Hyderabad, the fifth-largest city in India, has a rich and complex past. Sinduri Vuppala traces its dramatic evolution from cultural capital to modern metropolis.
Occupying an area roughly the size of the UK, Hyderabad was once India’s richest, largest and most powerful state. The seeds of its success as a centre of culture and trade were sown more than 400 years ago, when in 1512 the Qutub Shahi dynasty seized the reins of power from the Bahamani kingdom and established the fortress city of Golconda, which was later renamed Hyderabad.
The Qutub Shahis ruled for over 170 years and it was during their reign that Hyderabad became one of the leading markets in the world for diamonds, pearls, steel for arms, and printed fabric. At the time, the very word Golconda was associated with fabulous wealth, bejewelled princes, horses and turbaned traders. Today, the legendary mines of Golconda are renowned as the source of the world’s largest diamonds, including the Hope, the Pitt, Kohinoor, Darya-i-Noor and the 187-carat Jacob diamond (the seventh-largest in the world, weighing 37g).
It was during this time that the city developed its Indo-Persian and Indo-Islamic culture, as the success and wealth of the city attracted travellers (including Marco Polo) from Persia, Turkey and Arabia. The sultans used this influx of foreign influences, and their wealth of art and literature, to bring about a cultural resurgence across the state. Hyderabad drew poets, scholars and artists, and its courts became the meeting place of the cultural glitterati.
But the success and prosperity of Hyderabad also attracted a constant stream of rulers from around the region who wanted a share in its wealth, and Hyderabad passed from hand to hand, rising and falling as each dynasty peaked and declined.
Eventually the city was won by Asaf Jah I, who proclaimed himself the Nizam (derived from the Urdu word Nizam-ul-Mulk, which means “ruler of the realm”) and established independent rule in 1724. Gradually, under the Asaf Jah dynasty, Hyderabad once again became a major capital city and was known as the “City of Nizams”. Great patrons of literature, art, architecture, culture, jewellery and rich food, the Nizams ruled Hyderabad for more than 200 years, until independence in 1947.
Hyderabad’s transition to independence, however, was not smooth. The last Nizam, Sir Osman Ali Khan, wanted Hyderabad to become part of Pakistan when India was partitioned in 1947. Unlike other princely states, which immediately merged with the Indian Union after independence, the Nizam of Hyderabad sought to keep the city autonomous.
Although 85 per cent of its 17 million population wanted to be part of India, the Nizam was carried away by the rhetoric of a few and decided to take on the might of the Indian state, without realising the consequences for his people. A bloody chapter in Indian history followed in 1948 when the Nizam’s people clashed with the Indian Army and 27,000 people lost their lives during Operation Polo. Hence Hyderabad only gained its independence in 1948.
It is perhaps not surprising that, with such a colourful and inspiring past, the capital city of Andhra Pradesh is continuing to throw the punches. Under the leadership of chief minister Chandrababu Naidu, Hyderabad has earned the nickname “High-Tech City”, and Naidu himself has been cited by Business Week Magazine and Time as the leader who has put Hyderabad on the global map.
It’s a top destination for foreign investment and is also known as the “Second Silicon Valley” (Bangalore, of course, being the first) and “Cyberbad” for its rapid progress in attracting international IT giants like Microsoft, IBM, Wipro, Dell, Google, Yahoo, Oracle and Accenture.
Sunil Reddy, director of IVRCL and managing director of IVR Prime (both engineering, procuring and construction companies), says: “Historically speaking, Hyderabad has always been a wealthy city.
The largest cosmopolitan centre in southern India, it has all the ingredients to become a ‘super city’.”
Tishman Speyer, one of the leading US real-estate development firms and the company which built New York’s Rockefeller Centre, and Dubai-based Emaar are entering the market, and the skyline of the city is changing. Hyderabad is also developing industrial areas promoted and funded by the government of Andhra Pradesh.
One example is Fab City, which is being set up as a world-class hub for advanced electronics manufacturing. It is anticipated that Fab City will create 5,000 jobs by 2009 and up to 1.4 million jobs by 2016 in over 200 ancillary industries. Another example is Genome Valley, a cluster of bioscience companies, labs and medical institutions which have gradually spread over 600 sq km just outside Hyderabad. The project sets the stage for economic growth through partnerships, collaborations and mutually beneficial objectives in biotechnology.
And Hyderabad is not losing sight of the IT business which kicked off the boom – the new Nanotechnology Park is being modelled on the original Silicon Valley in California. It is intended to foster intellectual creativity in fields at the cutting-edge of technology – nanotechnology, biosciences and next-generation internet projects.
And with all this construction the city’s hotel scene has seen a sharp rise in demand. Veer Vijay Singh, director of operations at GVK Hotels and president of the Hotels and Restaurants Association Andhra Pradesh, says: “From 1990 to 2001, Hyderabad had an over-supply of rooms and there was almost a 40-50 per cent vacancy rate. However, by 2005, the city saw a sudden boom in IT, outsourcing and infrastructure, and all the government projects increased occupancy to about 80-85 per cent.
“Suddenly, reports on booked-out hotel rooms did the rounds and now we have several big hotels coming up in areas like Gachibowli and Shamshabad. By the year 2011-2012, the current room situation will double from 4,000 to 8,000.”
Hotels on the way include a Leela Palace Kempinski (due to open in 2009), a 350-room Fairmont and a “seven-star” hotel from Emaar Group, as well as properties from high-end chains including Oberoi, Taj GVK, Hilton, Le Méridien and Hyatt.
And it’s not just the hotel industry which is booming. Real estate in the city is red hot, according to Sunil Reddy. “Six months ago, the world real-estate market was said to be in a state of super-boom but today it is at a meltdown,” he says. “However, in this aspect Hyderabad, which has far superior infrastructure compared with other southern Indian cities, remains affordable, thus luring the bigwigs in the industry.”
New infrastructure plans include the Metro Rail project, which will help to ease the city’s traffic congestion. Luckily for Hyderabad, it is home to two of India’s largest infrastructure companies, GVK and GMR. The former, having undertaken the construction of Mumbai International airports, boasts of an asset base of close to Rs 50 billion (£630 million), and projects in hand worth about Rs 150 billion. Meanwhile, GMR has undertaken the international airports projects of Hyderabad and Delhi and has also bagged Istanbul’s new terminal project at Sahiba Gokcen International airport.
But with all the modern twists, Hyderabad is proud of its colourful past, and there are plenty of sights to see if you have a few hours between meetings. If you are looking for a flavour of the historic Hyderabad, with its grand palaces, colourful bazaars and mosques, then the Old City is the place to head to. Charminar market is another famous sight, instantly recognisable by its massive arch, which was built 400 years ago to protect the city from the plague.
And one of the oldest commercial areas in the city, Abids, has some of the biggest showrooms for jewellery, textiles, handicrafts and footwear.
As a city where you can wake up to hear the namaz (Muslim prayer) and the bells of the Hindu temple ring in chorus, and where ornate historical monuments exist alongside modern skyscrapers, Hyderabad remains a fast-growing metropolis, which is at the same time retaining every bit of its traditional colour and character.
Travel Tips
TEMPERATURE Predominantly warm. The best time to visit the city would be between September and February. Avoid going in the summer as the temperature can reach up to 45 degrees Celsius.
LANGUAGE Hindi, Telugu and English are widely spoken. Locals take immense pride in conversing in their characteristic Hyderabadi language, which is a mix of Urdu, Hindi, and Telugu, but you can get by with basic English and Hindi.
TRANSPORT With one of the best-connected bus networks in India, Hyderabad has RTC buses commuting to every street in the city. With fares starting from Rs 5 (less than a penny), the buses can get very crowded and can be quite unsafe if travelling alone. Apart from the local taxis and pre-paid services, the three-wheeler auto-rickshaws are also a good bet. Easy to find, they know their way around the city and are almost like mini guides. The fares for the meter begin at Rs 12 (15p). The city also has local trains – MMTS – which run along the city covering 13 routes.
CLOTHING Unless you are out for the evening in restaurants or pubs, avoid skimpy clothing. If you are visiting during winter all you will need is a coat or a pashmina to keep warm.
PUNCTUALITY Hyderabadis go hand in hand with tardiness. You should expect at least a half-hour delay for informal meetings.
BARGAINING Unless you are in a mall, bargaining is common. Especially if you are a foreigner, quote a quarter of the original price and work your way up.
SAFETY In general, Hyderabad is safe for travellers, and the locals are friendly and hospitable.
Hyderabadi cuisine
With a large Parsi community (originally from the ancient Pars province in Iran), the Kayasths from northern India, the Maharashtrians and the descendants of local noble families, the culture of Hyderabad is one where the traditions of north and south India meet. Hyderabadis, as residents of the city are known, have developed a distinctive way of life, which is a mixture of ancient Hindu traditions of Telugu and Islamic culture, and this filters through to the cuisine. For Hyderabadis, food is an obsession, and eating is viewed as a celebration.
BIRYANI This is primarily a south-Asian dish made from a mixture of spices, rice, meat and yogurt. The Nizam’s kitchen boasted more than 49 kinds of biryani, which included quail, shrimp and deer. It is believed that the blending of the Mughlai and Telangana (cuisines of Hyderabad) resulted in the creation of this world-renowned dish. The very aroma is sure to set your taste buds tingling.
IRANI CHAI Quintessentially Hyderabadi, the Irani chai cafés became a part of the Hyderabadi culture when Persian traders visited the country. Made with tea leaves and sweetened condensed milk, the chai is usually served with Hyderabad’s famous, tempting sweet and salty Osmania biscuits.
DESSERTS The list of authentic and delicious local desserts is endless but the real must-tries are double ka meetha, a bread and raisin pudding, and the qubani ka meetha, an irresistible confection of stewed apricot.
KEBABS Made on charcoal, kebabs are minced meat marinated in authentic spices and cooked in many different styles (the boti, sheek and the kalmi). Kebabs have long been a cornerstone of Hyderabadi cuisine.
