My ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ Trip to Hyderabad, the Historic City of Monuments, Museums, Mosques and Modernity
- If the "chilled" lifestyle and delectable cuisine, including shirmal dipped in mutton curry, are not enough, “Biryani ki kasam,” be charmed by the Hyderabadis’ Dakhani Hindustani.
Recently, I embarked on an ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ journey to India, a pilgrimage to honor the memory of my parents. Bombay did not feel the same without the warmth and comfort of parents waiting for me at home.
After praying for my parents’ departed souls at the ancient Jagruteshwar Temple in Vashi gaon, New Bombay, I decided to visit Hyderabad, a heritage city, a city of monuments, a city of pearls, and a city of wondrous diamonds. I have many friends from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in Huntsville, AL, but it was time to make new friends.
Disembarking from my Bombay-Hyderabad Indigo flight, I was immediately struck by the modernity of the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport near Shamshabad. As I traversed the Ring Road, flanked by lavishly manicured gardens leading to Hi-Tech city with impressive chrome and glass towers, I was drawn to the allure of this royal Eastern city of Nizams.
Hyderabad promised to excite my senses and captivate my soul like a luminous pearl. Settling into my comfortable accommodations at the modern ITC Kohenur hotel, I tucked myself in for a good night’s sleep to prepare me for the eagerly anticipated adventures that awaited me.
Hyderabad’s vibrant culture is epitomized by traditional culinary delights. From the tantalizing aromas of shirmal dipped in mutton curry to the unexpected sweetness of Khubani ka mitha, each dish tells a story of traditional recipes passed down through generations.
Though my palate leaned towards vegetarian fare like mirchi ka salan, biryani, drumstick pulusu and baghare baingan, I couldn’t help stealing a glance at the locals relishing the succulent flavors of shikampuri kebabs, and kacche gosht ki biryani. They looked like their mouths were on fire but their souls were ecstatic! I cleansed my palate with a spoonful of home made curd set in earthen-ware sakoras to indulge in betel leaf and cardamom flavored kulfi.
The busy markets lined with shops selling ethnic clothes, bakeries and cafes, tea stalls brimming with Osmania biscuits and deliciously flavored chais were quite a sight to behold much like the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul.
After the sumptuous brunch, my chauffeur took me sightseeing. The city’s historic monuments, museums and mosques were on display. I was in Hyderabad for short visit and so many wonders awaited me: The melting butter colored Chowmahalla Palace with the vintage cars, the veiled Rebecca marble statue made by the Italian sculptor Benzoni of Milan at the Salar Jung Museum, the crenelated ramparts of the Golconda Fort, the Falaknuma palace, a jewel in the sky and the iconic Charminar.
All of these monuments reflected Hyderabad’s rich heritage. However, it was the inimitable Charminar that captured my heart—the symbol of Hyderabad’s Qutb Shahi architecture, constructed by the fifth Sultan Quli Qutb Shah, the founder of Hyderabad, who named his city (now Hyderabad) Bhagnagar in honor of his beloved wife.
Four roads span out from Charminar, North, South, East and West, dividing the open “not walled” city into four quarters. Navigating through the bustling streets of the old city, I marveled at the square-shaped structure with its four minarets holding up the clouds, decorated balconies with lotus and floral motifs unlike other Moghul reliefs looked like intricate beaded embroidery on alabaster up close
The busy markets lined with shops selling ethnic clothes, bakeries and cafes, tea stalls brimming with Osmania biscuits and deliciously flavored chais were quite a sight to behold much like the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul. The famous Laad Bazaar shimmered and glittered with handcrafted lacquer bangles studded with faux diamonds.
I was enthralled to be at the crossroads of history and culture intertwining seamlessly. I thought about when the royals and nobles strolled in the garden with multicolored perfumed water fountains enjoying the gathering of poets and musicians. Musical notes serenaded the city dwellers at different times of the day on their shehnais and sitars. The evening sky gleamed iridescent blue and pink like a blue opal. People poured into the prosperous city like fish in the River Musi. The sarais were full with merry makers, and a hospital to care for the ailing.
In 1933, the Nizam of Hyderabad extended a formal invitation to Rabindranath Tagore to visit the city. Tagore’s admiration for the Nizam’s commitment to education and his love for Hyderabad’s salubrious climate left an indelible mark on him. He wanted to make a home in Hyderabad. I fell under the same spell.
I couldn’t help falling in love with the city’s spirit and the “Happy-go-lucky” Hyderabadis as they went about their “chilled” lifestyle. They promised me the moon in their catchy Dakhani Hindustani (an amalgamation of Urdu-Hindi-Marathi-Kannada and Telugu, but shrugged their Hyderabadi shoulders when we landed on Terra Ferma!
Their conversations were smattered with Kaiku, Nakko, Hau…The expressions that made me laugh were: Biryani ki kasam, Kaiku aise haule chala karra? Over kar dere yaaro, Baigan ke baatan nakko karo, Bhaga bhaga ke maartau, Dimag kharab nako kar! Chindi chor chala nakko kar, Ja bhai jaa, Chilara kaiku re?
In my ‘Pray, Eat, Love’ trip, I felt the irresistible allure of the Nizamian era and the unique blend of tradition and modernity that defines Hyderabad. Though my journey was one of self-discovery and contemplation, I couldn’t resist taking home a small keepsake—a sparkling set of pink and blue Hyderabadi bangles — a memento of a city that had touched my heart in more ways than one.
(Top photo, courtesy, @meghas495/Tripadvisor.)
With one foot in Huntsville, Alabama, the other in her birth home India, and a heart steeped in humanity, writing is a contemplative practice for Monita Soni. She has published hundreds of poems, movie reviews, book critiques, and essays and contributed to combined literary works. Her two books are My Light Reflections and Flow through My Heart. You can hear her commentaries on Sundial Writers Corner WLRH 89.3FM.