urdu, Telugu and Deccani are the local languages of the indigenous population. There is a significant amount of English used in business. People from many other parts of India have adopted Hyderabad as their hometown.
Culture
Buddha statue at the center of the Husain Sagar LakeHyderabad has been the meeting place of many different cultures and traditions. Historically, Hyderabad has been the city where the distinct cultural and linguistic traditions of North India and South India meet. The Muslim culture of Hyderabad has fused with south Indian traditions of the region.
Religion
Hyderabad is a unique cosmopolitan city and home to people practicing Islam, Hinduism, Jainism, Christianity, and Zoroastrianism. Hyderabadis have developed their own distinctive culture, which is a mixture of the centuries old islamic culture and the Hindu traditions of the Telugu people.
Language
Telugu and Urdu are the principal languages spoken in the city of Hyderabad. Telugu being the official language of Andhra Pradesh and the second largest language in India after Hindi is widely spoken here. It must also be emphasized that Hyderabad is and has been home to one of the largest Urdu speaking population in India. Deccani, a dialect of Urdu and Hindi is mostly spoken and understood here. Both Urdu and Telugu have lingustically impacted each other in this region. A large percentage of the population is also well versed in English.
Clothing
Women of all cultures and faith communities in Hyderabad typically wear either the traditional Indian dress, the sari, and increasingly the Shalwar Qamis. As a sign of public modesty, a large percentage of Muslim women in the city wear either the burqa' or the hijab. The traditional Hyderabadi garb for females is the Khara Dupatta and the Kurta Pyjama and Sherwani for males. This one of the more visible cultural attributes of Hyderabad.
Cuisine
Hyderabadi cuisine is a blend of heavy Mughal influences and some elements of Telangana cuisine as well as the surrounding Andhra region. A number of restaurants have come up that serve a variety of cuisines. All the major hotels in city host one or more restaurants, that are popular among city folk.
Some of the famous dishes include Hyderabadi Biryani, Chakna, Baghare Baygan, Khubani ka Mitha,Pheni a sweet vermicelli delicacy eaten during the festival of Diwali and during Ramadan, and Double ka Mitha, as well as Halim traditionally eaten by Muslims during the holy month of Ramadan. As many Hyderabadis travel to the Middle East in search for employment, the Halim is gaining recognition in these regions. Local chains that serve Halim and other Hyderabadi specialties in Hyderabad are Yusufain Pista House, Madinah Hotel, 555 Hotel, Café Bahar, Bawarchi, Paradise and Hyderabad House.
An Indian Mithai(sweets) shop, G. Pulla Reddy, is famous for its pure ghee sweets. Karachi Bakery near Mauzzam Jhai Market, Nampally, is popular for making biscuits including the local Osmania biscuits. Other renowned joints include 'chat bhandars' like Gokul Chat near Sultan Bazar and Narsing Chat near Mahatma Gandhi Road, Ram singh Chat Bhandar in Begum Bazaar are famous for their North Indian chat, which is liberally doused with spices and yogurt. Restaurant chains in the city which include The Taj Mahal, Kamat are popular.
Markets and Shopping Malls
Prasads Imax Multiplex, Hyderabad
Hyderabad Central, Hyderabad
Hyderabad is famous for its traditional markets (Bazaar). These markets usually consist of one or two story shops, and street vendors with carts. Few of them are:
Laad Bazaar, situated near Charminar,
Sultan Bazaar at Kothi,
General Bazaar at Mahatma Gandhi Road,
the historical Mu'azzam Jahi Market in central town.
Media
Hyderabad has a well-developed communication and media infrastructure. The city is covered by a large network of optical fiber cables by Reliance Telcom Company. The city's telephone service is serviced by four landline companies: BSNL, Tata Indicom, Reliance Infocomm and Airtel. There are six mobile phone companies: BSNL, Hutch, Idea, Airtel, Tata Indicom and Reliance Infocomm. Several phone companies offer broadband Internet access.
Radio Stations
The city has two AM and two FM radio stations, operated by All India Radio under the name Akashvani, Hyderabad. AIR has sold airtime on one of its FM channels to a company named DC-Interactive that broadcasts a show called Good Evening Hyderabad under the banner Radio Biryani. A FM radio station called FM Rainbow also broadcasts daily within the city. Newer FM radio stations, as in other metropolitan areas, are expected to be launched in the city.
Television Networks
Doordarshan runs several terrestrial television channels and two satellite television channels from its Hyderabad Doordasrshan centre. A multitude of regional television channels broadcast from Hyderabad.
Telugu Television channels are classified as:
News channels
ETV2, TV9, Teja News, DD News, Vissa News, Arey News
Entertainment Channels
ETV, Maa TV, Teja, Gemini, C Channel, Siti Cable, Vissa, Zee Telugu, Aditya TV
Print Media
Hyderabad has about three print media groups that publish several newspapers and magazines in English, Telugu, and Urdu. The major Urdu dailies are, The Siasat Daily (the first Urdu newspaper in the world to go on-line), The Munsif Daily, The Rahnuma-i Deccan, and The Daily Milap. The major Telugu dailies include the Eenadu, Vaartha, Andhra Jyoti, Andhra Bhoomi, Udayam and Andhra Prabha. The major English dailies are The Deccan Chronicle, Business Standard, The Hindu, The Times of India, The Indian Express and The Economic Times. Besides these major newspapers, there a number of localised neighbourhood newspapers that cater to several localities. Magazines published from Hyderabad include Swati, Navya, Andhra Prabha, Andhra Jyoti, Vipula, Vanita and Chandamama. Movie magazines include Sitara, Siva Ranjani and Jyoti Chitra.
INDIAN TRAVELLER GETS MORE NET-SAVVY
HindustanTimes.com, New Delhi, February 23, 2006
The Indian traveller just got more net-savvy. According to a new survey, Indians lead the South Asia, Middle East and Africa (SAMEA) region when it comes to researching and booking travel via the Internet. The 'MasterIndex of Consumer Lifestyles' survey, commissioned by MasterCard International, reveals that 67 per cent of Indian travellers log on to the internet more often (82 per cent do it every day compared to the 64 per cent average of their regional counterparts). A significant 39 per cent said the Internet was a key source of information in deciding where to travel, a much higher figure than the regional average of 10 per cent. When it comes to booking air travel, 17 per cent of Indian travellers preferred to book travel online, while 57 per cent of preferred to do it through a travel agent and 21 per cent preferred to buy tickets direct from airlines.
This compares to the SAMEA regional average of 5 per cent who book air travel via the Internet, 50 per cent who book travel through an agent and 38 per cent who book air travel through airlines. However, while connected Indians made the greatest use of the Internet, only 14 per cent made purchases online the lowest percentage across the SAMEA region.
Indians were second only to Saudi Arabians in using credit cards the most when travelling overseas (42 per cent versus 50 per cent for residents of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) and had the highest used of debit cards (27 per cent) when overseas. "The strong use of the Internet by Indian travellers demonstrates the willingness of Indians to embrace the benefits of new technology," said Nitin Gupta, country general manager, South Asia, MasterCard International.
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