Must See Places in Hyderabad, India
View of Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh ; picture taken by Anieka Sarmer
You could be reading this blog as a local in Hyderabad, who wants to visit some touristy attractions just for fun. Or, you’re an Indian visiting family or friends. Most likely, you’re a foreigner, who has never stepped foot in Hyderabad or India for that matter, like I was, and has no idea what to do or where to go. Whatever your reason may be for scrolling through this blog, Hyderabad is a sprawling, techy city, with a massive startup scene, amazing food, night clubs, historical attractions, and old town streets that will fascinate maybe even the locals among you. Listed below are a combination of attractions that I myself visited while in Hyderabad, as well as a few which I wish I had made time for.
Charminar
Charminar, Hyderabad ; picture taken by Anieka Sarmer
Charminar is a stunning Mosque which was built in the 16th century right next to a magnificent historical archway, which leads into what used to be a once bustling ancient kingdom. You could get a tour guide to take you up into the mosque where they could teach you about the history of the building. However, you also could buy a ticket and go up by yourself. This way you could admire the design and the view alone. I came here for the amazing historical Islamic architecture, but there is also a sprawling Bengal market here where there are tenders selling jewelry, shoes, and many traditional clothes. I stepped a few feet into this market but I wasn’t in the shopping mood, so I just admired the jewelry from afar and then made my way back with my friend to our driver. There is also a high Muslim population in this area of Hyderabad, which is the old town of the city. Because of this, there are also food markets and restaurants selling Islamic traditional meat dishes that are apparently delicious. I am vegetarian and avoided meat markets while on my trip, but if you’re a ‘meaty’ person, I would suggest coming to this part of town for the food.
Golconda Fort:
Golconda Fort, Hyderabad ; picture taken by Anieka Sarmer
Golconda Fort was originally built in the 11th century by ruler Pratāparudra, however, Persians eventually took over the land and completed the fortress. You can see distinctly where the ancient Indian ruler ended his construction of the fort and where the Persians finished it. This blend of culture is shown so beautifully here through the architecture. In the fortress, you also have the opportunity of requesting a tour guide, who will take you all around the fort and explain the different sections and their historical value. However, you still have the option of taking to the trails yourself and walking all the way up to the top of the fort in solitude. At the top, there is a small temple where you can pray, and there is a stunning view of the entire fort, as well as the entire city of Hyderabad. I’m a major history and architecture geek so experiencing this place and being able to trek all the way up it was an experience I’ll never forget. One thing I found extremely interesting, was that the Persians who built the fort, laid it out to where if you stand at a specific spot at the entrance to the fort and ring a dong, someone who is at the very highest tier of the fort can hear you. Because of how the ceiling is shaped, the sound travels directly in the direction of the top of the fort. If you were standing anywhere else in the fort, your sound would not travel. This was something that I thought was particularly cool because it was such advanced architectural work and engineering of the fort for how long ago it was designed. Golconda Fort is also located in the older city of Hyderabad and has many delicious restaurants with Hyderabadi, Persian, and Muslim food.
Birla Mandir
Birla Mandir, Hyderabad ; picture taken from Pinterest
Birla Mandir is a breathtakingly gorgeous Hindu temple also located in the old town of Hyderabad. The temple is made completely of pure white marble and glows beautifully in the sun. It’s located on the top of a small hill that you have to walk up in order to reach it. Cameras and phones are not allowed here because it is still an active temple, so I was unfortunately not able to get a picture of it from the inside, but when you reach the top, you have a gorgeous view of the city. After you’ve prayed to all of the gods, it is customary that you sit down and meditate for a few minutes at the top of the temple, so I meditated with my friends with the gorgeous view and the weak winter sun beaming down on us. It was a really relaxing and peaceful time, even though there were a lot of people there to pray. I recommend coming here to anyone, even if you’re not of the Hindu religion. I am not of the religion and went with my friend, who explained the gods and their backstories to me, as well as the customary prayers and gestures for showing respect inside the temple. If you’re not familiar with the religion, I would suggest doing some research on your own about Hinduism. If you have a friend who can walk you through the experience, that would be even better.
Salar Jung Museum:
Salar Jung Museum ; picture taken by Anieka Sarmer
The Salar Jung Museum is so cool and really informative about the history of south India and the region of Hyderabad. It’s really close to Charminar and when I was there I actually did both of these attractions on the same day right after one another. You can read information sheets about famous Indian freedom fighters from South India and look through exhibits of traditional Indian furniture, art, and technology. There is also a colonial section of the museum, which I wasn’t the most interested in, that had items, which were brought to India from the Dutch and the British, and introduced to them. I was really fascinated with the elephant tusk exhibit. At first I was hesitant because I’m really against animal cruelty, as well as poaching, but back when these tusks were carved into decorations, art, and furniture, like chairs and rugs, they were taken from tusks that had fallen off the elephant, or were taken off elephants that had been found dead. Elephants were never killed purposefully for the extraction of the tusk. I was also really interested in an exhibit that was filled with Indian and Chinese pottery. It was filled with vases from several different regions and time periods in India, as well as China. I thought it was really cool comparing the patterns and art on each one and observing how they differed from one another. I would definitely recommend coming here to learn more about Hyderabadi and South Indian history.
Mecca Masijd
Mecca Masjid, Hyderabad ; picture taken from Google
Mecca Masjid is one of the largest mosques in India built completely of granite in the 17th century and opened in 1693. The distinctly Indo-Islamic mosque is located within walking distance from Charminar and is an absolutely stunning historical monument, which I would highly recommend you visit. I unfortunately did not get to visit this mosque, even though I was right next to it visiting Charminar, but I wish I had spent an hour of my time observing it. You could add this site to your itinerary for the day; starting with Charminar, walking around the market, visiting Mecca Masjid, and then ending the day with some delicious authentic Islamic food from one of the many small restaurants in the area.
KASU BRAHMANANDHA REDDY NATIONAL PARK
Kasu Brahmanandha Reddy National Park, Hyderabad ; picture taken from Google
Kasu Brahmanandha Reddy National Park was another place that I did not have the chance to visit, but I really wanted to. Unfortunately, I ran out of time and had to move on from Hyderabad before I could see it. My friend told me that there were peacocks in this park, and after that, I was sold. However, the peacocks aren’t the only exciting thing about this park. Kasu Brahmanandha Reddy is described as the jungle amidst the concrete jungle by locals of Hyderabad and is a total of 360 acres in the center of the city. The park was given to Prince Mukarram Jah on his coronation by his father in the year 1967 and was titled a national park by the government in 2020. Peacocks aren’t the only species in this national park. There are many other species of birds, reptiles, and also Indian Jungle cats that roam this land and are protected by the government. If you’re lucky, you’ll spot some of them on your walk through the beautiful nature, providing a much needed breather from the pollution and noise of the city.
There are of course so many more monuments in and around Hyderabad that you should give your attention to. However, the monuments mentioned above are the ones I made priority out of all of them. Hyderabad is a beautiful, culturally diverse, and historical city that has so many fascinating and gorgeous monuments and religious buildings, you just need to know where to look. My hope is that after reading this blog, you now have more of a clear idea of the must see places in Hyderabad.
Like always, follow me on my instagram, @aniekasarmer for updates about new blogs or destinations.
Now go out and explore the world!
Love,
Anieka ♡
