India is a land of myriad
geographies, diverse history, resplendent cultures and unique people. To
explore India is like listening to distinct stories which the cities narrate.
Tourism flourishes thanks to the heritage every city has to boast about. This
year we decided to visit Hyderabad where history, nature and corporates exist
together to make it a city of opportunities and a place where the depths of
rich history can be explored and adored. Mumbai being the financial capital has
this unique blend of history, festivities and commercialization too. We decided
to unfold another chapter of Indian history by visiting Hyderabad.
We checked into a hotel in Ramoji
Film City, a grand city in Hyderabad. Though this was my second visit to
Ramoji, I still enjoyed the time spent there afresh. Ramoji is an experience to
cherish the remarkable man-made wonder. Film-making is a challenging art. What
we watch on screens has lot of things going on in the background. While we
appreciate the actors in the film, it is the people working behind the screens
who take efforts to make a film best that it is. We saw various sets,
astonishingly made of cardboard, yet had the appeal of bricks and mortar. The
major attraction among the sets was that of Baahubali. The magnificent
Mahishmati Kingdom shown in the movie had its roots in the vast area of Ramoji
Film City. Though in partially dismantled state, the sets could still give the
grand feeling of the movie. The songs and dialogues played in the background,
adding touch to this amazing experience. It was yet another beautiful glimpse
of immense efforts put in by the team behind the curtains. The tricks which the
directors use in the film and the way they are presented to the viewers in a
promising way, was a fascinating thing to learn about film-making. Talent lies
even in the tricks! Ramoji has struck a perfect equilibrium between nature and
creativity: on one hand there were life-like sets, emanating talent from shows,
amusement rides and on the other hand there were various parks dedicated to a
variety of flora and fauna as a step towards environmental awareness, apart
from attracting numerous tourists. It is an impeccably planned architectural
wonder, making sure that there is enough greenery around to offer tranquility.
I was marveled at the number of jobs this one wonder had created, providing a
decent livelihood to many. I also experienced how the hospitality industry
works, whose ultimate aim is to satisfy its customers. Ramoji Film City was a
complete package of entertainment, well-maintained environment and peace of
mind.
After spending a day in this
epitome of creativity, we headed the next day to explore the city. Our first
destination for the day was Nehru Zoological Park. Being an ardent lover of
animals, I looked forward watching some of my favourite animals. We were
greeted first by an intrepid jaguar, wearing a coat of his God-gifted impressive
spotted skin. A little ahead we saw my most favourite animal: the majestic
tiger. While the jaguar flaunted his spotted coat, the tiger with his perfectly
brushed stripes exhibited his elegance. Big Cats are known for their stealth
and hence one could not guess what was going on in the tiger’s mind as he
walked from one place to another as though deep in thought. We stood there for
a long time looking at this ferocious national animal of ours. We saw elephants
who were leisurely grazing in the vegetation with nothing to care about in the
world. These intelligent animals have always amazed me. We saw deer and emus
living together in harmony. Who said that you always need like-minded beings to
live with? Giraffes, bears and jackals showed their respective traits as well.
We entered the world of birds who were decked up in variety of colours.
Nature’s palette of colours must be having endless shades to add to the beauty
of these birds! The showstopper of the zoo was the colourfully adorned peacock
who opened his feathers as if to pose in front of the many shutterbugs. It was a
pleasant treat to the eyes. When the peacock realized that his fans are done
capturing his beauty on their cameras, he diligently closed his feathers. The
zoological park had lot of greenery to make it conducive for our animal
friends. Bidding goodbye to these cheerful animals and birds, we went ahead to
see more of the city prospered by humans.
Our next destinations were
Charminar and Chowmahalla Palace. Charminar, the jewel of the city, stands
strong amidst the hustle and bustle of the city. There were many people posing
for pictures in front of this gigantic structure. The surrounding markets
offering a plethora of products and hordes of people give hardly any time to
stand and appreciate the structure. Yet the beauty of Charminar does not go
unnoticed. It makes you look high at its tall minarets to appreciate the
intricate designs that they flaunt. Chowmahalla Palace, not very far from
Charminar, had four grand palaces next to each other- Aftab, Mehtab, Tehniyat
and Afzal. They narrated the history of lineage of Nizams. In the area outside
the palaces, there were vintage cars and trams of the Nizams which took us back
to the olden times. The eye pleasing chandeliers in the palaces, the attires of
the Nizams and the still fresh colours of Khilwat Mubarak i.e. the seat of the
Asaf Jahi dynasty exhibited the royal lifestyle of the Nizams. Another
awe-inspiring structure within Chowmahalla Palace is the Clock Tower in which
the clock has been ticking for around 250 years. What richness truly meant, we understood after
visiting this impregnable structure. Our next stop was Salarjung Museum where
one could see glimpses of art from all around the world. Nawab Mir Yusuf Ali
Khan, then Prime Minister of Hyderabad, had collected these unique artifacts
from different parts of the world and made it possible for us to understand
what meaning and style art has in various parts of the world. These ancient and
medieval paintings, sculptures and artifacts would give a tough competition to
the modern art with their fresh colours and out-of-the-box creativity. I
realized that human brain is like an ocean of multitudes of ideas which are
beautifully depicted when presented on canvas or in sculptures or artifacts. Having
a creative mindset is therefore of utmost importance to display the strides in
human capabilities.
India is a country where every God
of every religion is considered sacrosanct. We visited the milky white Birla
Mandir to pay our respects to the highly revered deities. The temple is clad in
pure white marble as though encouraging to have purity in our thoughts as well.
We spent some peaceful time in vicinity of the Almighty, simultaneously getting
rejuvenated in the composure around. After relaxing ourselves in the gentle
breeze of the temple, we headed towards the last destinations of our city tour-
Hussain Sagar Lake and Lumbini Park. Hussain Sagar Lake seems to expand beyond
the eyesight with the statue of Buddha standing proudly in the middle,
showering his blessings on people. This vast body of water is a solace around
the busy roads of Hyderabad. The sun was setting to soon give way to the Light
and Laser show at Lumbini Park. Eager to watch yet another spectacle of
creativity, I sensed a feeling of déjà vu when I had visited a similar laser
show in Sentosa Island, Singapore last year. The laser show at Lumbini Park
left us awestruck with the mind-blowing combination of music and dancing lights. The thirty-minute show illuminated us with
memories of a lifetime.
We reached the end of the day,
enervated. Yet the glimpses of the entire day spent in Hyderabad city were
captured in our minds and eyes forever. As I had rightly said, every city has a
story to tell and Hyderabad was a perfect raconteur who narrated its stories
through its grandeur. It was soon time to take leave from the rich city of
Nizams to come back to modern-day rich Mumbai and embrace the daily struggles.
Despite the struggles, I have learned from Nizams to live life, king-size!
