10 Things You Just Can't Miss About Hyderabad

Hyderabad, the de jure capital of Andhra Pradesh. This is one of the oldest Indian cities with a heritage of creative culture and takes one back to the era of the Nizams. Hyderabad is originally known as the home of Nizaam rulers. Hence, they are the ones responsible for Hyderabad’s heritage and the delicious food.This city is right up there with the other metropolitans of India, the amplitude and the glory of its illustrious past continue to prevail till today. It has modern facilities which are at par with the Metro cities but yet holds its ground when it comes to heritage and culture. It is the perfect amalgamation of history and modern living. From the Nizaami architecture of the buildings, colorful local markets, dazzling palaces, each and every place here has a story to tell. The best part is the harmony and the vibe here even when this place is so diverse. This is what makes Hyderabad even more special.
City Hyderabad is an exhilarating mix of beautiful sites, intoxicating aromas, and cosmopolitan pleasures. Once you get along with the culture of the Hyderabad city, one tends to get hooked for a lifetime!

Ramoji Film City, the world’s biggest film complex in terms of area is located in Hyderabad. Hyderabad is leading in Hospital Tourism, it is trying to lead in Eco Tourism as well. This city along with its culture is one of the elite cities in India even when it comes to education.It has one of the top business school: Indian School of Business, top technology institutes: an IIT and an IIIT, and Birla has already setup Bits in Hyderabad. This city is growing every year in terms of literacy as well. The IMAX Theatre in Hyderabad has the World’s largest screen and the only true 3D screen in India.

The spirit of vibrancy still remains unsullied in this city, as depicted in these 10 off-beat things to do in Hyderabad.

1. The Royal Platter – Food

Biryani is one of the most famous dishes of Hyderabad. One just can't leave Hyderabad without having biryani. Paradise is the most famous and one of the oldest food joints in Hyderabad for biryani but there are some other good places like Bawarchi, Hyderabad House, and Cafe Bahaar.
A cup of Irani Chai and Osmania Biscuits. These are again known as two of the best and most delicious specialties of this city, one cannot afford to miss either of them on a Hyderabad trip. Some of the best varieties of Dosas are found here. The delight on delicacies like NahariKulcha, roti kheema, and bhaja curry is again unimaginable. Don’t forget to conclude this food tour by relishing desserts like double kameetha, khubani kameetha, malai and several others.
One should definitely head towards a local spice market which is known for its exotic and flavorsome spices. Experience the variants in Hyderabadi spices and know the secret of its delicious cuisines!

2. The White Strings – Hyderabadi Pearls

Chandanpet, a village just outside Hyderabad. Most of the people here are engaged in the delicate art of drilling pearls, a skill that they have practiced for generations, making Hyderabad one of the largest drilling centres in India. Hyderabad is said to be the largest market for pearls in the country. Pearls were greatly favored by the Nizams and the Qutub Shahi rules who had a lot of affinity for pearls. They were great patrons and the pearl trade flourished in Hyderabad. The local artisans here also excelled at the delicate art of piercing and stringing pearls. Laad Bazaar in the old city is the most famous for these pearls.

3. The beauty of art is found here - Salarjung Museum

This art museum is located on the southern bank of the Musi river. It is one of the three National Museums of India. The museum houses over 46,000 art objects, 8,300 manuscripts and 47,000 books in their collection. The museum with its artifacts and the stories behind them is every history student's paradise that takes one on a real walk through the lives lived and stories told. If you love art, sculptures, and carvings, this place is worth visiting.

4. A World of its own - Ramoji Film City

This is a world that will tell a lot of filmi tales and take you behind the scenes of most Bollywood and Tollywood films. It has everything, from the Mughal palaces to Japanese Gardens, a railway station, hospital to an airport. It is located just 35 kms from the heart of the city. A kaleidoscope of attractions with its rolling landscapes, striking gardens and captivating live-action stunts and joy rides. Spread across sprawling 1,000 acres, the Ramoji Film City is a world in itself. There is an area with fun rides for children as well named Fundustan then there is a Thrillville Adventure Zone and a Ballerina Fountain where you'll see a fountain 'dancing,' the Deli Express, a restaurant designed like a train, puppet shows, street theatre and others. It can be called the Universal Studios of India.

5. The Replica of Shah - Chowmohalla Place

This place was once regarded as the center of Hyderabad as it was the seat of the
Asaf Jahi dynasty. Nizams used to entertain their official guests and royal visitors.
This palace was built over 200 years ago and is known for its unique style and elegance. This palace of the Nizams is easy to miss if you're not looking out for the pair of light cream gates that blend into the color of the surrounding wall when you go down the road from Laad Bazaar. This palace is a replica of the Shah's palace in Iran, the construction of the Chowmahalla is said to have begun in 1750 but it was completed only in the mid-1800s.

6. This one is for the Nerds out there - Sunday Book Bazaar

Although the bookstores of Hyderabad have always been satiating the diet of our book-lovers, there is another book market in Hyderabad which is not known to many people. A bookworm should indeed visit this place. One can buy books for as cheap as Rs.20 here. A treasure trove of books can be found spread across the pavements of the shopping streets of Abids and Ramkote.

Pirated and old books are sold at throwaway prices and if your bargaining skills are good, you could pick up almost-new books for dirt cheap prices. On Sunday mornings, this complex transforms into a book-lovers paradise where one can buy books for as cheap as Rs. 10 even times. There is a mix of academic books, novels, coffee table books, children’s storybooks and activity books. The booksellers are also friendly and are always ready to make suggestions.

7. Hussain Sagar Lake

One of the best places to go in the evenings would be Hussain Sagar, Tank Bund (Necklace Road). This place connects Hyderabad and Secunderabad and this lake was excavated in 1562. Informally called Tank Bund, the monolithic 18 meters high Buddha statue in the middle is strewn from a single piece of stone which was built from 450 tons of white granite by 200 sculptors.

It is considered among the tallest Buddha statues of Asia. Evenings around Tank Bund are perfect for watching the sun go down and having an ice cream or a munching on coal roasted corn. The water is a little smelly because of the pollution. One just needs to go there park their vehicle anywhere on the side of the road and have an ice-cream or a bhutta.

8. Falaknuma Palace

If being a king (or something like that) is on your priority list, Falaknuma Palace is the place to be. From the Tonga ride at the entry to the royal interior decors and service, this palace stays true to its name. Falak-numa means "Like the Sky" or "Mirror of the Sky" in Urdu. This Lavish palace was once the house of Nizams and has now been taken over by the Taj group. Sitting on a 2,000-foot-high hill, Taj Falaknuma Palace, this place of the sixth Nizam, Mehboob Ali Khan, is a rare blend of Italian and Tudor architecture. The famous dining table that can seat 101 people occupies a place of pride here. It is 33 meters long, takes up to three hours to set up and what guests whisper at one end of the table can be heard at the other-the idea was to discourage any conspiracies against the Nizam during dinner.

The library here has a rich collection of manuscripts and Qurans collected from all over the world and some really amazing jade collections. The palace is full of antiques and artworks. The monument was once a Palace in the Nizam era which later got transformed into a hotel. The latest star added to the beauty of the palace was Salman Khan’s Sister’s wedding ceremony.

9. IMAX

In other cities, when they say big screen, it just means a movie theatre. But in Hyderabad when we say the big screen, we mean it is the BIG screen. There is no better joy for movie lovers to put on those 3D glasses and watch a film in one of the largest screens in the country, that too on IMAX projection.
IMAX here is a centrally air-conditioned multiplex of an area of 2,35,000 sq.ft., housing a Movie Theatre, a five-screen multiplex, food court, multinational fast food outlets, a gaming zone and a Shopping mall covering two levels of the complex. It used to be an IMAX theatre. This IMAX leased its projection system to Prasad’s on a 33-year lease for $4.5 million but if you are in Hyderabad, you have to watch a movie in this place.

10. Dialogue in the Dark

This place is a one-of-a-kind theme restaurant located inside Inorbit Mall and offers its customers an experience of dining in complete darkness. The place is like a candlelight dinner experience but the catch is you can’t even see the food you are eating. Here, visually challenged guides will take you on a gastronomical tour in complete darkness. You are served with a four-course gourmet meal, which will require you to rely on your senses of touch, taste, and smell to appreciate.

The guides here even though visually impaired, are well-trained and able to perform tasks like serving, filling water glasses and table-laying immaculately. At the end of the meal, you will be presented with a visiting card with your name etched on it in Braille.

When a restaurant serves you food in utter darkness, it is meant to be unique. You are led by blind guides to the dining area where you will be served your order of food. And the happiness or the feeling from inside when you go to this place is unimaginable.