Saturday, January 28, 2006

Trip to Hyderabad

Charminar - It is a magnificent square edifice of granite, built upon four grand arches facing North, South, East and West. These arches support two floors of rooms and gallery of archways. At each corner of the square structure is a minaret rising to a height of 24 meters, making the building nearly 54 meters tall. It is these four (char) minarets (minar) that give the building, its name ‘Charminar’. Each minar stands on a lotus-leaf base, a special recurrent motif in Qutub Shahi buildings.
Golconda Fort - Founded originally by the Kakatiyas in the year 1140, Golconda was expanded by the Qutub Shahi kings into a massive fort of granite with walls and ramparts extending to a length of 5km in circumference. Famous features of Golconda include its system of acoustics, palaces, factories, the water supply system.
Ramoji Film City - This well planned city has a everything that making of a movie can need, from waterfalls to lakes and form hospitals to schools.
Hussain Sagar - Hussain Sagar connects the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. The well laid out Lumbini Park in the Buddha Purnima Project has a musical fountain. From the midst of the calm clear waters of the Hussain Sagar emerges a 16m tall, 350 tonne statue of Lord Buddha. The statue of Lord Buddha is placed on a huge rock in the middle of the lake.
Birla Mandir - Birla Mandir is a beautiful modern temple overlooking the south end of Hussain Sagar, providing an excellent view over the city from the summit.
Qutub Shahi Tombs - The most authentic evidence of the Qutub Shahi architectural traditions.