An intern’s guide to Hyderabad: Pearls, Minarets and the Nizami grandeur.

The founder of the city wanted it to be the heaven on earth. While it would not be entirely correct to say that the city lives upto the expectation, Hyderabad is definitely welcoming and friendly. Read further to know what is hot and what is not in the city.

Before you land:- Hyderabad is situated  somewhere in between north and south and can make you feel home regardless of where you come from. Don’t dread the dumb-charades you were expecting to play, since Hyderabad can make sense of almost every language thanks to the main languages Telugu and Urdu, representing south and north respectively. Pack cotton for super-hot summers and woollen for slightly cold winters.

When in Hyderabad:- Ancient cities are like that book that you read yesterday for the hundred and forty fifth time but  still manages to throw in an odd surprise every now and then. Hyderabad with its legacy of five glorious centuries is no different. No matter how long you have stayed or how many visits you have paid, it can still occasionally pull out a rabbit from the hat. So explore it to the maximum, enjoy its tastes, smell its dust and live Hyderabad.

Hang out Points:-

1. Malls – Lumbini, GVK One, City Centre, Ashoka metropolitan, Hyderabad Central.
2. Coffee shops – Kopcha, Beyond Coffee, Truffles café, Brew Berrys, Café Europa, Testa Rossa Café, C factor, Blend, Trance lounge, Le Café, Around the corner and Café @36
3. Amusement parks – Ocean park, Mount Opera, Snowworld, Elles world and Jalavihar Family Park.
4. Lakes – Hussain Sagar, Osman Sagar,Himayat Sagar, Durgam Cheruvu, Shamirpet and Lotus pond.
5. Wildlife – Mrigavani National park, KBR National Park, Nehru Zoological park and Deer park.
6. History – Bella Vista, Chow mahalla palace, Purani Haveli, Reymond Tomb,Paigah tomb, Falaknuma Palace, Qutub shahi tomb,Asman Garh palace, Golconda and Charminar.
7. Parks – Sanjeevaiah park, Lumbini park, Public gardens, Kidwai garden, Botanical garden and NTR Garden.
8. Shopping – Koti Bazaar, Basheerbagh, General bazaar, Jame street and Abids street

Food:- Appu Ajith of NIFT recommends

Hyderabadi Biriyani – Bawarchi, Paradise and Shadab

Chaat  –  Gokul chaat.

Chutneys and Ohri – Nautanki Galli

Coffee – Minerva

Haleem – Pista House (During Ramadan).

Moving around:-  Apart from the usual local bus and private auto and taxi, MMTS which is the local train service and shared auto are also available. Thankfully, the auto rikshaws use meter to charge but don’t make it obvious that you are new  to  the city.

Must-do things:-

1. Set out to see Charminar and empty your wallet on streetshopping.
2. Non-vegetarians – Hyderabdi Haleem, Biriyani, Vegetarians- Pray that they find a veg equivalent soon.
3. Count the number of study circles and coaching institutes and find out why Andhrites fill up one third of the JEE seats every year.
4. Visit the old city and wonder why Nizam became synonymous with miserliness, despite the grandeur of the place.
5. Go to Ramoji film city, try to say things like  “oh that is where ‘Oh la la’ was shot” like you really know and identify the tree your favourite hero danced around.

Wonderful as Hyderabad is, it can give you misery at times. If you thought that a boss who expects you to be superman or a Lois Lane for a cubemate is going to be the biggest problem – No. YSR’s ghost and Telengana issue make the former look like a joke. Hyderabad has witnessed more Hartals on account of these than the total it had in the past century. In the unlikely event that you are an Indian and have not witnessed a hurt-all, we advise you to store staples and other essentials as ‘bandh‘s are called so not for nothing. Some other things to keep in mind would be