Travel Bucket List: India – Telangana Part 3

Posted on December 22, 2021 by memoriesandsuch

Secunderabad
Known as Hyderabad’s twin city, Secunderabad was established in 1806 as a British cantonment and is named after Sikandar Jah, the third Nizam of the Asaf Jahi dynasty. Although both the cities are together referred to as the twin cities, Hyderabad and Secunderabad have different histories and cultures, with Secunderabad having developed directly under British rule until 1948, and Hyderabad as the capital of the Nizams’ princely state of Hyderabad. Geographically divided from Hyderabad by the Hussain Sagar Lake, Secunderabad is today no longer a separate municipal unit and has become part of Hyderabad’s Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation with both cities collectively known as Hyderabad and together form the sixth-largest metropolis in India.

Following the dissolution of the Chalukya empire into four parts in the 11th century, the areas around the present-day Hyderabad and Secunderabad came under the control of the Kakatiya dynasty, whose seat of power was at Warangal. Secunderabad is also where the then Mughal emperor Ahmad Shah Bahadur was defeated in 1754 by the Maratha Confederacy. The area around Secunderabad changed hands between various rulers, and the area was part of Nizam’s Hyderabad by the 18th century.

Modern Secunderabad was founded as a British cantonment after Nizam Asaf Jah II was defeated by the British East India Company. He was then forced to sign the 1798 Treaty of Subsidiary Alliance to get the favour of the British troops camped in the village of Ulwul, northeast of the Hussain Sagar Lake. In 1803, Nizam Sikandar Jah, the third Nizam of Hyderabad, changed Ulwul’s name to Secunderabad after himself and the city was formed in 1806 after the order was signed by the Nizam allotting the land north of Hussain Sagar to set up the British Cantonment.

The twin cities are separated by the man-made Hussain Sagar Lake, which was built during the reign of the Qutb Shahi dynasty in the 16th century. Unlike Hyderabad, the official language of Secunderabad was English and the city was exempted from customs duty on imported goods, thus making trade very profitable. After the First War of Indian Independence of 1857, the construction of a 7-metre-high wall was started at Trimulgherry and completed in 1867. Originally constructed in 1860 as the country house of the British Resident at Hyderabad, the Residency House is now known as the Rashtrapati Nilayam, the official retreat of the President of India.

First formed in 1945, the Secunderabad Municipal Corporation was merged with Hyderabad Corporation to form a single municipal corporation in 1960 and today, Secunderabad is part of the Hyderabad district. Because of the presence of different communities, Secunderabad has historically been a cosmopolitan city and used to be referred by locals as Lashkar, which means the armed forces and the city’s culture reflected the same.

Rashtrapati Nilayam, or Residency House, is a presidential retreat for the President of India’s southern sojourn. Spread over an area of 92 acres, the mansion occupies 35 acres with the remaining 80% filled with lush green lawns, fragrant flower gardens and vegetation. It was originally built by Nizam Nasir-ud-Dauhla, the fourth ruler of the Asaf Jahi dynasty and taken over by the British during their colonial rule. During the Nizam’s reign, it used to be the official residence of the Chief Military Officer and was known as the Residency during the British colonial rule. After Hyderabad became part of the Indian Union, it was renamed Rashtrapati Nilayam and every Indian President has stayed there at least once a year. The single-story white building is divided into three wings – the Presidential Wing, the Family Wing and the ADC Wing. The 20 rooms in the three wings include a cinema, the State Dining Hall, a morning room, the Durbar Hall and the ADC Dining room. Standing about 25 feet tall, the kitchen is connected to the dining hall through an underground tunnel to restrict staff interference and noise. The building is equipped with enough staff and a guest house to accommodate 150 people. There are tour guides available who brief visitors about the geography and history of the Nilayam. Entry to Rashtrapati Nilayam is exclusive, however, recently it was made open to the public from 01 to 10 January with visiting hours from 10 am to 5 pm with last entry at 4 pm and there is no entry fee.

The 120 feet high Secunderabad Clock Tower is built on an area of 2.5 acres and has been around since colonial times. Centrally located, the clock tower was designed by the then Nizam of Hyderabad with the clock on top of the tower donated by Dewan Bahadur Seth Lachmicharan Ramgopal and was renovated recently

An embodiment of the Indo-European culture, the Paigah Palace was built by Sir Vicar-ul-Umra in 1900 as a gift for the sixth Nizam of Hyderabad Mir Mahbub Ali Khan. Paigah was a title that meant grandeur and the high rank was given to nobles who were second to the Nizams. The palace sits on a four-acre area and is an opulent two-storied neo-classical building with a grand portico, semicircular arches, Corinthian columns and deep arcaded verandas on all four sides which face both inward and outward with a spectacular view of the courtyard. The palace today can be rented for functions. The construction of the palace started in the 1880s along with two other palaces called the Devdi Nasir Nawaz Jung palace and the Vikhar Manzi and construction was completed in 1900. Today, the palace is divided into three parts. One part is a residential area where the Paigah royals still live. The second part is converted into a club, and the third part is converted into a ceremonial place where religious ceremonies take place. When one steps into the palace, one will see a magnificent ceiling which is twenty-two feet tall on the ground floor and twenty-six feet tall on the first floor. The palace has four halls and more than twenty rooms and is protected from extreme weather by its twenty-four-inch-thick insulated wall. The palace has arches with three beautiful windows with floral designs intricately carved on the top of the walls on both floors. A delicately carved wooden staircase leads to the second floor of the palace. A new four storied building was added to the palace in 1999 with landscaping done a few years ago.

The Kandalokya Oxygen Park is a 75-acre park with hundreds of fruit trees and medicinal plants and tranquil spots. A hub for picnics, yoga lessons, picnics, occasional or weekly meetings and school visits, the park attracts many to seek solace and meditate. The Butterfly Garden is surrounded by greenery with a statue of a yellow butterfly with a seat attached to it which is known to be a selfie spot. A massive tortoise placed beside a lake known as the Tortoise Lake is eye-candy for children who try and climb on it. The 2.2 km long jogging and walking track is surrounded by trees and the Canopy Walk is a 226-meter long fenced pathway with trees. The Gazebo is a seating arrangement that is often used as a picnic spot. One of the trees has been carved into a structure resembling Groot from Guardians of the Galaxy which is also very popular. A children’s favourite is the spiral stairway leading to a treehouse providing fantastic views of the park. There are also two areas promoting learning in nature that have been equipped with the necessary classroom paraphernalia of blackboards, chairs and tables. The Zipline, which is a rope connected from one end of the park to the other provides an over-the-top experience. The fee to book a ride from the rope is INR 50. The park has an entry fee of INR 15 for adults and INR 10 for children from 5 to 12 years and also monthly and annual membership passes available. The park is open daily from 6 am to 6 pm.

Located in the city’s outskirts, the Shamirpet Deer Park was built in 1971 during the rule of Nizams. Spread over an area of 54 acres, the park is home to a wide array of animals, including many species of deer seen in their natural habitat. Blackbuck and Chital Deer are the main wildlife attractions with the Shamirpet Lake located in the proximity of the park. Also known as the Jawahar Deer Park, it is maintained by the government of Telangana. The Park is best explored by taking a walk. The Park is divided into two areas – the visitors’ area and the core area with tourists only allowed in the Visitors’ area. There is also a watchtower and a viewpoint that gives gorgeous views of Shamirpet Lake. Other activities that can be done in the park include boating, trekking and bouldering. The ideal trekking time is between 5 and 11 am. The park is open from 9 am to 5 pm every day except Mondays and has an entry fee of INR 10 for those above 6 and INR 5 for the others.

Sprawling over an area of 116 hectares and called one of the urban lung spaces of the twin cities, the Bhagyanagar Nandanavanam Deer Park is a nature conservation park that houses a wide range of flora and fauna, prominent among them being deer. Other than wildlife creatures, the park offers well-laid cycling tracks, an elevated canopy walkway, a watchtower to facilitate bird watching, wildlife photography and more. Park remains open for both, morning walkers and tourists. The walking hours are between 5 and 9 am while visiting hours are between 11 am and 6 pm. The Park is open on all days of the week and entrance tickets are INR 15 for adults and INR 10 for children between 5 and 12.

Located in the heart of Secunderabad, the Shamirpet Lake is an artificial lake built during the reign of the Nizam of Hyderabad. During the winter month, flamingos and pelicans flock here and it is best visited between November to February.

The Fox Sagar Lake also called the Jeedimetla Chevuru or Kolla Chevuru is the second largest lake in Secunderabad. This 120-year-old man-made lake has a maximum depth of 33 feet and was linked to the Hussain Sagar Lake by a tributary of the Musi river. Kolla Chevuru has a stone structure shaped like a dome called the pump set which is led through by an iron bridge that looks like a watchtower with a tomb and has 1897 inscribed in it. The view from there is beautiful, led through a narrow muddy road and is most visited during dusk and dawn. What was once a beautiful lake has turned into a dump yard in recent years and because of encroachment, from a famous picnic spot, it has now become the second most polluted lake in the twin cities. The lake which once spread over 290 acres now covers only 126 acres. However, WWF, in collaboration with the Telangana State Special Protection Force, began a cleaning camp in 2017 which is still ongoing.

Also known as the Oora Cheruvu, Kapra Lake’s natural beauty is spread over an area of 113 acres. Autumn is the best time to visit the lake which is believed to have been one of the important sources of water when Nizam-ul-Mulk ruled over the Hyderabad state in the early 18th century. Edulabad Lake was constructed in the 16th century and is often referred to as the Lakshminarayana Cheruvu. A favourite birdwatching and camping spot as well as a sunrise and sunset point its five sq km area acts as a natural habitat for a varied species of birds and is home to a recorded 152 species of birds. The best time to visit the lake is in winter due to the pattern of bird migration. However, pollution in the lake poses a problem but the lake is surrounded by lush green fields. Also called the Ramanthapur Lake, Pedda Cheruvu was once highly polluted with weeds, debris and plastic. However, in 2018 the lake sprang back to life after the Government and an NGO purified the water, the water retention capacity was improved, and the lake was beautified with various plants. The lake has a catchment capacity of about 68.97 sq km and a cumulative flow of 8,860 cusecs. As there is no road that links to the lake, a temporary road is under construction to make it easier to reach the lake. Pedda Chevuru which means Large Lake in Telugu is a natural lake that was discovered in 1897 during the rule of Mir Mahaboob Ali Khan, the 6th Nizam of Hyderabad.

Safilguda Lake is a local favourite for morning walks, jogging and meditation. There is a small island in the middle of the lake, called the Nadimi Bird Island which is covered in thick timber that attracts many migratory birds. There is also a park adjacent to the lake known as the Safilguda Lake Park. Since the boundary of the lake is similar to that of the Tank Bund, it is also popularly known as the Mini Tank Bund. Despite the area of only 5 acres, the lake has a rich biodiversity, high vegetation and many migratory birds visiting it throughout the year. Alwal Lake is a scenic artificial lake about 9 km from the twin cities and is extremely popular among those who enjoy fishing.

Telangana’s best-kept secret, Narsapur Forest is hidden away near the tiny village of Narsapur, about 47 km north of Secunderabad. Considered to be a popular getaway, the forest abounds in natural beauty and sprawls over 30 sq km with the highlight of the forest a cosy lake tucked away in the heart of the forest where one can just sit and relax or spend time with loved ones having a picnic. Other than monkeys, the forest also is home to many birds and butterflies. There are several ponds, rock formations and flower beds here.

The Wargal Saraswati temple, otherwise called the Sri Vidya Saraswati Temple, is located in a hillock. The construction of the temple began in 1998 and is currently being maintained by the Kanchi Sankara Mutt. The main goddess here is Goddess Saraswati and the temple attracts many to pray for their children’s education and career. The temple also houses a Veda pathshala or school within its premises. The temple is open between 6 am to 12:30 pm and then from 4 to 7:30 pm, Mondays to Thursdays and from 6 am to 2 pm and between 4 to 7:30 pm on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

About 200 years old, the Sri Ganesh temple is one of the famous temples in Telangana. The main deity is Lord Ganesha, and apart from the main deity, there are six other sannathis dedicated to various gods and goddesses namely Lord Shiva, Sri Navagraha, Sri Subramanya Swamy, Sri Anjaneya, Sri Uma Maheshwari, RahuKetu and the Maha Ganapathi Mandapam. It is a belief that the idol of Lord Ganesha was discovered in 1824 by the Madras Regiment of Sepoys while digging a well. Later, the temple was built and the idol of the Lord was placed as the main deity. The idol is a beautiful structure of the Lord posing with his right arm on his thigh, another hand holding the Ankusham, his left hand placed on the trunk and the fourth hand holding a Damarakam with a snake. The Temple is crowned with a huge tomb, traditionally called the Gopuram which has intricate carvings on them. The structure of the temple and the placement of the idols are based on the Agama Sastra. The Rathothsavam or the wooden chariot in the temple is another major attraction that is used during Ganesh Chathurthi when three idols from the temple take their place in the chariot and are carried around the city till the tank and brought back after the other idols are immersed. The temple is open daily from 5:30 am to 1 pm and then between 4 to 8:30 pm.

The Ujjaini Mahankali Temple is a 191-year-old temple that is illuminated during July and August for the festival of Mahankali Ammari Jathra with electric lights and decorated with garlands, buntings and festoons. Goddess Mahankali’s stone idol has four hands carved on it, each of which holds a Sword, a Damaru, a spear and an amrut vessel. She is seated in the Padmasana pose and covered in a layer of silver with Vendi Kavacham. Beside Goddess, Mahankali resides another Hindu deity called Goddess Manikyaladevi. According to a myth, In 1813, there was a cholera epidemic in present-day Secundrabad and many lives were lost. Suriti Appaiah, the Doli bearer who belonged to the military battalion, took upon himself to seek the blessings of the Goddess and rid people of their suffering. He went to the Mahankali temple in Ujjain and asked Goddess Kali to cure people of the epidemic misfortunes. He offered his devotion in the form of a temple that he built after reaching Secunderabad. Soon, people were healed and came to the temple to give their thanks. He set up a stone idol of Goddess Kali and worshipped her. The temple is open from 6 am to 12 noon and from 4 to 9 pm all days except Fridays when it’s open from 6 am to 1 pm and 4 to 10 pm.

The Nagamma Temple is one of the oldest temples in the area with intricately carved idols and ancient architecture. The temple is dedicated to Goddess Nagamma, a snake deity whom devotees believe will satisfy desires and reduce the issues with their horoscope. The temple, also known as the Naga Devata Temple, can be traced back to the period of British rule and was originally a small place of worship for locals. The construction of the grand temple that exists today, was commenced in the 1960s and was completed in 1970. Several strategically positioned smaller temples surround the Nagamma Temple. The temple displays South Indian influences in its design, featuring a recently incorporated marriage hall; ancient stone pillars from the Ujjain Mahankali Temple which are covered in intricate carvings of significant Hindu deities; a traditional prayer hall; life-like idols of snakes and associated gods and goddesses. There is also a tower-like structure known as a Vihmana, attached to the temple which showcases mythology related to the God of snakes or the Nag Devata through detailed embellishments. The temple is open from 6 am to 12:30 pm and then in the evenings between 5 to 9 pm.

The Subrahmanya Swamy Temple is dedicated to Lord Subramanyeshwara Swamy. The temple also has idols of Lord Shiva, Lord Bhaktanjaneya Swamy, the Navagrahas, a Shiva Linga, Lord Ganesha, Lord Dattatreya Swamy and Lord Sai Baba among others. The main porch of the temple, often referred to as a mandapam is supported by sturdy pillars fashioned out of stone and features an enormous banyan tree, strategically situated at the northern end of the temple which is a region dedicated to the Navagrahas, the planet deities. Dating back 300 years, the temple is surrounded by vast groves of banyan trees, and is also why the temple is known as Marri trees. On Fridays, the temple is open from 7 am to 11:30 pm while on other days, it is open from 7 am to 11 pm.

The Keesaragutta Temple is situated on the hill of Keesaragutta and is dedicated to Lord Shiva and his companions Bhavani and Shivadurga. Lord Laxmi Narsimha and Lord Rama with his wife Sita have different shrines dedicated to them. A huge pristine Hanuman idol stands right beside the temple. The Temple has a Veda Pathshala where the students learn shlokas, rituals and Hindu scriptures. There are no records as to when the temple was built, but there is a fascinating story leading to the formation of the temple. Legend has it that Lord Rama wished to absolve his sins for killing Ravana, a Brahmin, he decided to establish a shiva linga on the beautiful hill of Keesaragutta. Lord Rama ordered Lord Hanuman to bring a shiva linga from Varanasi. Lord Hanuman was a little late in arriving with the Shivalinga and the auspicious hour was close by so Lord Shiva himself brought a Shivalinga to be installed. Hence the Shivalinga is Swayambhu or self-manifested and is called Ramalingeswara, which means Shivalinga established by Rama. Devastated that he couldn’t reach in time to provide Shivalinga, Hanuman threw them in the valley and even today many Shivalings can be seen scattered around the temple. Seeing this, Lord Rama placated Hanuman and promised him that he would be the first God worshipped in the temple and also named the hill after Hanuman, Kesargiri which was later changed to Keesaragutta. The temple sports Dravidian architecture which dominates a Gopuram. Archaeological excavations done around the temple show that the Shiva linga and brick remnants belong to the Chalukyan Empire which was found on a hill north of the temple and near the hill’s water reservoir and proof that Jainism and Hinduism co-existed during the reign of Vishnukundins in the 4th and 5th centuries were also found as well as prayer halls, a Yagya shala and fortification walls were unearthed on Keesaragutta hill. The temple is open daily from 6 am to 12:45 pm and from 3 to 7:30 pm.

The Moula Ali Dargah is located on the top of a hillock called Moula Ali with the Dargah or mosque dedicated to Hazrat Ali. The hill has 500 odd steps which aren’t too steep, leading to the top of the hillock where the dargah is located. There is a pavilion and a place specially allocated to beat drums in the dargah and it is one of the 11 heritage sites identified by the Heritage Conservation Committee. The dargah came into being during the Qutb Shahi times and it is believed that Yakoob, the courtier of the 16th century Sultan Ibraham Quli Qutub Shah dreamt of the imprint of Ali’s palm. He later found a similar imprint on a rock in the Moula Ali hill and so the dargah was believed to have been constructed around that rock.

In the shrine, there is a particular rock that is believed to have healing powers. On the doorway of the dargah, one can find locks hanging which is put up devotees if they wanted any of their wishes to be fulfilled. The Dargah is led through a chamber; inside, it is beautifully decorated with hundreds of frosted glasses in vibrant colours. On the inner side, there is an imprint of Ali’s palm, which is hidden behind a screen, and on the other side, there are scriptures and other framed pictures. The dargah is open daily from 5:30 am to 10 pm.

The All Saints Church falls under the denomination of the Church of South India, which was previously regarded as Anglican and is dedicated to the All Saints. Legend has it that before the church was entrusted to the Church of South India in 1947, it was a garrison church and the army chaplains presided over it. The church is known for its grand celebration of Christmas and other occasions like Good Friday, Palm Sunday and Easter. The church is surrounded by beautiful gardens where one can take a walk. The church is open between 7 am and 7 pm daily.

The Basilica of Our Lady of the Assumption is one of the oldest Roman Catholic churches in India and was earlier known as the Cathedral of the Archdiocese of Hyderabad and St. Mary’s Church. It is a minor basilica and is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Relatively simple from the inside, St. Mary’s church is an excellent example of the use of Gothic architecture with curved arches and pointed supports. The congregation has four bells which were bought from Italy in 1901 and has several side altars dedicated to specific saints. There is also a museum featuring the church’s history and pictures. The church is open from 8 am to 7 pm daily.

Travel Bucket List: India – Telangana Part 2

Posted on December 20, 2021 by memoriesandsuch

Hyderabad Part 2

Originally built as the home to the prime minister of Mohammed Quli Qutub Shah, Mir Momen, the Purani Haveli displays some of the most exquisite forms of craftsmanship and today is known for its remarkable exhibits of artwork and talent and functions as a museum. A beautiful structure, one of the most unique features of the Purani Haveli is a wardrobe, which is the longest in the world. It is built on two levels and has a hand-operated elevator in place. The palace is an impressive structure with its interiors resembling the 18th-century European style of architecture and also amalgamates the traditional Indian courtyards and houses several antique furniture within the U-shaped complex with a central single-story building. The central palace has two parallel double-storeyed oblong wings among which the western wing houses the world’s longest wardrobe. Both the wings have ornamented courtyards that are further flanked by rooms and verandahs. A few of the chambers are embellished with exquisite tile and mosaic work that gives a unique regal appearance. The museum is filled with a fascinating collection of items gifted to Mir Osman Ali Khan, the seventh Nizam of Hyderabad. The key highlights of the place are the remarkable exhibits of souvenirs, gifts, mementoes and models presented to him on the occasion of his Silver Jubilee Celebrations in 1927. The museum also has silver replicas of monuments in Hyderabad. A gold tiffin box inlaid with diamonds, diamond and gold-studded daggers, pearl-studded wooden writing box, painting of Mir Osman Ali Khan, caskets, silver perfume containers, silver coffee cups studded with diamonds, silver filigree elephant and citations about Mir Osman Ali Khan in Urdu is also present here. A wooden throne used for silver jubilee celebrations of the last Nizam also adorns the premises of the museum. Vintage cars such as 1930 Rolls-Royce, a Packard, and a Jaguar Mark V also find a place here. The museum is closed on Fridays and on other days is open between 10:30 am and 5 pm. Entry fees are INR 80 for adults, INR 15 for children and INR 150 to be allowed to take a camera inside.

The Taj Falaknuma Palace perched around 2000 metres above Hyderabad was once the royal residence of the Nizams, probably the richest man in the world at that time. Today the palace has been converted into a five-star luxury heritage hotel. Entry fees for adults are INR 3,100 while children need to pay INR 2,480. The Malwala Palace is an 18th-century historical monument that boasts of Rajput and Mughal architectural styles and has specially imported teak wood furniture. There are no entrance fees and is well known for its beautifully carved wooden pavilions.

Located in the Ibrahim Bagh complex, Taramati Baradari used to be a traveller’s inn or a sarai built by Ibrahim Quli Qutub Shah. Today it is a cultural complex with an open-air auditorium that can accommodate 1600, an air-cooled theatre which can take in 500, a banquet hall and a multi-cuisine restaurant. It is open on all days between 11 am and 6 pm and has no entry fee.

Dedicated to Lord Venkateshwara of Tirumala with the idol a replica of the Lord in Tirupati, the Birla Mandir was created in 1976 by Swami Renganathananda of the Ramakrishna Ashram and constructed by the Birla Foundation. The temple is located at the top of a 280 feet hill called the Naubat Pahad that overlooks both, Hyderabad and Secunderabad as well as the Hussain Sagar Lake and has one of the best viewpoints in the city. The main idol in the temple is 11 feet tall and made entirely of white marble from Rajasthan and weighs approximately 2000 tonnes and is covered by a carved lotus canopy made of granite stone. The architectural style is a fusion of the South Indian and Nagara styles. The main tower and shrine or the Jagadananda Vimanam is built in the Dravidian style, the other smaller towers strongly resemble the South Indian style and the Sanctum Sanctorum is designed in a distinct Oriya style with a 42 feet flagstaff made of Bronze. There are depictions of scenes from Mahabharata and Ramayana carved on the walls. The temple is open on all days between 7 am to 12 noon and then again between 3 to 9 pm.

The Chilkur Balaji Temple in the village of Chilkur, about 30 km from Hyderabad. It is also called the Visa Temple as it is believed that paying your obeisance to the presiding deity, Lord Balaji Venkateswara, along with his wives, Sridevi and Bhoodev can grant your wishes of gaining a visa to the USA. The belief finds its roots in an incident when a few students who had their Visa applications rejected, came and prayed here only to have their applications accepted. The temple is also sometimes referred to as the Chilkoor Balaji Temple and is reputed to be the oldest one in Telangana and is believed to have been built half a millennium ago during the time of Madanna and Akkanna, the uncles of Bhakta Ramadas. Chilkur Balaji is also the only temple in India that has continued to stay out of government control and which does not accept any monetary donations from its devotees. The temple is so popular that around 75,000 to 1,00,000 devotees visit the temple every week. As per belief, the temple was constructed by a devotee who used to visit Tirupati every year. However, on one occasion he could not do so, owing to serious illness. Moved by his faith, Lord Venkateswara appeared in his dream and instructed him to find his idol, along with the idols of Sridevi and Bhoodevi and construct this magnificent temple. When the devotee started digging, his axe struck Lord Balaji’s idol and suddenly blood started to flow from the wounds, turning the ground scarlet. The devotee then heard a mystical voice instructing him to flood the area with milk. This further resulted in the idols of Lord Balaji, accompanied by Sridevi and Bhoodevi to emerge from the ground and the idols were then installed in the temple. During a visit to the Chilkur Balaji Temple, devotees go through the usual rituals of prayer including the 11 circumambulations of the inner shrine and this is followed by making a vow. When and if this vow is fulfilled, the devotee has to walk 108 times around the sanctum sanctorum. The temple is open between 5 am and 8 pm daily.

The main deity at the ISKCON temple is Lord Krishna with other idols of Sri Gaura-Nitai, Sri Jagannatha Baladeva-Subhadra and Sri Radha Madana-Mohana. Also known as the Sri Radha-Madana-Mohana Temple, the temple has a magnificient architecture with the steps having various stops that lead to further ends of the temple. The Sanghi Temple is dedicated to Lord Venkateswara and is situated at a distance of about 35 km from Hyderabad. Perched atop the Parmanand Giri Hill, the temple has a magnificent gopuram and boasts of marvellous architecture. The temple houses idols of other Hindu deities as well and is said to be a replica of the Tirumala Temple. The temple is open on all days from 8:30 to 10:30 am and then between 4 to 6 pm. The Peddamma Temple’s main deity is the supreme mother as Pedamma means Mother of Mothers who is the supreme of the 11 forms of the village deities. Besides the main shrines, the Peddamma temple also has idols of Goddess Lakshmi, Lord Ganpathy and Goddess Saraswati and the temple accepts only coconuts as offerings. The temple which is closed on Sundays is open from 9:30 am to 6:30 pm on other days. Built by the Odia community in Hyderabad, the Sri Jagannath Temple is dedicated to Lord Jagannath, the Lord of the Universe. Constructed in red sandstone, the temple follows the ancient shikhara style pattern. Besides the main deity, the temple has smaller shrines dedicated to Goddess Lakshmi, Lord Shiva, Lord Ganesha, Lord Hanuman and the Navagrahas. The temple is open between 6 to 11 am and 5 to 9 pm on all days.

The largest and oldest mosque in the city, the Mecca Masjid was commissioned in 1614 by Muhammad Quli Qutub Shah, but only finished in 1694. Together with the Chowmahalla Palace, Laad Bazaar, and Charminar, the mosque forms the four heritage attractions in the city. Located near the Charminar, it has the capacity to accommodate 10,000 people. A grand gateway welcomes visitors to a path that leads up to the entrance of the court where one will find a water fountain with a vast pond situated nearby and it is believed that anyone who sits on the benches by the pond revisits them at least once again in their lifetime. The main prayer hall of the mosque is 75 feet high and 180 feet long with 15 ornamental arches decorating the roof with crystal chandeliers from Belgium which act as a support for three walls, such that five arches support each of the walls. Sermons from the Holy Quran as well as floral embellishments are carved onto the surface of the arches typical of the Qutb Shahi style of architecture. The columns are octagonal in shape and give way to arched balconies at the same level as the roof of the mosque itself. The columns themselves rise much higher and end in the shape of a spiral dome. Inside the dome lies five pathways to the tombs of the Asaf Jahi dynasty. The domes at the zenith of the mosque were not a part of the original architecture, rather they were later additions under the Mughals. Other heritage items such as a single strand of hair belonging to Prophet Mohammad, can be found here. It is believed that the arch embellishments over the main sanctum are made from the soil of Mecca which is why the mosque is known as the Mecca Masjid. Only followers of Islam are allowed to enter the mosque. The mosque is open daily between 4 am and 9:30 pm.

Located within the Paigah Palace, the Spanish Mosque is massive and can accommodate around 3000 people. Also known as the Masjid Iqbal Ud Daula or the Jam e Masjid Aiwan-E-Begumpet, the mosque, constructed in 1906, has beautiful architecture similar to that of Spain with a church-like appearance due to its structure and designs and is one-of-its-kind in India. The mosque is open on all days between 5 am to 9 pm. The Toli Masjid, also known as the Damdi Masjid is a flamboyant mosque, located nearly 2 km from the Golconda fort. It is a breathtakingly beautiful example of the Qutb Shahi architecture and is embellished by two minarets of about 20 meters on either side. It was constructed in 1671 by Mir Musa Khan Mahaldar, the designer of Qutb Shah. The frontage of the mosque comprises about five arches, each of which has lotus decorations in the spandrels. The main arch is somewhat broader and more elaborate. The mosque is open daily between 10 am and 6 pm.

Located in the Ibrahim Bagh, the Qutub Shahi Tombs are a group of small and big mosques and tombs built by the rulers of the Qutub Shah dynasty. The tombs are all built on a raised platform and have a dome-shaped structure. The little tombs are single-storeyed while the bigger ones are double storeyed. The tombs are closed on Fridays and on other days, open between 9:30 am and 4:30 pm and has an entry fee of INR 10 for adults and INR 5 for children. Located in suburban Hyderabad, the Paigah Tombs are a group of tombs of the Paigah royal family and is managed by a family of caretakers who reside in the premises. Although derelict and dilapidated today, the tombs still boast of a stunningarchitecture with marvellously carved marble panels. The tombs are open daily between 10 am and 5 pm and do not have any entry fee.

An urban park named after Lumbini in Nepal, the Lumbini Park is located alongside the Hussain Sagar Lake and has an artificial water tank. There is a huge statue of Lord Buddha installed in the tank which can be reached through paddle boats. The park also has musical fountain shows and is open on all days between 9 am and 9 pm. The entry fee for adults is INR 20 and for children is INR 10. The Hyderabad Botanical Garden boasts of a rich variety of plants, shrubs, trees, flowering plants and medicinal herbs plus several meandering waterways and fountains. Open daily from 5:30 am and 6 pm, entry fees to the park are INR 25 for adults and INR 10 for children while photography which is allowed between 5 and 8 am has a fee of INR 500. Adjacent to the Hussain Sagar Lake, the NTR Gardens is a tiny but gorgeous park dotted with brightly coloured plants and tall trees. Boasting well-groomed landscaping, ornate lamp posts and brilliant water fountains, the park also has a souvenir shop, toy train, freefall, restaurants and a variety of fun activities for both kids and adults. The entry fee to the park is INR 20 for adults and INR 10 for children and the park is open from 2:30 to 8:30 pm, Mondays to Saturdays and from 12:30 to 8:30 pm on Sundays. Spread over 92 acres on the banks of Hussain Sagar Lake, the Sanjeevaiah Park is dedicated to the former President of India, Dr Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy. Replete with lush green trees, flowering shrubs, fountains and glossy grass lawns, the park is the perfect place to rewind and rejuvenate from the daily routine life. Open daily from 9 am to 6 pm, for morning walks, the entry fee is INR 2 per day or INR 50 monthly while general visitors pay INR 5 per visit and children below the age of 10 do not pay any entry fees. Named after the former Prime Minister Smt. Indira Gandhi, the Indira Park houses tall towering trees and plenty of shrubs and flowering plants. Spread over an area of 76 acres, the park is believed to have been built in 1975. The park is open between 5 am to 8 pm daily and has an entry fee of INR 5 for adults and INR 1 for children. A popular hangout, the Krishna Kanth Park is dotted with swings and sprinkled with benches and is open daily between 5 am and 9 pm. The Kidwai Garden boasts lush green trees, vibrant blooming flowers and an all-round aesthetic atmosphere and is a popular local spot. The park is open daily between 10 am and 7 pm and has an entry fee of INR 20 for adults and INR 10 for children. Located adjacent to the Saroornagar Lake, the Priyadarshini Park has beautifully landscaped lawns, swings and snack stalls. The Saroornagar Lake offers magnificent views of the city in the moonlight and is open between 9 am and 8 pm daily. Entry fees to the park are INR 5. Established in 1846, during the Nizam’s reign, the Public Gardens is considered to be the oldest park in Hyderabad. Also known as the Bagh-e-Aam, the park houses several buildings of historical and political importance including the very popular Lotus Pond. Open daily from 9 am to 12 noon and then between 2 to 6 pm, the park’s entrance fee is INR 20 for adults and INR 10 for children.

Renowned as Asia’s largest artificial lake at 5.7 km, the Hussain Sagar Lake was commissioned by Ibrahim Quli Qutub Shah in 1563 and is renowned for its monolith statue of Lord Buddha that stands in its centre, the tallest of its kind in the world. Also known as the Tank Bund, the lake lies on a tributary of the River Musi and has a 3 km long dam and connects the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. The statue of Lord Buddha was installed in 1992 and was inaugurated by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Crafted entirely out of white granite, the statue is placed upon what is known as the Rock of Gibraltar. The unique heart-shaped lake is perennially fed by canals from the Musi river and was the main source of water supply to Hyderabad before Himayat Sagar and Osman Sagar were built on river Musi. Hussein Sagar is open from 8 am to 10 pm daily.

Located in Hyderabad’s outskirts, the Osman Sagar Lake is also known as Gandipet. Elless World, Ocean Park and Treasure Island surround this lake, making it a local favourite. The water body was made by building a dam on the Moosi River in 1920 by Mir Osman Ali Khan and it provides waters to Hyderabad and Secunderabad. The lake is open daily between 9:30 am and 5:30 pm and has an entry fee of INR 5 per person.

Durgam Cheruvu is a serene and picturesque lake in the middle of Hyderabad, it is also known as the Secret Lake as it is bordered by granite on all ends and is hidden by rocks. It is believed that the lake was the main source of water for those living in Golconda Fort. Today, Durgam Cheruvu has an artificial waterfall and fountain with boating the must-do activity here. It is open between 10 am and 6:30 pm daily.

With over 1500 species here, the Nehru Zoological Park is also known as the Hyderabad Zoo and is among the largest zoos in India at 380 acres. Inside the zoo, visitors are spoilt for choice with a number of safaris including Lion, Tiger, and Bear. For children, enclosures such as the Dinosaur Park visit, a mini train ride and elephant rides. The zoo also has a museum detailing its natural history. Migratory birds are known to arrive every year at the Mir Alam tank lake and its embankment, adding to the biological diversity of the place. From April to June, the zoo is open from 8 am to 5:30 pm while between July and March, it is open from 8:30 am to 5 pm. Closed on Mondays, entrance is INR 20 for adults and INR 10 for children. For the train ride, adults and children pay INR 15 while the safari ride costs INR 25 for adults and INR 10 for children. Fees for the regular Elephant Ride is INR 15 for an adult and INR 5 for a child while for the Maharaja Elephant Ride, it is INR 50 for an adult and INR 50 for a child. The entrance fee to the Nocturnal Animal House is INR 10 for adults and INR 5 for children and a brochure with the zoo details and a map is available for INR 5 at the entrance. A guest house is available from 9 am to 5:30 pm for INR 200 for 10 persons and INR 2000 for more than 10 persons. For an amateur photography camera, the fees are INR 20 while it is INR 500 for a professional photography camera. Fees for an amateur video camera is INR 100 and INR 500 for a professional video camera.

A one of its kind planetarium, the Birla Planetarium was inaugurated in 1985 with technological help from Japan. With periodical sky shows throughout the day, the planetarium is open daily between 11:30 am and 8 pm and has an entrance fee of INR 100 per person while the entrance fee to the science museum and planetarium combined is INR 160 per person.

Located on the banks of the Musi River, the Salar Jung Museum is one of the three national museums in the country and also among the largest at 10 acres and spread over two floors. The collection inside the museum is because of Mir Yousuf Ali Khan, also known as Salar Jung III, the former Prime Minister of the seventh Nizam of Hyderabad. With over one million paintings, sculptures, carvings, manuscripts and artefacts, the museum is a repository of art collections, some dating back to the first century, including a painting of Raja Ram Mohan Roy, the artist, Aurangzeb’s sword, daggers that belonged to Shah Jahan, Jehangir and a full wardrobe of Tipu Sultan. The museum also has a number of priceless sculptures such as the Veiled Rebecca, the Double Statue of Mephistopheles & Margaretta. The biggest attraction at the museum is the musical clock dating to the 19th century and consists of more than 350 parts. It is believed that the present collection is just half of the original collection of Salar Jung III. The museum building has a semi-circular shape and 38 galleries within it spread over two floors with the ground floor having 20 galleries and the first floor 18 galleries. The musical clock was acquired from Cook and Kelvey Co. and has more than three hundred parts. A bearded man in a robe comes out of an enclosure and hits the bell, the number of hits signifying the time of hour while a blacksmith constantly hits an anvil every second. Created by the Italian sculptor, Giovanni Maria Benzoni, the Veiled Rebecca is a life-size sculpture that is skilfully wrapped in a transparent veil that is also a part of the marble masterpiece. The pedestal on which the sculpture stands is carved out of a single marble and there are only four copies of the Veiled Rebecca in the world. The museum is closed on Fridays and public holidays and on other days is open from 10 am to 5 pm and Indians will need to pay INR 20 and foreigners INR 500 to access the museum.

A private museum, the Sudha Cars Museum was established in 2010 by Kanyaboyina Sudhakar who displayed hand-made cars created by him with all cars designed to look like everyday objects. Every exhibit has a plaque stating the time and cost of manufacture and the maximum speed it can attain. The cars at the museum can be driven but are not for sale. The museum is open daily between 9:30 am and 6:30 pm and has an entrance fee of INR 50 for adults and INR 15 for children.

In close proximity to the Charminar, the Nizams Museum is a royal museum, situated in the Purani Haveli housing the memorabilia and artefacts of the then Nizam of Hyderabad. These include a 1930 Rolls Royce, Mark V Jaguar and Packard as well as the flattering gold-furnished throne, used during the celebrations, coffee cups made of silver and studded with diamonds, a gold tiffin box with diamonds and more. The museum which is closed on Fridays is open from 10 am to 5 pm and has an entry fee of INR 100 for adults and INR 15 for children.

The AP State Archaeology Museum, now known as Telangana State Archaeology Museum is located in the public garden of Hyderabad and is one of the oldest museums in South India. The museum is built in the Indo-Saracenic style and is unique. It is said that the sole purpose of the museum was not just to be a place of artefacts, but as a repository of the culture and heritage of the state of Hyderabad when it was taken over by the British colonial rule. Created in 1915, the museum was constructed in 1930. Previously the museum was installed inside a palace in the Public Garden which was the Nizam for his daughter and was called it the Doll’s house. The most famous attraction of the museum is the presence of an Egyptian mummy which was accidentally brought in by Mahbub Ali Khan, the son-in-law of Nizam. Another attraction is the gallery dedicated to Lord Buddha which comprises bronze artefacts, arms, armours and has a Jain gallery as well. Closed on Fridays, the museum is otherwise open from 10:30 am to 5 pm and has entrance fees of INR 10 per adult and INR 5 per child as well as INR 20 for any camera carried inside.

Shilparamam is a traditional crafts village created with the idea to preserve and conserve traditional crafts. The village has been set amidst cascading waterfalls and lush greenery; with sections designated to depict each region of the country. There is also a rock museum, a rural museum, a recreational area and boating activities for visitors. Open daily between 10:30 am and 8:30 pm, Shilparamam has an entry fee of INR 40 for adults and INR 30 for children.

The Ramoji Film City was built in 1991 and is spread over 2500 acres. It has been certified as the World’s largest Film Studio Complex by the Guinness Book of World Records. The film city can accommodate 20 film units at one go and has various shooting locations including the streets of London, the Hollywood signage, Japanese gardens, an airport, a hospital, landscapes and buildings as well as laboratories. There are a number of package tours and buses that leave regularly from the city to tour the film city. It is open daily from 9 am to 8 pm daily and a general guided tour without Food provided will set an adult back by INR 900 & a child between 3-12 years by INR 800. A Ramoji Star Experience which includes food provided will cost an adult INR 1900 & a child between 3 – 12 years, INR 1600.

Located in the Jubilee Hills area, the KBR National Park or the Kasu Brahmananda Reddy Park is also known as the Chiran Fort Palace. The park is known as a jungle amidst the concrete jungle and was declared a National Park in 1998 and the complex houses the Chiran Fort Palace, a Mor bungalow on a hillock, the Gol bungalow, stables for animals, a motor shed for vehicles, several water tanks and wells, all enveloped by a dense forest. One can see more than 600 species of flowers and plants, more than 100 species of birds, reptiles and other animals as well as several small animals here as well as an exciting range of butterflies and the park also offers guided tours mostly during the evenings. The two different zones of the park are the Conservation Zone and the Visitors Zone. The larger of the two zones, the Conservation Zone is spread over 86.5 hectares and is dedicated primarily to the conservation of nature with several planned activities here. The Visitors Zone is spread over 56 hectares and falls partially under the Wildlife Protection Act, and so visitors can only access certain parts of this zone. The Park used to be a palace before being declared a national park in 1998. The Chiran Palace was built on the premises in 1940 and it is believed that Azam Jah gifted this palace to his son Prince Mukarram Jah, on his coronation and is a double-storey structure.

Located near the Chiklur village, the Mrugavani National Park is a very popular weekend getaway for locals which sprawls over 1211 acres and houses 600 species of animals and plants. The Park was declared a National Park in 1994 and in addition to birdwatching and jungle safaris, the park also houses a tall tower that lets one look at the mesmerising view of the wildland below. The national park also has a jungle resort which allows visitors to unwind and relax amidst nature. Visitors can tour the Mrugavani National Park by taking a safari bus which can take a maximum of 50 passengers at a time and the cost per person is INR 20. Other facilities in the park include a well-stocked library, an education centre, a museum, and an auditorium. Visitors can enjoy a bird’s eye view of the forest from the tall watchtower inside the park. Accommodation is also available with prior booking in tents, cottages, and dormitories. The park is closed on Mondays and on other days is open between 9 am and 5 pm. Entrance fees are INR 10 per person while the safari rate is INR 50 per person.

Travel Bucket List: India – Telangana Part 1

Posted on December 17, 2021 by memoriesandsuch

The next state we will explore is India’s newest state. Situated on the south-central stretch of the Indian peninsula on the high Deccan Plateau, Telangana is the eleventh-largest state and the twelfth-most populated state in India. On 2 June 2014, the area was separated from the northwestern part of Andhra Pradesh as the newly formed state with Hyderabad as its capital. Telangana is bordered by the states of Maharashtra to the north, Chhattisgarh to the northeast, Karnataka to the west, and Andhra Pradesh to the east and south and the terrain consists mostly of hills, mountain ranges, and thick dense forests covering.

Known for its Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb culture, the cultural centres of Telangana, Hyderabad and Warangal are noted for their wealth and famous historical structures including the Ramappa Temple which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Charminar, the Qutb Shahi Tombs, the Falaknuma Palace, the Chowmahalla Palace, the Warangal Fort, the Kakatiya Kala Thoranam, the Thousand Pillar Temple and the Bhongir Fort in the Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district. The historic city of Golconda in Hyderabad established itself as a diamond trading centre and, until the end of the 19th century, the Golconda market was the primary source of the finest and largest diamonds in the world and so the legendary Golconda Diamonds became synonymous with Golconda itself.

A popular etymology derives the word Telangana from Trilinga Desa or the land of three lingas, a region so-called because three important Shaivite shrines were located here: Kaleshwaram, Srisailam and Draksharama. According to experts, Telangana is of Gondi origin with the name derived from Telangadh, which means south in Gondi and has been referred to in the Gond script dating back to about 2000 years. One of the earliest uses of a word similar to Telangana can also be seen in a name of Malik Maqbul, a commander of the Warangal Fort, who lived in the 14th century, who was called the Tilangani, which implies that he was from Telangana. The word Telinga changed over time to Telangana and the name Telangana was used to distinguish the predominantly Telugu-speaking region of the erstwhile Hyderabad State from its predominantly Marathi-speaking one, Marathwada. After Asaf Jahis ceded the Seemandhra region to the British, the rest of the Telugu region retained the name Telangana and the other parts were called Madras Presidency’s Circars and Ceded.

Throughout antiquity and the Middle Ages, the region was ruled by multiple major Hindustani powers such as the Mauryans, Satavahanas, Vishnukundinas, Chalukyas, Cholas, Rashtrakutas, Kakatiyas, Delhi Sultanate, Bahmani Sultanate and the Golconda Sultanate and by the Mughals during the 16th and the 17th centuries. During the 18th century and the British colonial rule, Telangana was ruled by the Nizam of Hyderabad who lost control of the Northern Circars or Coastal Andhra and the Ceded Districts or Rayalseema to the East India Company in 1823. The Northern Circars were governed as part of Madras Presidency until India’s independence in 1947, after which the presidency became India’s Madras state. Hyderabad state joined the Indian Union in 1948 after an Indian military invasion and in 1956, was was dissolved as part of the linguistic reorganisation of states and Telangana was merged with the Telugu-speaking Andhra State which was part of the Madras Presidency during the British rule to form the state of Andhra Pradesh. A peasant-driven movement began to advocate for separation from Andhra Pradesh starting in the early 1950s, and continued until Telangana was granted statehood in 2014.

Situated on the Deccan Plateau, in the central stretch of the eastern seaboard of the Indian Peninsula, Telangana is drained by two major rivers, with about 79% of the Godavari River catchment area and about 69% of the Krishna River catchment area, but most of the land is arid with a predominantly hot and dry climate. One of India’s classical languages, Telugu is the official state language and Urdu is the second official language with about 77% of the population speaking Telugu and 12% speaking Urdu.

Telangana has an agriculture driven economy though the state has also started to focus on information technology and biotechnology and is one of top IT-exporting states of India. The state is also mineral rich and the Golconda region has produced some of the world’s most famous diamonds, including the colourless Koh-i-Noor, the blue Hope, the pink Daria-i-Noor, the white Regent, the Dresden Green and the colourless Orlov, Nizam and Jacob, as well as the now-lost diamonds – the Florentine Yellow, Akbar Shah and Great Mogul.

Hyderabad Part 1
The city of Hyderabad is the capital of Telangana and also a shared capital for Andhra Pradesh until the new capital of Amaravathi is ready. It is the largest city of the state and lies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River, in the northern part of South India. Much of Hyderabad is situated on hilly terrain around artificial lakes, including the Hussain Sagar lake, which predates the city’s founding. Hyderabad is the fourth-most populous city in India and the sixth-most populous metropolitan area in India and has the fifth-largest urban economy in the country.

Hyderabad was established by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah in 1591 to extend the capital beyond the fortified Golconda Fort. In 1687, the city was annexed by the Mughals and in 1724, the Mughal Viceroy Nizam Asaf Jah I declared his sovereignty and founded the Asaf Jahi dynasty, also known as the Nizams. Hyderabad served as the imperial capital of the Asaf Jahis from 1769 to 1948 and also housed the British Residency and cantonment until the Indian independence in 1947. Hyderabad was annexed by the Indian Union in 1948 and continued as a capital of Hyderabad State between 1948 to 1956 and after the formation of Andhra Pradesh in 1956, was made the capital of the newly formed state. In 2014, Andhra Pradesh was bifurcated to form Telangana and Hyderabad became the joint capital of the two states with a transitional arrangement scheduled to end in 2024. Since 1956, the city has housed the winter office of the President of India.

Relics of the Qutb Shahi and Nizam rules remain visible today with the Charminar symbolising the city. The amalgamation of local and migrated artisans created a distinctive culture and the city emerged as a significant centre of oriental culture. Painting, handicraft, jewellery, literature, dialect and clothing are prominent still today. Through its cuisine, the city is listed as a UNESCO creative city of gastronomy. The Telugu film industry based in the city is the country’s second-largest producer of motion pictures. Until the 19th century Hyderabad was known for the pearl industry and was nicknamed the City of Pearls, and was the only Golconda Diamonds trading centre in the world. Hyderabad’s central location between the Deccan Plateau and the Western Ghats has attracted major Indian research, manufacturing, educational and financial institutions and since the 1990s, the city has emerged as an Indian hub of pharmaceuticals and biotechnology.

The name Hyderabad means Haydar’s City or Lion City, from Haydar or lion and abad or city, after Caliph Ali Ibn Abi Talib, also known as Haydar because of his lion-like valour in battle. The city was originally called Baghnagar or the City of Gardens, and later acquired the name Hyderabad. One popular legend suggests that the founder of the city, Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, named it Bhagyanagar after Bhagmati, a local nautch or dancing girl whom he married. She converted to Islam and adopted the title Hyder Mahal with the city named Hyderabad in her honour.

There is evidence that Hyderabad and its surrounding region has been inhabited from the Stone Age with archaeologists finding evidence of inhabitation that may date from 500 BC. The region comprising modern Hyderabad and its surroundings was ruled by the Chalukya dynasty from 624 to 1075 and following the dissolution of the Chalukya empire into four parts in the 11th century, Golconda came under the control of the Kakatiya dynasty from 1158, whose seat of power was at Warangal, 148 km northeast of modern Hyderabad. The Kakatiya dynasty was reduced to a vassal of the Khalji dynasty in 1310 after its defeat by Sultan Alauddin Khalji of the Delhi Sultanate which lasted until 1321 when the Kakatiya dynasty was annexed by Malik Kafur, Allaudin Khalji’s general. During this period, Alauddin Khalji took the Koh-i-Noor diamond, said to have been mined from the Kollur Mines of Golconda to Delhi. Muhammad bin Tughluq who succeeded to the Delhi sultanate in 1325, brought Warangal under the rule of the Tughlaq dynasty and Malik Maqbul Tilangani was appointed its governor. In 1336 regional chieftains who revolted against the Delhi sultanate in 1333 took Warangal under their direct control and declared it as their capital and in 1347 when Ala-ud-Din Bahman Shah, a governor under bin Tughluq, rebelled against Delhi and established the Bahmani Sultanate in the Deccan Plateau, with Gulbarga, 200 km west of Hyderabad as its capital, both the neighbouring rulers Musunuri Nayakas of Warangal and Bahmani Sultans of Gulbarga engaged in many wars until 1364–65 when a peace treaty was signed and the Musunuri Nayakas ceded Golconda fort to the Bahmani Sultan. The Bahmani Sultans ruled the region until 1518 and were the first independent Muslim rulers of the Deccan.

Sultan Quli, a governor of Golconda, revolted against the Bahmani Sultanate and established the Qutb Shahi dynasty in 1518 and rebuilt the mud-fort of Golconda and named the city Muhammad Nagar. The fifth sultan, Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, established Hyderabad on the banks of the Musi River in 1591 to avoid water shortages experienced at Golconda and built the Charminar and Mecca Masjid in the city during his rule. In 1687, the Golconda Sultanate came under the rule of the Mughal empire and Hyderabad was renamed Darul Jihad or the House of War and Golconda was renamed Deccan Suba or the Deccan province. The capital was moved from Golconda to Aurangabad, about 550 km northwest of Hyderabad. In 1724, Asaf Jah I defeated Mubariz Khan to establish autonomy over the Deccan, named the region Hyderabad Deccan, and started what came to be known as the Asaf Jahi dynasty and rulers were referred to as Asaf Jahi Nizams or the Nizams of Hyderabad. In 1768 Asaf Jah II signed the Treaty of Masulipatam, surrendering the coastal region to the East India Company in return for a fixed annual rent.

In 1769 Hyderabad city became the formal capital of the Asaf Jahi Nizams and the Nizam signed a subsidiary alliance with the East India Company in 1798, allowing the British Indian Army to be stationed at Bolarum in modern-day Secunderabad to protect the state’s capital, for which the Nizams paid annual maintenance to the British. After India’s independence, the Nizam declared his intention to remain independent rather than become part of the Indian Union or the newly formed Dominion of Pakistan. On 17 September 1948, the Indian Army took control of Hyderabad State after an invasion codenamed Operation Polo. With the defeat of his forces, Nizam VII capitulated to the Indian Union by signing an Instrument of Accession, which made him the Rajpramukh or the Princely Governor of the state until it was abolished on 31 October 1956. On 1 November 1956 during the state reorganisation on linguistic lines, Hyderabad state was split into three parts, which were merged with neighbouring states to form the modern states of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. The nine Telugu and Urdu speaking districts of Hyderabad State in the Telangana region were merged with the Telugu speaking Andhra State to create Andhra Pradesh, with Hyderabad as its capital. The Telangana movement which demanded the creation of a new Telangana state took place in 1969, 1972 and 2010 and on 30 July 2013, the Indian government declared that part of Andhra Pradesh would be split off to form a new state of Telangana and Hyderabad city would be the capital city and part of Telangana, while the city would also remain the capital of Andhra Pradesh for no more than ten years. The state of Telangana thus was formed on 2 June 2014.

The Golconda Fort is one of the region’s best-preserved monuments with construction completed in the 1600s and is reputed for being where once, the Koh-I-Noor diamond was stored. It is said that if you clap your hands at the bottom of the fort, the echoes of it can be heard right to the top. As per legend, an idol was found in the area by a shepherd. Soon after, the Kakatiyan king was informed about the same, and he gave the order to build a mud fort around the idol in 1143. The fort came to be known as Golla Konda which meant Shepherd’s Hill in Telugu and then Golkonda. The fort rose to prominence when it came under the rule of Qutub Shahi Dynasty during the 16th century and the fort expanded from a mud fortress to a lofty structure having a 10 km outer wall. After a failed attempt in 1686, the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb was finally able to breach the impregnable fort in 1687 after a long nine-month siege.

A grand structure, the Golconda Fort is built at an altitude of 400 feet with a circumference of 7 km displaying a fusion of Hindu-Islamic styles of architecture. Its walls comprise of 8 gates and 87 bastions with each reaching heights between 50 to 60 feet. There are three powerful consecutive fortification walls each within the other with the first wall containing a town, the second wall which is a double wall that runs around the foot of the hill on which the citadel stands and the third wall which is further up the hill lies within the second and is comprised of masonry and natural boulders. Situated with the fortress are the dwellings of the queens and princesses and their retainers. The fort is famous for its royal apartments, parade grounds, numerous halls and mosques. Amongst the eight gates, the Fateh Darwaza is the main gate as the victorious march of King Aurangzeb proceeded through it. This door is 13 feet wide and 25 feet long and was made up of steel spikes to protect it from elephants. The Balahisar Darwaza which was built in the Nawabi style is another magnificent structure, but today, only the eastern gate can be visited.

The Golconda mines are known to produce some of the most coveted and popular diamonds ever known including the Idol’s Eye, the Hope Diamond, the Darya-i-Noor and the famous Koo-i-Noor. In the evening, the fort comes to life with the light and sound show which showcases snippets from its past. On all days, the first show is in English while the second show is in Telugu on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and in Hindi on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Between November and February, the first show takes place at 6:30 pm and the second show at 7:45 pm while between March and October, the first show takes place at 7 pm and the second show at 8:15 pm. The ticket counter opens from 5:30 pm with tickets costing INR 140 for an adult and INR 110 for a child in the executive class and INR 80 for an adult and INR 60 for a child in the normal class. The fort is open from 9 am to 5 pm and the entry fee to the fort is INR 5 for Indians and INR !00 for foreigners. Camera fees are INR 25. Naya Qila is an extended version of the Golkonda Fort.

The Gomajipet Fort located about 110 km from Hyderabad is a popular tourist attraction. It has lately been restored and boasts of magnificent architecture and reflects the grandeur of a royal time. The Asmangadh Fort constructed in 1885 translates to the home in the sky is because it was situated on a hilltop. Today, it has been converted into a school called the St. Joseph’s Public School.

Synonymous with Hyderabad, the Charminar is located in the heart of the city and was erected by Quli Qutub Shah, the fifth ruler of the Qutb Shahi dynasty to signify the founding of Hyderabad when he shifted his capital from Golconda. It was so named as it consists of four minarets and is also famous for the market that sprawls around it and is called Laad or Chudi’ Bazaar. According to historians, the inadequacy of water and the plague forced Quli Qutub Shahi to move his capital and Quli Qutub Shahi pledged to build a monument if the suffering of his people came to an end. The Charminar was built to commemorate the decision and eradication of the plague from the city. The old city of Hyderabad was designed keeping Charminar as the centre of the city. According to legend, Quli Qutub Shahi saw his beloved wife, Baghmat he and built Charminar as a symbol of his eternal love for her. There is also a legend that talks of the existence of a secret tunnel under the Charminar that connects it to the Golkonda Fort which was created as an escape route for the royal family in time of an emergency.

The Charminar is a massive structure with four minarets. Towards the north of the monument, there are four gateways known as Char Kaman constructed in the cardinal directions. The Charminar is a perfect square, inspired by the shape of the Shia Tazias with each side 20 meters in length. It has four grand arches that face a fundamental point that open into four streets. There stands a 56 meters tall minaret at each corner with a double balcony. Each minaret has a dome on top with petal-like designs at the base. One needs to climb 149 steps to reach the upper floor. The structure is made of granite, mortar, marble and limestone and there is a mosque located at the western end of the open roof. One can get a bird’s eye view of the city from the balconies of the Charminar with the devout able to offer prayers inside the mosque. An exquisite example of the Indo-Islamic architectural style with Persian influences. The arches and domes of the monument define the influence of Islamic architecture, while the Persian influence is prominent from its minarets. The balconies and the outside walls, embellished with delicate stucco floral ornamentations on the ceiling, showcase the influence of the Hindu style of architecture. At the base of the Charminar is a small temple known as Bhagyalakshmi Temple. The best shopping in Hyderabad is the area surrounding the Charminar with the streets brimming with people and the shops displaying attractive and colourful bangles, pearls, jewellery, semi-precious stones, silverware, Kalamkari paintings, sarees, silk materials, gold-embroidered fabric, lacquer bangles, ittar and the traditional Khara dupatta. The area is also famous for its delicious Hyderabadi cuisine. The Charminar is absolutely mesmerising when illuminated between 7 and 9 pm but one can’t enter the building after 5 pm. The second floor and upper columns are not open to the public.

Once the seat of the Asaf Jahi dynasty, the Chowmahalla Palace was built between 1857 and 1869 and can be translated to mean Four Palaces. The monument consists of two massive courtyards as well as a grand dining hall known as the Khilafat and once served as the official residence of the Nizams of Hyderabad and still belongs to the heir of the Nizams, Barkat Ali Khan Mukarram Jah.

The facade of the Chowmahalla Palace is a delicate artwork of domes, arches, windows and meticulously carved out designs embellished with gentle fountains, expansive lush gardens, numerous palaces, a clock tower, the Roshan Bangla and the Council Hall. The construction of the palace was initiated by Salabat Jung in 1750 and completed during the period of Afzal ad Dawlah, Asaf Jah V in 1869 and is believed to have taken inspiration from the Shah of Iran’s palace in Tehran. Influenced by Persian, Rajasthani, Indo-Saracenic and European styles, the palace was originally spread over an area of 45 acres, but covers only 12 acres today. There are four palaces inside, Aftab Mahal, Afzal Mahal, Tanhiyat Mahal and Mahtab Mahal and the northern courtyard has the Bara Imam, where all the major administrative activities took place. The most important structure is the Khilwat Mubarak which has the raised marble platform where the Takht-e-Nishan or the royal seat was laid. A Clock Tower which is also called the Khilwat Clock is also present and has been ticking away for about 251 years now. The Council Hall has an impressive collection of manuscripts and priceless books and today, holds a priceless collection from the Chowmahalla Palace Collection. The Roshan Bangla is a royal chamber named after Roshan Begum. The Bara Imam is situated in the Northern Courtyard and overlooks a building built in its exact image and used to serve as a guest house. The Afzal Mahal in the Southern Courtyard is a two-storeyed building adorned with long pillars, detailed carvings, and majestic garden spaces while the Mahtab Mahal, the Tahniyat Mahal and the Aftab Mahal have delicate carvings and majestic archways adorning their white stone surface and are built in neo-classical architectural style. Chowmahalla Palace is closed on Fridays and is open between 10 am to 5 pm on other days. Entry fees are INR 80 for Indians, INR 200 for foreigners and INR 10 for children. Photography fees are INR 50 and videography will cost you INR 100.

Since Hyderabad has so much to offer, it will be split into two parts, with the second part coming up.

Travel Bucket List: India – Assam Part 6

Posted on November 15, 2021 by memoriesandsuch

With seven National Parks, Assam now has the third most National Parks in India, after the 12 in Madhya Pradesh and nine in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and so this part will focus on the National Parks in Assam. We will start from the west and make our way eastwards.

Raimona National Park
Located in the Saralpara Forest Division of Kojrajhar, the Raimona National Park is one of Assam’s newest national parks which was declared a national park on 5 June 2021 on the occasion of World Environment Day. The park is part of a contiguous forest patch with an area of 422 sq km covering the northern part of the notified Ripu Reserve Forest, which in turn forms the westernmost buffer to the Manas Tiger Reserve in the southern foothills of Eastern Himalaya Biodiversity Hotspot. The Sankosh River forms a boundary on the west along the boundary with West Bengal, Bhutan lies to the north and the Saralbhanga River lies to the east. Historically the area was a part of the migratory route of the faunal species from Himalayan Mountain, Indo-Malayan and Indo-Chinese realms towards the west and Peninsular Indian realm species to the east. It shares contiguous forest patches of Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary and Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park in Bhutan, creating a transboundary conservation landscape of more than 2,400 sq km.

The Raimona National Park is famous for the Golden Langur, an endemic species which has been named the mascot of the Bodoland region. It also has the Asian elephant, the Royal Bengal Tiger, the Clouded Leopard, the Indian Gaur, the Wild Water Buffalo, the Spotted Deer, the Hornbill and more than 150 species of butterflies, 170 species of birds and 380 varieties of plants and orchids.

Manas National Park
The Manas National Park is many things – a UNESCO Natural World Heritage site, a Project Tiger Reserve, an Elephant Reserve and a Biosphere Reserve. The only tiger reserve in Assam, the national park is famous for the rare golden langur and the red panda and is known as one of the best-kept national parks in India.

Located in the Himalayan foothills, it is contiguous with the Royal Manas National Park in Bhutan and is known for its rare and endangered endemic wildlife such as the Assam roofed turtle, hispid hare, golden langur and pygmy hog and is famous for its population of the wild water buffalo. The name of the park comes from the Manas River, a major tributary of the Brahmaputra River, which passes through the heart of the national park. Five other smaller rivers also flow through the national park which lies on a wide, low-lying alluvial terrace spreading out below the foothills of the outer Himalaya. The Manas river also serves as an international border dividing India and Bhutan.

On an area of 360 sq km, the Manas National Park was declared a wildlife sanctuary on 1 October 1928 and the Manas Bio Reserve was created in 1973. Before the declaration of the sanctuary, it was a reserved forest called Manas R.F. and North Kamrup R.F used by the Cooch Behar royal family and the Raja of Gauripur as a hunting reserve. It was declared a World Heritage Site in 1985 after being increased to 391 sq km in 1951 and 1955 and the Kahitama, the Kokilabari and the Panbari Reserved Forests were added in 1990 to form the Manas National Park which was then declared a World Heritage Site in 1992 and increased to 950 sq km in 2008. On 21 June 2011, it was removed from the List of World Heritage Sites in Danger and was commended for its efforts in preservation. There is only one forest village, Pagrang, in the core of the national park with 56 other villages surrounding the park and many more fringe villages are directly or indirectly dependent on the park.

The park is divided into three ranges. The western range is based at Panbari, the central range at Bansbari and the eastern range at Bhuiyapara. The ranges are not well connected, while two major rivers need to be forded in going from the centre to the Panbari, there is a rough trail, the Daimari road connecting the centre to the eastern range. Most visitors come to Bansbari and then spend some time inside the forest at Mathanguri on the Manas river at the Bhutan border.

Manas is recognised not only for its rich biodiversity but also for its spectacular scenery and natural landscape which includes a range of forested hills, alluvial grasslands and tropical evergreen forests. It’s home to India’s second-largest tiger population and also famous for its population of wild water buffalo. Manas harbours the maximum number of endangered species from India as listed in the IUCN Red Book.

The park is divided into two biomes, the first one is the Grassland Biome that has animals like the Pygmy Hog, the Indian Rhinoceros, the Bengal Florican, and the Wild Asian Buffalo. The second biome is the Forest Biome that has animals like the Slow Loris, the Capped Langur, the Sambar, the Great Hornbill, the Malayan Giant Squirrel and many others. The park boasts 55 species of mammals, 380 species of birds, 3 species of amphibians and 50 species of reptiles. One can easily spot rhinos and tigers while sitting on an elephant which can be arranged by forest officials from Mathanguri during which one can see tea pickers during the tea season. The best time to see these activities is from October till the first week of December and again from mid-March onwards.

The summer palace of the King of Bhutan lies beyond the bend of the Manas River and lies on the Bhutan side of the Manas National Park. One needs to hire a boat to cross over to the Bhutan side after taking prior permission and stroll about a km to get to the summer palace, which is guarded by a solitary watchman.

The Bodo tribe, indigenous to Assam have set up their Eco-tourism Society in the National Park where they perform their traditional dances and music and visitors can get to see local handlooms and textile woven by the women. Some villagers also take the visitors out on foot safaris and can even offer one a night stay in the forest.

A boat ride in an eight-person boat will cost INR 8000 and a safari will set Indians back by INR 120 per person and INR 750 per person for foreigners. Still camera charges for Indians and foreigners are INR 50 while for a video camera, Indians need to pay INR 100 while foreigners pay INR 500. A typical day for a visitor in the sanctuary will start early around 5 am with a 1-2 hour elephant ride, after which one can stroll on the river banks. After a hearty breakfast, a visit to the Manas Maozigendri Ecotourism Society is a must where one can have a traditional Bodo style lunch and enjoy their music and dance. After lunch, it’s time for river rafting which will take 2-3 hours and one can end the day by taking in the jungle safari to enjoy bird watching and catch wild animals in their homes.

Orang National Park
Located on the northern bank of the Brahmaputra River in the Darrang and Sonitpur districts, the Orang National Park covers an area of 79.28 sq km. It was established as a sanctuary in 1985 and declared a national park in 1999. With rich flora and fauna, including the great Indian rhinoceros, the pygmy hog, the Asian elephant, the wild water buffalo and the Bengal tiger, it is the only stronghold of the rhinoceros on the north bank of the Brahmaputra river. The park has a chequered history of habitation. Up to 1900, it was inhabited by local tribes who abandoned the area because of an epidemic disease. In 1919 the British declared it the Orang Game Reserve and was established as a wildlife sanctuary in 1985 and declared as National Park in 1999.

During the monsoon season, the park becomes a veritable flood plain with the many streams overlapping each other and these flood plains constitute twelve wetlands in the park, apart from the 26 man-made water bodies. The park is thus formed of alluvial flood plains of the many rivers and is an integral part of the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot. The park has been categorized into the Eastern Himalayan Moist Deciduous Forest in an area of 15.85 sq km, the Eastern Seasonal Swamp Forest with an area of 3.28 sq km, the Eastern Wet Alluvial Grassland with an area of 8.33 sq km, the Savannah Grassland on an area of 18.17 sq km, the Degraded Grassland in 10.36 sq km, the Water Body of 6.13 sq km, the Moist Sandy area with an area of 2.66 sq km and the Dry Sandy area with an area of 4.02 sq km. It is bounded on its south and east by islands and spill channels of the river, but the flat alluvial land is seen distinctly as two terraces; the lower terrace is of recent origin on the bank of the Brahmaputra river and the other is the upper terrace to the north, separated by a high bank running through the park. The whole park is encircled by inhabited villages thus subjecting it to biotic pressure with fox holes built by the villagers on its west.

The park will pleasantly surprise visitors with its rich variety of animals, birds and fishes and a similar abundance of flora. The park is known for its rhinoceros conservation and has The Great Indian Rhinoceros and the Bengal Tiger. Apart from rhinos, one will find here the Great Indian Rhinoceros, porcupines, Bengal tigers, civets, water buffaloes, leopards and many more. A huge number and types of fish are also present here. Along with this one can spot several birds in the park such as kingfishers, fishing eagles, woodpeckers, mallards, white pelicans and so on. A safari into the park will let one experience the refreshing beauty of the surroundings and vegetation as well as the enjoyment of watching such a variety of wildlife. The park is also an important breeding ground for various fishes. The best time to visit the Orang National Park is between November to April as winters are cool and pleasant. Visitors, however, need permission from authorities in advance to visit the park.

Kaziranga National Park
Hosting two-thirds of the world’s great one-horned rhinoceroses, the Kaziranga National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is also home to the highest density of tigers among protected areas in the world and was declared a Tiger Reserve in 2006. The park is also home to large breeding populations of elephants, wild water buffalo, and swamp deer and is recognised as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International for the conservation of avifaunal species. Located on the edge of the Eastern Himalaya biodiversity hotspot, the park combines high species diversity and visibility. The national park is a vast expanse of tall elephant grass, marshland, and dense tropical moist broadleaf forests, crisscrossed by four major rivers, including the Brahmaputra, and includes numerous small bodies of water. The park celebrated its centennial in 2005 after its establishment in 1905 as a reserve forest.

The history of Kaziranga as a protected area can be traced back to 1904, when Mary Curzon, the wife of the Viceroy of India, Lord Curzon of Kedleston, visited the area. After failing to see a single rhinoceros, for which the area was renowned, she persuaded her husband to take urgent measures to protect the dwindling species which he did by initiating planning for their protection and on 1 June 1905, the Kaziranga Proposed Reserve Forest was created with an area of 232 sq km. Over the next three years, the Park area was extended by 152 sq km, to the banks of the Brahmaputra River and in 1908, was designated a Reserve Forest. In 1916, it was redesignated the Kaziranga Game Sanctuary and remained so till 1938, when hunting was prohibited and visitors were permitted to enter the park. It was renamed the Kaziranga Wildlife Sanctuary in 1950 to rid it of its hunting connotations.

In 1954, the Assam (Rhinoceros) Bill, which imposed heavy penalties for rhinoceros poaching was passed and in 1968, the Assam National Park Act of 1968 was passed which declared Kaziranga a designated national park and the 430 sq km park was given official status by the central government on 11 February 1974. In 1985, Kaziranga was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its unique natural environment.

Kaziranga has been the target of several natural and man-made calamities in recent decades including floods caused by the overflow of the river Brahmaputra, leading to significant losses of animal life and encroachment by people along the periphery has also led to a diminished forest cover and a loss of habitat.

Although the origin of the name Kaziranga is not certain, there are many possible explanations derived from local legends and records. According to one legend, a girl named Rawnga, from a nearby village, and a youth named Kazi, from Karbi Anglong, fell in love. This match was not acceptable to their families, and the couple disappeared into the forest, never to be seen again, and the forest was named after them. According to another legend, Srimanta Sankardeva, the sixteenth-century Vaisnava saint-scholar, once blessed a childless couple, Kazi and Rangai, and asked them to dig a big pond in the region so that their name would live on. Kaziranga also could mean the Land of Red Goats or Deer, as the word Kazi in the Karbi language means goat, and Rangai means red. Some historians believe, however, that the name Kaziranga was derived from the Karbi word Kajir-a-rong, which means the village of Kajir. Among the Karbis, Kajir is a common name for a girl child, and it was believed that a woman named Kajir once ruled over the area. Fragments of monoliths associated with Karbi rule are found scattered in the area that seems to bear testimony to this assertion.

The park is approximately 40 km in length from east to west, and 13 km in breadth from north to south and covers an area of 378 sq km, with approximately 51.14 sq km lost to erosion in recent years. The park area is circumscribed by the Brahmaputra River, which forms the northern and eastern boundaries, and the Mora Diphlu, which forms the southern boundary. Other notable rivers within the park are the Diphlu and Mora Dhansiri. Kaziranga has flat expanses of fertile, alluvial soil, formed by erosion and silt deposition by the Brahmaputra and the landscape consists of exposed sandbars, riverine flood-formed lakes known as beels, which make up 5% of the surface area, and elevated regions known as, chapories, which provide retreats and shelter for animals during floods. It is one of the largest tracts of protected land in the sub-Himalayan belt, and due to the presence of highly diverse and visible species, has been described as a biodiversity hotspot.

In the park, safaris can be undertaken both during the day and night during the open tourist season. Elephant rides are also very popular among visitors and hiking is prohibited. Kaziranga has a total of 35 mammalian species, out of which 15 are threatened. The big-five of Kaziranga is the collective name given to the group of the one-horned rhino, the wild water buffalo, the swamp deer, the Asian elephant and the royal Bengal tiger. The rivers within Kaziranga are also home to the endangered Ganges Dolphin. The national park is divided into 4 zones: Kaziranga Range, Western Range, Eastern Range and Burapahar Range. One safari of one zone is allowed at a time. While the Western zone is considered good for elephant watching, safaris and rhino sightseeing, the Eastern zone is better for watching water birds.

The Kaziranga National Park is between 1st November and 30th April each year, but the best time to visit is after the second week of January as the grass levels would have reduced and there would be clear visibility. The entry to the part is INR 100 per person for Indians and INR 650 for foreigners while the cost of an elephant ride is INR 750 per person for Indians and INR 1250 per person for foreigners and the booking times for the elephant safari is between 5:30 to 7:30 am and then again between 3 – 4 pm. To go on a jeep safari, everyone will need to pay INR 300 as toll charges per trip per vehicle and the jeep safari booking is open between 7 to 10 am and then from 1:30 pm till the sunsets.

Nameri National Park
Located on the foothills of the eastern Himalayas about 35 km from Tezpur, the Nameri National Park is about 9 km from Chariduar, the nearest village and shares its northern boundary with the Pakhui Wildlife Sanctuary in Arunachal Pradesh and together they constitute an area of over 1,000 km of which Nameri has a total area of 200 km. The park was declared as Tiger Reserve around 1999 – 2000 and is the second Tiger reserve in Assam after the Manas Tiger Reserve. Nameri National Park has two core areas: the Nameri National Park and the Sonai – Rupai Wildlife, a satellite core of the Tiger Reserve. The river Jia – Bhoroli is the lifeline of Nameri, which flows along the southern boundary of the park from the northwest to the southeast. In the east, the river Bor – Dikorai, a tributary of the river Jia – Bhoroli, flows along the southern boundary from the northeast to the southwest.

The park boasts of a dense elephant population and other animals that the park includes tigers, sambars, leopards, Bengal foxes, mouse deer and jungle cats. Some rare Himalayan plant varieties are also found seen. The park is popularly referred to as The Last House of White Winged Wood Duck and one can swim, river raft and sunbathe here. The park is open between 10 am and 5 pm daily and has an entry fee of INR 50 for Indians and INR 250 for foreigners.

Dibru Saikhowa National Park
Boasting a rich collection of flora and fauna, many of them endangered, the Dibru Saikhowa National Park is one of the few remaining protected sites in the Endemic Bird Area of the Assam Plains. The national park is a river island national park and one of the 19 biodiversity hotspots in the world located about 12 km north of Tinsukia. Of the seven parts of the park, one is a wetland and the rest are mainly covered with grasslands and dense forest. An identified Important Bird Area (IBA), it is most famous for the rare white-winged wood ducks as well as feral horses. In 1997, Dibru Saikhowa National Park became the ninth biosphere reserve out of the total 18 identified to date in India. Earlier known as Dibru Reserve Forest and Saikhowa Reserve Forest, this protected area was notified as a wildlife sanctuary in 1986, and a national park in 1999.

Comprising tropical moist deciduous forests, tropical semi-green forests, Salix swamp forests, moist evergreen forests, grasslands and canebrakes, the region originally comprised a tropical rainforest but after the disastrous earthquake of 1950, it underwent major geomorphological changes and the rainforest eventually gave way to deciduous forests. The park is bounded by the Brahmaputra river, Lohit river and Arunachal Hills in the north and Dibru river, Debang river, Dibru and Patkai hills in the south, making for beautiful, verdant surroundings. The climate is tropical monsoon, with a hot, humid and wet summer and cold and dry winters.

The Dibru Saikhowa National Park has no roads inside and so there are no jungle safaris or elephant rides available and visitors can only explore the park by trekking, though there is a boat service which is available which can take one to various spots. Guijan Ghat and Saikhowa Ghat or Dhola Entry Point are the national park’s entry points with the former about 10 km and the latter about 50 km from Tinsukia. Although accessible round the year, the best time to visit this park is during the late winter as during the monsoon, the park may sometimes close due to heavy rain, without any prior notice. Entry to the park is not permitted before sunrise and after sunset and night halts and picnics are not allowed inside the park.

Kekjori Trees are known for their vast branches with a single tree covering a vast area with branches spreading low and wide. A visit to look at these trees requires a 15-minute boat ride to an island in the middle of the Brahmaputra and a half-hour walk. Churkey Sapori or the river island in the north of the Saikhowa part of the park is famous for spotting the bright coloured wild horses known as Feral Horses which are free-ranging, untamed horses descended from domestic horses that escaped from army camps during World War II and are not truly wild horses. Although not a scheduled wildlife species, the feral horses of Dibru-Saikhowa have considerable curiosity value. The Maguri Matapung Beel is a lake within the park and a haven for birds and is classified as an Important Bird Area or IBA and is host to 374 different species of birds. The boat safari on this lake is an amazing opportunity for bird watchers to spot migratory birds and rare birds of various descents and if lucky, one can even spot the endangered River Dolphin.

Entry fees for Indians are INR 100, while foreigners pay INR 500. The park is open between sunrise and sunset and if interested in photography, Indians need to pay INR 50 while foreigners pay INR 500 and for videography, Indians pay INR 500 and foreigners INR 1,000.

Dihing Patkai National Park
Assam’s newest national park, and covering an area of 234 sq km in a rainforest, the Dehing Patkai National Park was declared a wildlife sanctuary on 13 June 2004 and was upgraded to a national park on 13 December 2020 and officially notified as one on 9 June 2021. It is located in the Dehing Patkai landscape which is a dipterocarp-dominated lowland rainforest with the rainforest stretching for more than 575 sq km in the districts of Dibrugarh, Tinsukia and Charaideo with the forest further spreading over in the Tirap and Changlang districts of Arunachal Pradesh. It encompasses the erstwhile Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary, the Jeypore Reserve Forest and the western block of the Upper Dihing Reserve Forest. Dehing Patkai forms the largest stretch of lowland rainforests in India and the wildlife sanctuary was declared as the Dehing-Patkai Elephant Reserve under Project Elephant. It is the last remaining stretch of the Assam Valley tropical wet evergreen forest.

Being a completely virgin rainforest, the Dihing Patkai National Park is very rich in biodiversity and an ideal habitat for non-human primates. Today, 47 mammal species, 47 reptile species and 310 butterfly species have been recorded in the park. There are more than a dozen different ethnic groups living in the area including the Tai Phake, the Khamyang, the Khampti, the Singpho, the Nocte, the Chutia, the Ahom, the Kaibarta, the Moran, the Motok, the Burmese and Nepali people, many of whom were brought by the British to work in the tea plantations

The sanctuary’s most ubiquitous inhabitant is the Asian elephant. The mega-herbivore can be seen in herds as well as alone, and is considered a sight to behold, but also one to be wary of, especially for travellers on foot. The national park is also famous for birds and is a biodiversity hotspot with over 350 species of avifauna providing a unique habitat for many globally threatened species including the extremely rare white-winged wood duck and many migratory birds.

The landscape of Dihing Patkai is dominated by towering Hollong and the Mekai trees, with other species such as beautiful Nahar or Messua ferrea, which puts out red, yellow, and silver leaves in spring. Cutting through the forest is the Burhi Dihing river, which creates several sand islands that are popular with migratory roosting birds. The park has two main access points, Soraipung, a small village where the range officer and the interpretation centre is located and the Jeypore gate which is a short distance from Jeypore town. The closest town is Digboi, which is 10 km away.

The best time to visit Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary is during the winter and spring months. Between November and the end of February, there is no rain and waterlogging and one can see many migratory birds around with birds and small mammals at their peak from about 7 am till around 10-10:30 am and then again from the afternoon until sunset. Between March and April, there is rainfall, which brings new growth and the breeding season. This is also a good time to hear and spot the Blue-eared barbet, the drongo cuckoo, the common hawk, the Hodgson’s hawk, and the highly sought-after violet and emerald cuckoos.

Unlike conventional national parks, Dehing Patkai Sanctuary does not have safari vehicles and canter buses. The Park can be explored by vehicle, both private or hired, by boat, or on foot. Taxis charge between INR 1,200 to INR 1,500 per day, depending on the vehicle.

With this, we come to the end of this visit around the northeastern state of Assam. A region I have been wanting to visit for decades and hope to visit soon. In the next part, we will explore a new state in India.

Travel Bucket List: India – Assam Part 5

Posted on November 12, 2021 by memoriesandsuch

Sadiya
A former capital of the Chutia Kingdom, Sadiya lies in the foothills of the Himalayas, not too far from the state’s border with Arunachal Pradesh. After the downfall of the Chutia Kingdom, it became the seat of the Sadiya-Khowa-Gohain of the Ahom kingdom and extensive remains of buildings and fortifications built during the rule of the Chutias near Sadiya still point to the importance of the region in the past. It was the centre of development of the eastern form of Prakrit during both the Chutia and Ahom periods, which later gave rise to the modern form of Assamese. Sadiya, which lies 67 km north of Digboi and 552 km northeast of Guwahati, stands on a grassy plain, almost surrounded by forested Himalayan mountains, on the right bank of Lohit River which is locally, but erroneously, considered the main stream of the Brahmaputra river. The town is famous for a flower named Satphul, which means a blessing or a desert flower, similar to jasmine. The word Sadiya is derived from the Deori language and it stands for the land of the rising sun where Sa or Xa means Sun, Di stands for water and Ya means land.

The Tameshwari Temple is what Sadiya is mainly famous for. A Shakti temple that can be accessed by taking ferry rides from the Dhola Ghat, it is also an important archaeologists site. The roof of the temple is made entirely of copper or tam in Assamese, hence the temple’s name. The most notable among the temples built by Chutia kings, the temple was dedicated to Kechaikhati, a primordial female tribal deity of the Chutiyas later Sankritised as Tamreswari. As per the Kalika Purana, the main temple was an octagonal structure surrounded by eight dwarapals or guards in eight directions. When the Britishers visited the temple complex, the main temples has disappeared and only a small square structure remained. The wall and doors of the temple were well designed and there were two giant elephant sculptures with silver tusks at the main door of the complex. The walls were made without any mortar and instead used iron dowels and brackets. The temple was surrounded by brick walls and on the western wall, there was a place for human sacrifice. Although the temple is now completely submerged under marshy lands due to silt deposition, in 1959 it showed that the main statues of the temple were built of sandstone and granite. The roof of the temple was originally sheeted with copper but in 1848, the copper roof was already removed. In the floods of 1959, due to the deposit of silt in the banks of the Paya river, the structure was completely submerged in the waters.

There are many other Shaivik temples where Deori tribes used to worship in ancient times. The two major ones are the Burha-Burhi Thaan and the Boiragi Thaan. Also built by the Chutia kings, Bura-Buri Than was dedicated to the primordial parents Gira-Girasi or Bura Buri, which were later Sanskritised as Shiva and Sakti. Although the structure has fallen due to natural calamities, the base remains intact upon which a new temple has been built. The foundation is an octagonal shaped base made of stone with each edge spanning 3.4 m in length. The temple was built using granite stone and fixed using iron dowels and brackets similar to the ones used in the Malini Than and the Tamreswari temples and was surrounded by a wall built using bricks.

The Bhismaknagar fort, further east of Sadiya, is tentatively dated to the 8th century. Based on the inscription , it is assumed to be the capital of Chutiya king Laksminarayaṇa of the early 15th century. The fort located in Roing is an important monument built by Chutia kings with the walls of the fort spread over 10 sq km. The name was probably derived from Bhismaka, the Hindu monument constructed for the royal lineage of the Chutias during the Neo-Vaishnava movement in the 16th and 17th centuries. A brick with the name Lakshminarayan indicates that the fort was repaired during the 15th century. The Bhismaknagar central complex extended over an area of 1860 sq m and has three halls, six ingresses and two extension rooms as well as a two-meter high stone wall inside the complex with a medieval architecture. While quarrying in the fort, enormous pieces of work of art like potteries, terracotta figurines, terracotta plaques and decorative tiles were recovered. Fabricated from the burnt bricks gave this fort an impressive and remarkable top view.

In the hills north of Roing lie scattered some old brick structures, mainly between the Chidu and Chimri villages situated at an altitude of about 305 m. The local people, the Idus called these structures Rukmini Nati where nati is the Idu word for bricks. Excavations of the two mounds at Chimri, unearthed two rooms, built on a slope, at a distance of 14 m from each other. The contents dug out from inside the walls of the rooms were of river-borne materials, which suggests that they were destroyed by floods. There is evidence of the extension to this area being of the same culture as that of Bhismaknagar. Another archaeological site called Duku Limbo lies on the left bank of the Dibang at the foot of Elopa hill with brickbats found at this site suggest that the Brismaknagar culture had extended to this point.

Tezu Fort is an old mud fort in the Tindolong area, 6 km from Tezu, which was explored in 1972. The area of the fort, enclosed by earthen ramparts is square with the rampart 8 ft high, and equally broad at the top with sloping sides. On both the inner and outer sides of the rampart run two ditches about 6 m wide. There is a prominent mound, circular and about 3 m in height, almost at the centre of the enclosure which appears to be a cavalier for lookout purposes. The complex seems to represent a defensive mud-fort or redoubt of a modest dimension suitable for a small band of soldiers to maintain vigilance against the enemies from their hide-outs inside the jungle especially in guerilla warfare, the normal practice in the region. The fort has been assigned roughly to a period about the 14th to 15th centuries.

Haflong
Our next destination Haflong is Assam’s only hills station which lies 577 km south of Sadiya and about 280 km southeast of Guwahati. Haflong is a Dimasa word that means an anthill. Haflong produces fruits like pineapples and oranges and like other hill stations in India, Haflong’s architecture reflects its British colonial past.

Haflong Lake is one of the largest natural water bodies in Assam and is situated in the heart of the town and is also Haflong’s most popular tourist spot with the lake providing majestic views of the Himalayas and offers opportunities to engage in boating. Another major attraction is Haflong Hill which is popular for trekking and hiking. The scenic view of the adjacent mountains and the lush forests makes it worth visiting. The Chavang Kut, a harvest festival is celebrated in Haflong every day in November. Situated 47 km from Haflong, Maibong is located on the bank of the Mahur River and was the ancient capital of the Dimasa Kachari Kingdom which existed from the 16th to the 18th centuries. Maibong still contains the ruins of the once flourishing capital of the kingdom and visitors will find the remains of a stone house and a temple of the Kachari kings. The monolithic Ramchandi temple of the Kachari kings, built in the 12th century is also famous.

Jatinga
Jatinga located about 5 km south of Haflong and 328 km southeast of Guwahati is a village on a ridge, inhabited by about 2,500 Khasi-Pnar people and a few Assamese. It is famous for the phenomenon of bird suicides. At the end of the monsoon months, between August to November, especially on moonless and foggy nights between 6 and 9:30 pm, birds that are not disturbed by the locals but out of the dark northern skies will start to descend as they are attracted to lights. These dazed birds are captured using bamboo poles by the locals. The local tribals first took this natural phenomenon to be spirits flying from the sky to terrorise them with the phenomenon not confined to a single species, with the tiger bittern, black bittern, little egret, pond heron, Indian pitta, and kingfishers all being affected, as well as hill partridge, green pigeons, emerald doves, necklaced laughing thrushes and black drongos with the birds mostly juvenile. Experts believe the cause likely to be disorientation at high altitudes and high-speed winds due to the widespread fog at the time. The birds, mostly juveniles and local migrants, are disturbed by high-velocity winds at their roost and when the disturbed birds fly towards lights as refuge they are hit with bamboo poles and killed or injured. The killings, as well as the number of birds arriving at the village, has been declining gradually since the last few years with much of this due to the loss of habitat caused by development and environmental degradation.

Diphu
The headquarter of Karbi Anglong district Diphu lies 150 km north of Jatinga and about 250 km east of Guwahati. Known as a mini hill station, it is a popular weekend getaway. The word Diphu comes from the Dimasa language, which means white water where Di means water and Phu means white. Historically, it is said that the stream in Diphu carries large amounts of sediment during the rainy season, giving it a whitish colour, hence its name. Diphu is home to many indigenous communities of Assam including the Karbis, the Dimasa Kacharis, the Boro Kacharis, the Garo Kacharis, the Rengmas and the Tiwa Kacharis.

The Arboretum Cum Craft Centre is located around 8 km from central Diphu and is a planned complex consisting of a park, a garden and a craft and exhibition centre. The garden is well maintained throughout the year and has a variety of annual and seasonal flowers on display throughout the year. There is also a small park area for children to play in. The Arboretum Cum Craft Centre also houses an open-air stage where events can take place as well as an indoor hall where smaller events or exhibitions can be organised. The traditional exhibit store is from where one can buy clothes and souvenirs from the region. The centre is open daily between 6 am and 7 pm.

5 km from Diphu town towards the Marat Longri Sanctuary, the Botanical Garden is a well-maintained garden with flowers, trees and plants native to the district and Assam grown including many medicinal herbs and plants. There is a semi-natural water body also part of the complex which is suitable for boating. The park also has replicas of traditional Karbi homes on display and there is a cafeteria inside which caters for food and refreshments. The park is open daily between 9 am and 5 pm and has an entry fee of INR 10 per person.

Located at a distance of around 4 km from Diphu, Singhason is the highest peak in the district and an excellent spot for hiking and trekking. From the top, beautiful panoramic views of the surrounding Brahmaputra valley and the distant white peaks of the Himalayas can be seen with sunrises and sunsets, highly recommended when the weather is suitable.

The Marat Longri Wildlife Sanctuary, located around 10 km from Diphu, is a protected reserve that is a part of the greater Dhansiri-Lunging Elephant Reserve. Spread over an area of approximately 451 sq km, this reserve was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 2003. Although it is relatively underdeveloped, it is home to many important faunas of the region, including the Royal Bengal Tiger, the Asiatic Elephant, the Himalayan Black Bear and the Hoolock Gibbon. The best time to visit the sanctuary is between November and March which is the winter months with cool temperatures and minimal humidity.

Established in 1886, the District Museum houses many regional archaeological artefacts with the collection including those of handicrafts, hunting and house tools, ornaments, textiles, and traditional instruments that reflect the culture and lifestyle of the various indigenous communities of the region. A brilliant image of Lord Narasimha is also on permanent display within the museum.

Karimganj
Located close to India’s border with Bangladesh, Karimganj lies about 330 km south of Mayong and Guwahati. It makes up the Barak Valley alongside Hailakandi and Cachar and was previously part of the Sylhet district which is in Bangladesh today before India’s partition of India. During the partition, a plebiscite was held to decide whether the Sylhet region covering the entire Sylhet, Moulovi Bazaar, Karimganj would remain in India or join the newly formed Pakistan. A delegation led by Abdul Matlib Mazumdar went to the Radcliffe Commission to plead their case to let the greater Sylhet region remain with India, but due to the demands of the Muslim League, a plebiscite was held where the Sylhet region, including Karimganj, voted to go with Pakistan, winning by a very small margin. Sylhet was made part of East Pakistan with Karimganj being divided and handed over to India with the reason being to let India have proper connectivity with Tripura. The Kushiyara River was made the river border between India & East Pakistan, now Bangladesh. Parts of Karimganj including Beani-Bazar, Barlekha, Shahpur and Zakiganj fell under East Pakistan and Karimganj was given to India. KArimganj has two major rivers Kushiara and Longai with a long rumbling canal called Noti Khal connecting the two rivers.

The Chhatachura Range that flanks the town arises from the southeast side of the district with its highest peak at 2087 ft above sea level and a middle part known as Saraspur at 1000 ft high. The lowest section of the hill is called Badarpur and is 500 ft above sea level. Separating the valleys of Longai and Chargola, the Duhalia Range is the 3rd range passing through Karimganj. Popularly referred to as the Pratapgarh Range, its highest hill is 1500 ft above sea level. The Adamail Range forms a border with Bangladesh and is also referred to as the Patharia Range. The range is spread over a length of 45 km, with its highest peak elevated at about 800 ft above sea level. The River Kushiara separated by the River Barak flows from Karimganj to Bangladesh and serves as an international border separating Assam and Bangladesh.

Hailakandi
Located about 51 km southeast of Karimganj and about 312 km south of Guwahati, Hailakandi in the heart of the Barak Valley makes up the Valley alongside Cachar and Karimganj. The town is the administrative headquarters of the district and has several legends attached to it. More than 50% of the district is a reserve forest with two reserve forests, the Inner Line Reserve Forest and the Katakhal Reserve Forest. Blessed with a thick cover of lush green forest, sprawling tea gardens, lovely fruit orchards and a gurgling river, Hailakandi has many hidden treasures waiting to be explored. Situated at Badarpur Ghat, the Siddyashar Bari Sibmandir is a popular temple dedicated to Siddyashar Bari. Offering a splendid view of the River Barak, the Pach Pirr Mukam is a famous spot in the town with the huge cropland near the place adding charm and beauty to it.

Silchar
Just 35 km north of Hailakandi and 303 km south of Guwahati lies the town of Silchar in the southernmost part of Assam. The headquarters of the Cachar district, Silchar was founded by Captain Thomas Fisher in 1832 when he shifted the headquarters of Cachar to Janiganj in Silchar and earned the moniker Island of Peace from Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of India. The city is located in an alluvial flat plain with swamps, streams, and isolated small hills, locally known as tilla marking its landscape. Apart from Barak river, the other major river is Ghagra river. Silchar is in Zone V on the Seismic Zonation Map and has witnessed major earthquakes. Silchar is the site of the world’s first polo club and the first competitive polo match. In 1985, an Air India flight from Kolkata to Silchar became the world’s first all-women crew flight. The name Silchar comes from the two Bengali words shil mean rock and char meaning shore or island. It is theorised that locals started calling the area Shiler Chor meaning the rocky shore, which got shortened to Silchar, which was in turn adopted and popularised by the British.

Cachar was ruled by the Tippera dynasty in the 13th century and eventually moved eastwards to present-day Tripura and by the 16th century, Cachar was a part of the Tripura Kingdom. While the hill areas of the Kachari kingdom i.e. Dima Hasao, had a Dimasa stronghold, the plain areas i.e. present-day Cachar had Bengalis constituting the majority. Eventually, the formal conversion of the Dimasa kings into Hinduism was carried out under Bengali Brahmins when Raja Krishna Chandra and Raja Govinda Chandra performed the Hiranyagarbha ceremony in 1790. The Kings in turn were great patrons of Bengali literature and Bengali was the court language of the Kachari kings. After taking over parts of the Brahmaputra Valley and Manipur by 1823, the Burmese made forays into Cachar as well which prompted the British occupation of Cachar as essential towards guarding the nearby British held district of Sylhet against the Burmese. Captain Thomas Fisher, an army officer took charge of Cachar in 1830 with the headquarters in Cherrapunji and in 1833 Silchar was made the headquarters. In 1942, the Japanese forces dropped a bomb on the Derby Tea Estate 20 km from the town. In the 1850s, the British observed exiled Manipuri princes in Silchar play Sagol Kangjei, the predecessor to modern polo which was already popular in nearby Manipur. In 1859, the world’s first polo club in Silchar, called the Silchar Kangjei Club was established which was later renamed to Silchar Polo Club and survives today as the Cachar Club. The first competitive modern form of polo was played in Silchar as well though no polo is played anymore.

Khaspur is located 20 km from Silchar and has the ruins of a great Dimasa kingdom. The main attractions here are the Lion Gate, the Sun Gate and the old kings’ temple. The original palace is in a state of non-existence, but its subsidiaries, the main entrance gate, the Suryadwar, the Debalaya are still intact with the entrances made of an elephant pattern. The Bhubeneshwar temple or the Bhubanhill Temple is one of the most celebrated temples of Lord Shiva in south Assam and is located about 50 km from Silchar and on the top of the Bhuvan hill. During the festival of Shivaratri, thousands of Shivayats march towards the hilltop to worship Lord Shiva. This temple by its geographical location attracts a lot of hikers as there are no motor roads to reach the hilltop, one has to hike at least 17 km from the plains to the temple. About 22 km from Silchar on the way to the Kumbhirgram airport the Vishnu temple at Salganga is another tourist attraction. One of the most revered temples in south Assam, the Kachakanti Kali Temple dates back to the 19th century. It was built in 1806 by the then Kachari King and was later renovated in 1978. The temple is dedicated to the Mother Goddess Kachakanti, who is said to be an amalgamation of two powerful Hindu deities, Goddess Durga and Goddess Kali and it is said that even until 1818, even human sacrifices were offered to the Goddesses here. The Badarpur Fort is located on the bank of the Barak River, about 16 km from Badarpur Railway station and is an important feature of the Barak Valley. The Maniharan Tunnel is only a few km from Silchar and according to Hindus, was constructed during the days of Lord Krishna and was once used by him. Many small temples are devoted to Garuha, Lord Lakshmana, Lord Rama and Lord Hanuman. One of Silchar’s beautiful lakes, Dolu Lake is a photographer’s delight where one can spend some time contemplating life and its mysteries. The Gandhibag Park is located on the banks of a lake in the heart of the town and is named after Mahatma Gandhi. The park includes the Shahid Minar, the memorial for 11 martyrs who died on 19th May 1962 while fighting for the protection of their Bengali language against the Government of Assam.

Memories and Such

Memories of a very ordinary life

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