Travel Destinations » Charminar Hyderabad

One cannot go to Hyderabad and art visit the Char Minar area. The some is particularly frenzied here an a Friday, a flurry of scooters and pedestrians rushing to the nearby Mecca mosque for their noonday prayers. Even otherwise, the area where this florid monument stands, with its stucco lacings, galleries, arches and a little mosque on its terrace, is hardly ever devoid of people and traffic. Basaws full of shops have sprouted around the Char Minar (four mina-sets) that Muhammed Quli Qutb built to mark the center of his new cky.

It stands at the intersection of main roads, each headed by arches (charkamans), dividing & city into four sections. Shops and workshops in different areas mg bridal finery, pochampalli pearls, bangles, kites, books, aniques and metalware. At sunsetduring Ramzan, the aroma of unctuous food is overpowering. Overcome by its din, glitter and color, we are left speechless when touts persist in asking us to exchange foreign currency!

The gleam of pearls is everywhere in the city of nizams, and particularly so in the Char Minar area. Mangatrai Pearls at Pathargatti is a fourth generation establishment where Ajay Gupta offers us a selection of 18” strands of fresh water pearls. They cost anywhere from Rs 200 to Rs 10,000. As his father Chaganlal explains, the shape, sheen, size and smoothness of the pearls decide their price.

The bright, temptingly arranged garments at Laad Bazaar put Holi colors to shame. They are all aglow with kamdani, karchub, zardozi and machine work. But the bazaar is most famous for its lac and glass bangles. Burqa-clad brides and mothers drive up to its alleys as it is compulsory for a bride to cover her arms with glittering churas (sets)of 24 such bangles. Baburao who has been making and selling such sets for the last 35 years says that they cost anywhere from Rs 51 to Rs 501. It is fascinating to watch him patiently fixing each glittering gem (artificial) and piece of mirror onto lac moulds of bangles placed over a slow fire at his worktable—an earthenware pot!

How and Where
Hyderabad comprises the old town, the new city and Secunderabad, which is situated on the other side of Hussain Sagar lake. It is well-connected with all major Indian cities by air, road and rail.

It is best to visit Hyderabad in the cooler months when temperatures range from 22°C maximum to 14°C minimum. Avoid the months of April to July when the temperature soars to 39°C on an average, or even higher, and drops to 22°C minimum. Keep light woollens handy in the cooler months. It rains between June to September.

With an influx of business travelers, the hospitality industry has grown by leaps and bounds in the last three years. Quite a few well-managed five, four and three starhotels have come up around the Begumpet airport-cum-commercial area, Secunderabad and Banjara Hills. Among