Saturday, 5 August 2017

INDIA: Hyderabad Best Heritage City Of India,Chain Snatching From Women,IT Capital,Reckless Drivers,

Hyderabad Financial District
Hyderabad is the capital of Telangana in Southern India, located on the banks of the Musi River and on the Deccan Plateau. Hyderabad and Secunderabad are "twin cities" near Hussain Sagar Lake,also known as Tank Bund in local parlance but both cities have grown so much that now they have become one big metropolis. The city and district of Hyderabad are coterminous. Hyderabad district is entirely contained within the Ranga Reddy district of Telangana. Many of the suburbs of Hyderabad were recently merged into the city, now called Greater Hyderabad.


Situated in the southern part of Telangana in southeastern India,Hyderabad is 1,566 kilometres (973 mi) south of Delhi, 699 kilometres (434 mi) southeast of Mumbai, and 570 kilometres (350 mi) north of Bangalore by road.It lies on the banks of the Musi River, in the northern part of the Deccan Plateau.Greater Hyderabad covers 650 km2 (250 sq mi), making it one of the largest metropolitan areas in India.With an average altitude of 542 metres (1,778 ft), Hyderabad lies on predominantly sloping terrain of grey and pink granite, dotted with small hills, the highest being Banjara Hills at 672 metres (2,205 ft).

The city has numerous lakes referred to as sagar, meaning sea. Examples include artificial lakes created by dams on the Musi, such as Hussain Sagar built in 1562 near the city centre, Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar. As of 1996, the city had 140 lakes and 834 water tanks (ponds).

Hyderabad has a tropical wet and dry climate bordering on a hot semi-arid climate.The annual mean temperature is 26.6 °C (79.9 °F); monthly mean temperatures are 21–33 °C (70–91 °F).Summers (March–June) are hot and humid, with average highs in the mid-to-high 30s Celsius;maximum temperatures often exceed 40 °C (104 °F) between April and June.The coolest temperatures occur in December and January, when the lowest temperature occasionally dips to 10 °C (50 °F).May is the hottest month, when daily temperatures range from 26 to 39 °C (79–102 °F); December, the coldest, has temperatures varying from 14.5 to 28 °C (57–82 °F).

Heavy rain from the south-west summer monsoon falls between June and September,supplying Hyderabad with most of its mean annual rainfall.Since records began in November 1891, the heaviest rainfall recorded in a 24-hour period was 241.5 mm (10 in) on 24 August 2000. The highest temperature ever recorded was 45.5 °C (114 °F) on 2 June 1966, and the lowest was 6.1 °C (43 °F) on 8 January 1946.The city receives 2,731 hours of sunshine per year; maximum daily sunlight exposure occurs in February.

Mahavir Harina Vanasthali National Park
Hyderabad's lakes and the sloping terrain of its low-lying hills provide habitat for an assortment of flora and fauna. As of 2016, the tree cover is 1.66% of total city area, a decrease from 2.71% in 1996.The forest region in and around the city encompasses areas of ecological and biological importance, which are preserved in the form of national parks, zoos, mini-zoos and a wildlife sanctuary.

Nehru Zoological Park, the city's one large zoo, is the first in India to have a lion and tiger safari park. Hyderabad has three national parks (Mrugavani National Park, Mahavir Harina Vanasthali National Park and Kasu Brahmananda Reddy National Park), and the Manjira Wildlife Sanctuary is about 50 km (31 mi) from the city.

Hyderabad's other environmental reserves are: Kotla Vijayabhaskara Reddy Botanical Gardens, Shamirpet Lake, Hussain Sagar, Fox Sagar Lake, Mir Alam Tank and Patancheru Lake, which is home to regional birds and attracts seasonal migratory birds from different parts of the world.Organisations engaged in environmental and wildlife preservation include the Telangana Forest Department,Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education, the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), the Animal Welfare Board of India, the Blue Cross of Hyderabad and the University of Hyderabad.

Hyderabad produces around 4,500 tonnes of solid waste daily, which is transported from collection units in Imlibun, Yousufguda and Lower Tank Bund to the dumpsite in Jawaharnagar.Disposal is managed by the Integrated Solid Waste Management project which was started by the GHMC in 2010.Rapid urbanisation and increased economic activity has also led to increased industrial waste, air, noise and water pollution, which is regulated by the Telangana Pollution Control Board (TPCB).

The contribution of different sources to air pollution in 2006 was: 20–50% from vehicles, 40–70% from a combination of vehicle discharge and road dust, 10–30% from industrial discharges and 3–10% from the burning of household rubbish.Deaths resulting from atmospheric particulate matter are estimated at 1,700–3,000 each year.Ground water around Hyderabad, which has a hardness of up to 1000 ppm, around three times higher than is desirable,is the main source of drinking water but the increasing population and consequent increase in demand has led to a decline in not only ground water but also river and lake levels.This shortage is further exacerbated by inadequately treated effluent discharged from industrial treatment plants polluting the water sources of the city.

When the GHMC was created in 2007, the area occupied by the municipality increased from 175 km2 (68 sq mi) to 650 km2 (250 sq mi).Consequently, the population increased by 87%, from 3,637,483 in the 2001 census to 6,809,970 in the 2011 census, 24% of which are migrants from elsewhere in India,:2 making Hyderabad the nation's fourth most populous city.As of 2011, the population density is 18,480/km2 (47,900/sq mi).At the same 2011 census, the Hyderabad Urban Agglomeration had a population of 7,749,334, making it the sixth most populous urban agglomeration in the country.

The population of the Hyderabad urban agglomeration has since been estimated by electoral officials to be 9.1 million as of early 2013 but is expected to exceed 10 million by the end of the year.There are 3,500,802 male and 3,309,168 female citizens—a sex ratio of 945 females per 1000 males,higher than the national average of 926 per 1000.Among children aged 0–6 years, 373,794 are boys and 352,022 are girls—a ratio of 942 per 1000.Literacy stands at 82.96% (male 85.96%; female 79.79%), higher than the national average of 74.04%.The socio-economic strata consist of 20% upper class, 50% middle class and 30% working class.

Referred to as "Hyderabadi", the residents of Hyderabad are predominantly Telugu and Urdu speaking people, with minority Bengali, Gujarati including Memon, Kannada including Nawayathi, Malayalam, Marathi, Marwari, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil and Uttar Pradeshi communities. Hyderabad is home to a unique dialect of Urdu called Hyderabadi Urdu, which is a type of Dakhini, and is the mother tongue of most Hyderabadi Muslims, a unique community who owe much of their history, language, cuisine, and culture to Hyderabad, and the various dynasties who previously ruled. Hadhrami Arabs, African Arabs, Armenians, Abyssinians, Iranians, Pathans and Turkish people are also present; these communities, of which the Hadhrami are the largest, declined after Hyderabad State became part of the Indian Union, as they lost the patronage of the Nizams.

Telugu and Urdu are both official languages of the city, and most Hyderabadis are bilingual.The Telugu dialect spoken in Hyderabad is called Telangana Mandalika, and the Urdu spoken is called Dakhini.English is also used.A significant minority speak other languages, including Hindi, Marathi, Odia, Tamil, Bengali and Kannada.

Hindus are in the majority. Muslims form a very large minority, and are present throughout the city and predominate in and around the Old City. There are also Christian, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist and Parsi communities and iconic temples, mosques and churches can be seen.According to the 2011 census, the religious make-up of Greater Hyderabad was: Hindus (64.93%), Muslims (30.13%), Christians (2.75%), Jains (0.29%), Sikhs (0.25%) and Buddhists (0.04%); 1.56% did not state any religion.

In the greater metropolitan area, 13% of the population live below the poverty line.According to a 2012 report submitted by GHMC to the World Bank, Hyderabad has 1,476 slums with a total population of 1.7 million, of whom 66% live in 985 slums in the core of the city,the part that formed Hyderabad before the April 2007 expansion and the remaining 34% live in 491 suburban tenements.About 22% of the slum-dwelling households had migrated from different parts of India in the last decade of the 20th century, and 63% claimed to have lived in the slums for more than 10 years.

Overall literacy in the slums is 60–80% and female literacy is 52–73%. A third of the slums have basic service connections, and the remainder depend on general public services provided by the government. There are 405 government schools, 267 government aided schools, 175 private schools and 528 community halls in the slum areas.According to a 2008 survey by the Centre for Good Governance, 87.6% of the slum-dwelling households are nuclear families, 18% are very poor, with an income up to US$310 per annum, 73% live below the poverty line,a standard poverty line recognised by the Andhra Pradesh Government is US$370 per annum), 27% of the chief wage earners (CWE) are casual labour and 38% of the CWE are illiterate.

About 3.72% of the slum children aged 5–14 do not go to school and 3.17% work as child labour, of whom 64% are boys and 36% are girls. The largest employers of child labour are street shops and construction sites. Among the working children, 35% are engaged in hazardous jobs.

The historic city established by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah on the southern side of the Musi River forms the Old City, while the New City encompasses the urbanised area on the northern banks. The two are connected by many bridges across the river, the oldest of which is Purana Pul or old bridge.Hyderabad is twinned with neighbouring Secunderabad, to which it is connected by Hussain Sagar.

Many historic and tourist sites lie in south central Hyderabad, such as the Charminar, the Mecca Masjid, the Salar Jung Museum, the Nizam's Museum, the Falaknuma Palace, and the traditional retail corridor comprising the Pearl Market, Laad Bazaar and Madina Circle. North of the river are hospitals, colleges, major railway stations and business areas such as Begum Bazaar, Koti, Abids, Sultan Bazaar and Moazzam Jahi Market, along with administrative and recreational establishments such as the Reserve Bank of India, the Telangana Secretariat, the India Government Mint, Hyderabad, the Telangana Legislature, the Public Gardens, the Nizam Club, the Ravindra Bharathi, the State Museum, the Birla Temple and the Birla Planetarium.

North of central Hyderabad lie Hussain Sagar, Tank Bund Road, Rani Gunj and the Secunderabad Railway Station.Most of the city's parks and recreational centres, such as Sanjeevaiah Park, Indira Park, Lumbini Park, NTR Gardens, the Buddha statue and Tankbund Park are located here. In the northwest part of the city there are upscale residential and commercial areas such as Banjara Hills, Jubilee Hills, Begumpet, Khairatabad and Miyapur.

The northern end contains industrial areas such as Sanathnagar, Moosapet, Balanagar, Patancheru and Chanda Nagar. The northeast end is dotted with residential areas.In the eastern part of the city lie many defence research centres and Ramoji Film City. The Cyberabad area in the southwest and west of the city has grown rapidly since the 1990s. It is home to information technology and bio-pharmaceutical companies and to landmarks such as Hyderabad Airport, Osman Sagar, Himayath Sagar and Kasu Brahmananda Reddy National Park.

Heritage buildings constructed during the Qutb Shahi and Nizam eras showcase Indo-Islamic architecture influenced by Medieval, Mughal and European styles.After the 1908 flooding of the Musi River, the city was expanded and civic monuments constructed, particularly during the rule of Mir Osman Ali Khan (the VIIth Nizam), whose patronage of architecture led to him being referred to as the maker of modern Hyderabad.In 2012, the government of India declared Hyderabad the first Best heritage city of India.

Qutb Shahi architecture of the 16th and early 17th centuries followed classical Persian architecture featuring domes and colossal arches. The oldest surviving Qutb Shahi structure in Hyderabad is the ruins of Golconda fort built in the 16th century. Most of the historical bazaars that still exist were constructed on the street north of Charminar towards the fort. The Charminar has become an icon of the city; located in the centre of old Hyderabad, it is a square structure with sides 20 m (66 ft) long and four grand arches each facing a road. At each corner stands a 56 m (184 ft)-high minaret. The Charminar, Golconda fort and the Qutb Shahi tombs are considered to be monuments of national importance in India; in 2010 the Indian government proposed that the sites be listed for UNESCO World Heritage status.

Among the oldest surviving examples of Nizam architecture in Hyderabad is the Chowmahalla Palace, which was the seat of royal power. It showcases a diverse array of architectural styles, from the Baroque Harem to its Neoclassical royal court. The other palaces include Falaknuma Palace inspired by the style of Andrea Palladio, Purani Haveli, King Kothi and Bella Vista Palace all of which were built at the peak of Nizam rule in the 19th century.

During Mir Osman Ali Khan's rule, European styles, along with Indo-Islamic, became prominent. These styles are reflected in the Falaknuma Palace and many civic monuments such as the Hyderabad High Court, Osmania Hospital, Osmania University, the State Central Library, City College, the Telangana Legislature, the State Archaeology Museum, Jubilee Hall, and Hyderabad and Kachiguda railway stations.Other landmarks of note are Paigah Palace, Asman Garh Palace, Basheer Bagh Palace, Errum Manzil and the Spanish Mosque, all constructed by the Paigah family.

Recent estimates of the economy of Hyderabad's metropolitan area have ranged from $40 billion to $74 billion (PPP GDP), and have ranked it either fifth- or sixth- most productive metro area of India.Hyderabad is the largest contributor to the gross domestic product (GDP), tax and other revenues, of Telangana, and the sixth largest deposit centre and fourth largest credit centre nationwide, as ranked by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in June 2012.Its per capita annual income in 2011 was US$690.As of 2006, the largest employers in the city were the governments of Andhra Pradesh (113,098 employees) and India (85,155).According to a 2005 survey, 77% of males and 19% of females in the city were employed.The service industry remains dominant in the city, and 90% of the employed workforce is engaged in this sector.

Hyderabad's role in the pearl trade has given it the name "City of Pearls" and up until the 18th century, the city was the only global trading centre for Diamonds known as Golconda Diamonds.Industrialisation began under the Nizams in the late 19th century, helped by railway expansion that connected the city with major ports.From the 1950s to the 1970s, Indian enterprises, such as Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), Nuclear Fuel Complex (NFC), National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC), Bharat Electronics (BEL), Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL), Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD), State Bank of Hyderabad (SBH) and Andhra Bank (AB)were established in the city.

The city is home to Hyderabad Securities formerly known as Hyderabad Stock Exchange (HSE),and houses the regional office of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).In 2013, the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) facility in Hyderabad was forecast to provide operations and transactions services to BSE-Mumbai by the end of 2014.The growth of the financial services sector has helped Hyderabad evolve from a traditional manufacturing city to a cosmopolitan industrial service centre.Since the 1990s, the growth of information technology (IT), IT-enabled services (ITES), insurance and financial institutions has expanded the service sector, and these primary economic activities have boosted the ancillary sectors of trade and commerce, transport, storage, communication, real estate and retail.

Hyderabad's commercial markets are divided into four sectors: central business districts,sub-central business centres, neighbourhood business centres and local business centres.Many traditional and historic bazaars are located throughout the city, Laad Bazaar being the prominent among all is popular for selling a variety of traditional and cultural antique wares, along with gems and pearls.

The establishment of Indian Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Limited (IDPL), a public sector undertaking, in 1961 was followed over the decades by many national and global companies opening manufacturing and research facilities in the city.As of 2010, the city manufactured one third of India's bulk drugs and 16% of biotechnology products,contributing to its reputation as "India's pharmaceutical capital" and the "Genome Valley of India".

Hyderabad is a global centre of information technology, for which it is known as Cyberabad (Cyber City).As of 2013, it contributed 15% of India's and 98% of Andhra Pradesh's exports in IT and ITES sectors and 22% of NASSCOM's total membership is from the city.The development of HITEC City, a township with extensive technological infrastructure, prompted multinational companies to establish facilities in Hyderabad.The city is home to more than 1300 IT and ITES firms that provide employment for 407,000 individuals; the global conglomerates include Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, Google, IBM, Yahoo!, Oracle Corporation, Dell, Facebook, CISCO,and major Indian firms including Tech Mahindra, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Polaris, Cyient and Wipro.

In 2009 the World Bank Group ranked the city as the second best Indian city for doing business.The city and its suburbs contain the highest number of special economic zones of any Indian city.

Like the rest of India, Hyderabad has a large informal economy that employs 30% of the labour force.According to a survey published in 2007, it had 40–50,000 street vendors, and their numbers were increasing.Among the street vendors, 84% are male and 16% female,and four fifths are "stationary vendors" operating from a fixed pitch, often with their own stall.Most are financed through personal savings; only 8% borrow from moneylenders.Vendor earnings vary from ₹50 (78¢ US) to ₹800 (US$12) per day.Other unorganised economic sectors include dairy, poultry farming, brick manufacturing, casual labour and domestic help. Those involved in the informal economy constitute a major portion of urban poor.

Hyderabad emerged as the foremost centre of culture in India with the decline of the Mughal Empire. After the fall of Delhi in 1857, the migration of performing artists to the city particularly from the north and west of the Indian sub continent, under the patronage of the Nizam, enriched the cultural milieu.This migration resulted in a mingling of North and South Indian languages, cultures and religions, which has since led to a co-existence of Hindu and Muslim traditions, for which the city has become noted.

A further consequence of this north–south mix is that both Telugu and Urdu are official languages of Telangana.The mixing of religions has also resulted in many festivals being celebrated in Hyderabad such as Ganesh Chaturthi, Diwali and Bonalu of Hindu tradition and Eid ul-Fitr and Eid al-Adha by Muslims.

Traditional Hyderabadi garb also reveals a mix of Muslim and South Asian influences with men wearing sherwani and kurta–paijama and women wearing khara dupatta and salwar kameez.Most Muslim women wear burqa and hijab outdoors.In addition to the traditional Indian and Muslim garments, increasing exposure to western cultures has led to a rise in the wearing of western style clothing among youths.

South Indian music and dances such as the Kuchipudi and Bharatanatyam styles are popular in the Deccan region. As a result of their culture policies, North Indian music and dance gained popularity during the rule of the Mughals and Nizams,and it was also during their reign that it became a tradition among the nobility to associate themselves with tawaif ,courtesans. These courtesans were revered as the epitome of etiquette and culture, and were appointed to teach singing, poetry and classical dance to many children of the aristocracy.

This gave rise to certain styles of court music, dance and poetry. Besides western and Indian popular music genres such as filmi music, the residents of Hyderabad play city-based marfa music, dholak ke geet or household songs based on local Folklore, and qawwali, especially at weddings, festivals and other celebratory events.The state government organises the Golconda Music and Dance Festival, the Taramati Music Festival and the Premavathi Dance Festival to further encourage the development of music.

Although the city is not particularly noted for theatre and drama,the state government promotes theatre with multiple programmes and festivals in such venues as the Ravindra Bharati, Shilpakala Vedika and Lalithakala Thoranam. Although not a purely music oriented event, Numaish, a popular annual exhibition of local and national consumer products, does feature some musical performances.The city is home to the Telugu film industry, popularly known as Tollywood and as of 2012, produces the second largest number of films in India behind Bollywood.

Films in the local Hyderabadi dialect are also produced and have been gaining popularity since 2005.The city has also hosted international film festivals such as the International Children's Film Festival and the Hyderabad International Film Festival.In 2005, Guinness World Records declared Ramoji Film City to be the world's largest film studio.

The region is well known for its Golconda and Hyderabad painting styles which are branches of Deccani painting.Developed during the 16th century, the Golconda style is a native style blending foreign techniques and bears some similarity to the Vijayanagara paintings of neighbouring Mysore. A significant use of luminous gold and white colours is generally found in the Golconda style.The Hyderabad style originated in the 17th century under the Nizams. Highly influenced by Mughal painting, this style makes use of bright colours and mostly depicts regional landscape, culture, costumes and jewellery.

Although not a centre for handicrafts itself, the patronage of the arts by the Mughals and Nizams attracted artisans from the region to Hyderabad. Such crafts include: Bidriware, a metalwork handicraft from neighbouring Karnataka, which was popularised during the 18th century and has since been granted a Geographical Indication (GI) tag under the auspices of the WTO act;and Zari and Zardozi, embroidery works on textile that involve making elaborate designs using gold, silver and other metal threads.

Another example of a handicraft drawn to Hyderabad is Kalamkari, a hand-painted or block-printed cotton textile that comes from cities in Andhra Pradesh. This craft is distinguished in having both a Hindu style, known as Srikalahasti and entirely done by hand, and an Islamic style, known as Machilipatnam that uses both hand and block techniques.

Examples of Hyderabad's arts and crafts are housed in various museums including the Salar Jung Museum housing one of the largest one-man-collections in the world, the AP State Archaeology Museum, the Nizam Museum, the City Museum and the Birla Science Museum.

Hyderabadi Biryani
Hyderabadi cuisine comprises a broad repertoire of rice, wheat and meat dishes and the skilled use of various spices.Hyderabadi biryani and Hyderabadi haleem, with their blend of Mughlai and Arab cuisines,carry the national Geographical Indications tag.Hyderabadi cuisine is influenced to some extent by French,but more by Arabic, Turkish, Iranian and native Telugu and Marathwada cuisines.Popular native dishes include nihari, chakna, baghara baingan and the desserts qubani ka meetha, double ka meetha and kaddu ki kheer (a sweet porridge made with sweet gourd).










Falooda, is a favourite drink of Hyderabad.




In recent times, there has been an explosion in the number of restaurants in Hyderabad, fueled by demand from young professionals with money to spend. Quality and variety of food, however, has 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. In general, keep away from restaurants that call themselves multi-cuisine or if you see multiple cuisines on the menu, as the chances are that they are attempting to serve every kind of palate and will not satisfy any.


Two of the biggest names in Hyderabad's restaurant business are Ohri's and the BJN Group. It will seem as if every second restaurant in the city is run by either one or the other. BJN generally runs upscale restaurants, while Ohri's runs both upscale and mid-range restaurants. It also runs numerous fast food places all over the city, including at Prasad's Imax, Banjara Hills, Somajiguda, EatStreet, Hyderabad Central & Basheer Bagh.

Hyderabad has a large number of outlets that are positioned as bakeries. These are primarily takeaway places, where one can buy sandwiches, burgers, biscuits and puffs to go,called parcel in local parlance. Usually, there are a few chairs and tables thrown in as an afterthought.

Many Western chains have set up shop in the posh areas of Hyderabad. Among these are Texas Chicken, McDonald's, KFC, Pizza Hut, Dominos and Subway. Most of these have multiple outlets and all of them have Indianised their fare to varying extents. The Indian pizza chain Pizza Corner also has many outlets. Barista, Cafe Coffee Day and Java Green outlets are good places to have coffee and conversations.


Alcohol is available easily from numerous Liquor Shops, known as wine shops in local parlance, spread across the twin cities, in restaurants with bars attached,includes most upscale ones and in pubs.








Hyderabad's first dial-up internet access became available in the early 1990s and was limited to software development companies.The first public internet access service began in 1995, with the first private sector internet service provider (ISP) starting operations in 1998.In 2015, high-speed public WiFi was introduced in parts of the city.

The most commonly used forms of medium distance transport in Hyderabad include government owned services such as light railways and buses, as well as privately operated taxis and auto rickshaws.Bus services operate from the Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station in the city centre and carry over 130 million passengers daily across the entire network.Hyderabad's light rail transportation system, the Multi-Modal Transport System (MMTS), is a three line suburban rail service used by over 160,000 passengers daily.Complementing these government services are minibus routes operated by Setwin (Society for Employment Promotion & Training in Twin Cities).

Intercity rail services also operate from Hyderabad; the main, and largest, station is Secunderabad Railway Station, which serves as Indian Railways' South Central Railway zone headquarters and a hub for both buses and MMTS light rail services connecting Secunderabad and Hyderabad. Other major railway stations in Hyderabad are Hyderabad Deccan Station, Kacheguda Railway Station, Begumpet Railway Station, Malkajgiri Railway Station and Lingampally Railway Station.The Hyderabad Metro, a new rapid transit system, is to be added to the existing public transport infrastructure and is scheduled to operate by 2018.

As of 2012, there are over 3.5 million vehicles operating in the city, of which 74% are two-wheelers, 15% cars and 3% three-wheelers. The remaining 8% include buses, goods vehicles and taxis.The large number of vehicles coupled with relatively low road coverage—roads occupy only 9.5% of the total city area has led to widespread traffic congestion especially since 80% of passengers and 60% of freight are transported by road.The Inner Ring Road, the Outer Ring Road, the Hyderabad Elevated Expressway, the longest flyover in India,and various interchanges, overpasses and underpasses were built to ease the congestion. Maximum speed limits within the city are 50 km/h (31 mph) for two-wheelers and cars, 35 km/h (22 mph) for auto rickshaws and 40 km/h (25 mph) for light commercial vehicles and buses.

Hyderabad sits at the junction of three National Highways linking it to six other states: NH-7 runs 2,369 km (1,472 mi) from Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, in the north to Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu, in the south; NH-65, runs 841 km (523 mi) east-west between Machilipatnam, Andhra Pradesh, and Suryapet, Pune, Maharashtra; and the 280 km (174 mi) NH-163 links Hyderabad to Bhopalpatnam, Chhattisgarh NH-765 links Hyderabad to Srisailam. Five state highways, SH-1, SH-2, SH-4, SH-5 and SH-6, either start from, or pass through, Hyderabad.

Air traffic was previously handled via Begumpet Airport, but this was replaced by Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) (IATA: HYD, ICAO: VOHS) in 2008,with the capacity of handling 12 million passengers and 100,000 tonnes of cargo per annum. In 2011, Airports Council International, an autonomous body representing the world's airports, judged RGIA the world's best airport in the 5–15 million passenger category and the world's fifth best airport for service quality.







If you are traveling to Hyderabad on business as is increasingly the case now it is easy to miss the 400-year-old Hyderabad. The city that immediately hits the eye is a sprawling metropolis of shopping malls and office buildings with glass facades. The whole of the city seems to be under construction or renovation and the roads are jammed because flyovers are being constructed. It is a magnificent city in many senses.

The old city that was once the seat of the Nizam, the ruler of the largest and the most opulent princely state, and the twin city of Secunderabad where the British maintained a cantonment to keep the army within striking distance of the Nizam can be seen only if you take the time out to see them.








Due to a recent influx of young men and women from various parts of the country for better job opportunities, Hyderabad's culture and attitudes have taken a turn towards modernity. However, it is good to keep in mind that the city is still a deeply conservative place and to dress appropriately, especially in the old city.



Telugu the state language of Andhra Pradesh and one of India's six living classical languages and Urdu are widely spoken in Hyderabad, and most educated people speak Telugu, Urdu, Hindi and/or English.

English signs are common.




Domestic connectivity is excellent with Indian airlines operating from here including Air India, Air India Express, Indian Airlines, Indigo Airlines, Jet Airways, JetLite, Trujet and SpiceJet,Trujet is new.


Alternatively, you can hire metered air-conditioned radio cabs starting from Rs 40 for the first 2 km Skycabs and Meru are approved by the airport @ 21 Rs/km and are available just after exiting the terminal building. For the rest, you need to call and book with a lead time of 15 minutes to 1 hour. These cabs charge 25% surcharge in the night ie, Rs 26.25 per km between 2300 hours and 0500 hours. Hyderabad traffic police counter is on the ground floor with prepaid taxis.

Beware of taxi soliciting tours at the airport greeting area; they might try to scam you into exorbitant rates,especially so in case of non- locals. The Hyderabad Traffic Police has partnered with the Airport authorities to run a counter for prepaid taxis. This is a safe option with all taxis being registered with the police. The police also runs a SHE cab service now, especially for women travellers, with female drivers and safety equipment such as a GPS connected to the Police Control Room.

One can also hire a cab from many app- based services such as Uber or Ola, whose fares are available in the apps and their websites.Please keep in mind that while these services are substantially cheaper than the radio cabs, they will charge Rs. 200 in addition to the fare as parking charges levied on them by the airport. This option is the best while travelling to the airport, as the parking charges do not apply for departures.


Indian Railways has service to Hyderabad from all over India.


Hyderabad is well connected to other major Metros by road. Bangalore is connected by NH7 and is at a distance of 560 km. The city is 752 km from Chennai using highways NH9 and NH5 and 800 km from Mumbai NH9 till Pune and the expressway to Mumbai. The Bangalore Hyderabad section is part of the North South corridor which is being upgraded to a four-lane divided highway.





There are many ways to get around in Hyderabad. It has good bus service, good autorickshaw service,although they never charge by meter and always overprice, making cabs cheaper and well developed Radio taxi services as well as new app based services such as Uber and Ola. There is a local train service too, but it is grossly inadequate and unreliable. It is advisable that travelers using smartphones download the Hyderabad Police and Hyderabad Traffic Police apps from the app store, as these have some safety features such as and SOS button to the control room, as well as options to lodge complaints.

Hyderabad has good local bus connectivity and is run by TSRTC , a state-government owned corporation. Most intercity buses start and end at the Mahatma Gandhi Bus Terminus more commonly known as Imlibun, and there are numerous depots where city service buses start and end. One can use Google maps to plan travel by bus. There are five categories of buses Ordinary, Metro Express, Metro Deluxe, AC, Volvo AC. The Volvo Buses are the most comfortable, with fares starting from Rs. 35. There are also monthly passes of Rs. 2100 that allow one to travel anywhere any number of times by any service across the city. Other buses tend to get extremely overcrowded and traveling on the footboard of a bus is very common.


Autorickshaws in Hyderabad should be metered, though it can be difficult for non-locals and locals alike to find an autorickshaw driver who ever agrees to a metered fare. This is especially true when hailing an auto in front of a 5 star hotel, near bus stands, railway stations and near Hi-Tech area. However, Traffic police are very helpful and will help engage an Auto with metered fare. Autos can carry a maximum of 3 passengers excluding the driver, but it is common to find them being overloaded to carry up to six passengers when one .




Most of the auto drivers want you to checkout pearls shop,which they claim are authorized by the Govt, in exchange of less fare however they are okay if you don't buy anything from these shops, just sit there for 10 minutes. They are encouraged with incentives to bring customers into these shops. The pearl shops are notorious for persuasive sales tactics and they won't let you out easily. So pay the complete fare to auto drivers instead of being diverted to a pearl shop.

Auto drivers get some percent of the entry fees if they take you to the places like Chowmoholla Palace or Salarjung museum for free. If you are around these areas get into some auto instead of walking down and ask them to drop you there.



It is best to use new app based cabs such as Ola and Uber, which assure service and courteous drivers. However, there have been cases of misbehavior by Cabdrivers although few and it is advised to us the Hyderabad Police app and enter the details of the cab you are getting into, to be safe. Fares for these start at Rs. 6 per km and Rs. 1 per minute of ride time. (Ola Micro). Availability is very good at busy locales, and most apps have tracking features as well as SOS features.


Operators offering metered taxis at Rs 10 per km,Most of them are now charging Rs 12 per km for an Indica, Rs 10 continues in case of Maruti Omni with a minimum charge is Rs 80 in most cases. Many taxi services prefer not to book trips that are only a short distance.

However covering the entire city with so many sightseeing locations, will be costly on a CAB, whereas hiring a Full Day Taxi / Car is suggested, which normally charge on 8 hrs or 80 kms basis



Hyderabad lacks an expressway system, leading to traffic jams during rush hours. However, an 160 km Ring Road Expressway is currently under construction.





The Telangana Tourism department runs a hop- on hop- off bus service that takes one around the city.

Hyderabad's interesting districts are fairly spread out, but are enjoyable to explore by foot on their own. The Old City is composed of a maze of disorienting alleyways that expand outward from the Charminar. Getting lost in the markets,where you can buy anything from hand-sequined saris to freshly slaughtered goats and alleyways in the Old City can make for a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon. The famous Chudi Bazaar (Lad Bazaar) across from the Charminar is a chaotic tumble of goods, people, animals and vehicles are navigated quickly on foot.







Chowmahalla Palace, Khilwat, 20-4-236, Motigalli. Sa-Th 10AM-5PM, closed on National Holidays. Situated near Charminar, it was the seat of the Asaf Jahi dynasty where the Nizam entertained his official guests and royal visitors. Rs 40 (for Indians), Rs 150 (for foreigners), camera permit Rs 50.


Golconda Fort. 7AM-8PM. The Golconda Fort was the capital of the Qutb Shahi kingdom. Set aside a minimum of 2 hr to do justice to your visit the outer wall measures 10 km. Learning a little about the fort ahead of time is recommended as it is easy to get confused or lost in the massive space. If you accept one of the local guides - who hustle you at the entrance gate,try to pick one who actually knows his stuff Rs 500 per tour and the guide would also ask you for tips in the end, however it is entirely up to you whether to give tips or not, rather than someone who was actually just passing by, spotted you and will tell you bits he once read in a guidebook.



Qutb Shahi Tombs,1 km north of Golconda fort, approached via Banjara Darwaza). Sa-Th 9:30AM-5:30PM. The Qutubshahi mosques in Hyderabad are so named because they were built by the Qutubshahi dynasty. Most of them were built by Quli Qutb Shah, the founder. Sadly in May 2010 local newspapers revealed that shoddy restoration work allegedly using unskilled labour with road drills bought in by one government department that didn't bother to seek professional advice or inform the local archaeological or environment departments, has been damaging these beautiful buildings.

Qutub Shahi Tombs Site Museum, Hyderabad-8.
H.E.H The Nizam's Museum, Purani Haveli, Hyderabad-2,Behind Princess Durru Shehvar Children's Hospital. Sa-Th 10AM-5PM. Home to the famous wardrobe of Mahbub Ali Pasha, who is said never to have worn the same thing twice. It is the world's longest wardrobe, built in two levels with a hand-cranked wooden lift elevator in place. This occupies the entire length of one wing of the palace. Hard to find, take small road next to Princess Durru Shehwar Hospital, entrance gate at N17 22.002 E78 28.975 Rs 50, students & children Rs 15.

Hussain Shah Wali Dargah.



Paigah Tombs, Santoshnagar (Pisal Banda). daytime. These tombs belong to the Paigah nobles,tied by blood and marriage to the Nizams and are about 200 years old. These unique lime and mortar tombs are beautifully carved and have marble inlay work on them. Relaxing environment with bird singing. N17 20.639 E78 30.248 seems free.



Salar Jung Museum, Naya Pul, Afzalgunj,Turn left once you reach the south bank of Musi using the Nayapul. Sa-Th 10AM-5PM, ticketing closes at 4:15PM. This collection belonged to the Salar Jungs, Prime Minsters of Hyderabad, but has been augmented since. The collection includes articles mostly from medieval and modern times, with a concentration of articles from the Islamic era. The western wing on the second floor is interesting. It contains paintings, furniture and other objects that the Salar Jung got from the West.



Archival Museum T.S. State Archives and Research Institute, Tarnaka, Hyderabad-7.


Birla Mandir, Adarsh Nagar, Naubat Pahad,Two different routes depending on whether you want to drive right to the top or climb the stairs. 10AM-noon, 2PM-8PM. The industrial house of the Birlas have the tradition of building magnificent marble temples in cities of India. This one is one of the best. Located on top of Naubat Pahad (mountain), this clean, sparkling white temple dedicated to Venkateshwara has viewing areas that afford a great view of the city.



The High Court of Telangana, Nayapul.



The Kothi Residency (Womens College, Kothi).



Punjagutta to Gachibowli

Alankrita Art Gallery, Kavuri Hills, Madhapur.

Gallery Space, Rd No.12, Banjara Hills.

Kalahita Art Foundation, Lakshmi Towers, Nagarjuna Hills.

Le Cafe De Art, Rd No.1 Banjara Hills.

Pegasus Art Gallery, Road No.72 Jubilee Hills.



State Gallery Of Art (Chitramayee), Road No. 1, Kavuri Hills, Madhapur, Jubilee Hills, ☎ +91 40 2311 3308.




Sanghi Temple, Hayat Nagar. Free.

Karmanghat hanuman temple, karmanghat. Free.

Iskcon Temple, Sri Sri Radha Madanmohan Mandir, Nampally Station Road, Abids.


Ujjaini Mahankali Temple, Secunderabad. Free.

Peddamma Temple, Jubilee Hills. Free.

Ashtalaksmi temple, dilsukhnagar. Free.

Puri Jagannath Temple

Hyderabad has many historical mosques and churches.

Mecca Masjid.

Charminar Masjid.

Toli Masjid.

Jama Masjid Darushafa.

Badshai Masjid.

Jama Masjid Mushirabad.



Lakes found in Hyderabad

Hussain Sagar Lake.

Osman Sagar Gandipet

Himayat Sagar

Shamirpet 24 km away to the north of Secunderabad, Shamirpet has a beautiful lake and a deer park. The peaceful environs make it a great picnic spot. TS Tourism offers comfortable cottages facilities for accommodation under private management while the forest lodge can be booked with the TS Forest Department office at Saifabad.




Necklace Road. The Chaupati of Hyderabad.


Sanjeeviah Park

Krishna Kanth Park

Lotus Pond (Jubilee Hills)

Botanical Garden (Madapur)

Nehru Zoological Park almost natural habitat for a great collection of in + Safari

KBR National Park (Chiraan Palace)

Chilkur Wildlife Park

Jalavihar Family Water Park (Necklace Rd)

Mahaveer Vanasthali Wildlife park



Jalagam Vengal Rao Park (JVR Park, Banjara Hills)

NTR (Nandamoori Taraka Ramarao) Gardens (Necklace Rd)





Heritage walk, Char Minar. 7AM-9AM every Sunday and 2nd Saturday. They are organized by the TS tourism department and led by a knowledgeable guide and Tourist Police. There are two flavors of walks so far, one that ends at Chowmohalla palace, and the other that ends at Badshahi Ashoorkhana.Bonus - breakfast served too! It's probably better to call up at beforehand and confirm which walk is on. Ticket price is Rs 50 per head and can be bought at char minar on the spot.




Dhola ri Dhani, Kompally, Medchal Rd (11 km from Secunderabad at Kompally on Medchal Highway). Ethnic Rajasthani village. A unit of Gupta's Hotel & Motels and is recognized by Telangana Government as a Theme Restaurant and Tourist Attraction. In the evening, the whole village is lit up with 2,000 lanterns and a village fair is staged.

High View Swimming Pool, Maula Ali.


Treasure Island, Gandipet



Ocean Park, Gandipet. A water-theme park









Golf courses

EmaarMGF Boulder Hills Golf and Country Club, Manikonda Village, Gachibowli Mr. Sanjay Pan.


ACS Golf Course 4, 214 KPHB Colony, Kukatpally.

Army Golf Course Club, Risala Bazar, Bolarum, Secunderabad.

Bolarum Golf Club, Risala Bazar, Bolarum.

Tennis courts

Park View Enclave Tennis Centre, Boinpally Secunderabad.

Ace Tennis Academy, Begumpet.




Jagdamba Pearls, Gupta Estate, Basheer Bagh. Jagdamba Pearls, is one of the oldest and the largest pearl companies in India.

C. Krishniah Chetty & Sons-The Flagship Boutique, Taj Deccan. -1PM, on Sun 11-8PM.

Lilac Boutique, Liberty Rd, Himayathnagar (near TTD, opposite Dadu Sweets). Designer and made to order & customised heavy suits, sarees and fancy blouses.



Ghanshyamdas Jewellers (opp Abids Police Station). Genuine pearls

Ornaments ∓ jewellery (Punjagutta, Abids and Somajiguda)

Imitation Jewellery. From Charminar.


Ladida-lingerie store (lingerie, ladies wear, nightwear), #2,R,K.Plaza, Opp.Joyalukkas Jewelers, Greenlands Rd, Panjagutta. 11AM-9PM. Exclusive lingerie store where you can for shop lingerie and lounge wear. Rs 300-2,500.


Lepakshi,(Gunfoundry, Abids).


Bidri Crafts, (Gunfoundry, Abids).

Vishwakarmarts gallery. Esteemhouse opposite to model house in Punjagutta Dwarakarapuri colony

Shilparamam. Also Known As Night Bazaaz, Madhapur. Exhibitions of handicrafts.





- Cell One - GSM 900, 1800

- Airtel - GSM 900, 1800

- Vodafone - GSM 900, 1800

- Idea - GSM 900, 1800

- Reliance Com - CDMA, GSM 900,1800

- Tata Indicom - CDMA.

- Aircel - GSM 900, 1800

- Uninor - GSM 900, 1800

- Tata Docomo - GSM 900, 1800

- Virgin Mobile - CDMA, GSM 900, 1800



For a longer stays with a laptop, it's better to get a Data plan either from Tata Indicom or Reliance Mobile, which are around Rs 1,000 a month or if you have WLAN (Wireless lan or WiFi) enabled laptops. There are many wireless public WiFi networks available in Hyderabad for free access to high-speed internet.







Recently chain snatching incidents where miscreants on motorcycles zoom past unsuspecting women wearing Gold jewellery and snatch the chain away, have become common in the city. One has to be watchful while going into crowded areas.


- Toll Free Number for Medical, Police and Fire 108

- Police Control Room 100 (The response is very swift.)

- Child Line Facility 1098




- Eenadu

- Namaste Telangana

- Andhra Jyothy

- Sakshi

- Vaarttha

- Deccan Chronicle

- The Times of India

- Indian Express

- Full Hyderabad

- The Hindu

- Siasat

- Munsif

- Hello Hyderabad

- cvr news

One of Hyderabad's earliest newspapers, The Deccan Times, was established in the 1780s.In modern times, the major Telugu dailies published in Hyderabad are Eenadu, Andhra Jyothy, Sakshi and Namaste Telangana, while the major English papers are The Times of India, The Hindu, and The Deccan Chronicle. The major Urdu papers include The Siasat Daily, The Munsif Daily and Etemaad. Many coffee table magazines, professional magazines and research journals are also regularly published.

The Secunderabad Cantonment Board established the first radio station in Hyderabad State around 1919. Deccan Radio was the first radio public broadcast station in the city starting on 3 February 1935,with FM broadcasting beginning in 2000.The available channels in Hyderabad include All India Radio, Radio Mirchi, Radio City, Red FM, Big FM and Fever FM.

Television broadcasting in Hyderabad began in 1974 with the launch of Doordarshan, the Government of India's public service broadcaster,which transmits two free-to-air terrestrial television channels and one satellite channel. Private satellite channels started in July 1992 with the launch of Star TV.Satellite TV channels are accessible via cable subscription, direct-broadcast satellite services or internet-based television.
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