Hyderabad, India

Hyderabad ( Telugu : హైదరాబాదు / Bhagya Nagaram, Urdu: حیدر آباد / Hyderabad, Hindi : हैदराबाद / Hyderabad ) is the capital city of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Greater Hyderabad has an estimated metropolitan population of 6.7 million, making it an A-1 status city and the second largest(in terms of area) in the country. It is also the fifth largest metropolitan area. Hyderabad is known for its rich history, culture and architecture representing its unique character as a meeting point for North and South India, and its multilingual culture, both geographically and culturally.

Also known as The City of Nizams, Hyderabad is today one of the most developed cities in the country and a modern hub of Information Technology, ITES, and Biotechnology.

Etymology

Hyderabad is also known as Bhagya Nagaram (translation: Bhagya meaning wealth; nagaram meaning city) in Telugu. Theories explaining the origins and etymology behind Hyderabad's name differ. A popular theory suggests that after founding the city, Quli Qutb Shah fell in love with and married a local Banjara girl known as Bhagyamathi and named this city after her. Upon her conversion to Islam, Bhagyamathi changed her name to Hyder Mahal and the new city's name was correspondingly changed to match it, resulting in the eponymous name Hyderabad (literally, "the city of Hyder").

History

Sultan Quli Qutb Mulk was the founder of the Qutb Shahi dynasty, the ruling family of the Golconda. The dynasty, previously a feudatory of Bahmani sultanate, declared independence in 1512. Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, a ruler of the dynasty, founded the city of Hyderabad on the banks of the Musi River in 1591; this relocation was intended to relieve a water shortage the dynasty had experienced at their old headquarters at Golconda. He also ordered the construction of the Charminar, the iconic monument of the city, in 1591, reportedly in gratitude to the Almighty for arresting the plague epidemic before it did irreversible damage to his new city.

As Qutb Shahi power and fortune rose during the 16th and early 17th centuries, Hyd became a center of a vibrant diamond trade. Golconda diamond mines are the birth place of the most famous diamonds in the world viz. Darya-ye Noor, Hope Diamond and importantly Koh-i-Noor, the crown jewel of Queen Elizabeth. They contributed to the growth and development of Indo-Persian and Indo-Islamic literature and culture in Hyderabad. Some of the sultans were known as patrons of local Telugu culture as well. In the 16th century the city grew to accommodate the surplus population of Golconda and eventually became the capital of the Qutb Shahi rulers. Hyderabad became known for its gardens (called baghs in vernacular) and its comfortable climate.

Mughal emperor Aurangzeb captured Hyderabad in 1687 and during this short Mughal rule, the fortune of Hyderabad declined. Soon, the Mughal-appointed governors of the city gained more autonomy. In 1724, Asaf Jah I, who was granted the title Nizam-ul-Mulk ("Governor of the country") by the Mughal emperor, defeated a rival official to establish control over Hyderabad. Thus began the Asaf Jahi dynasty that ruled Hyderabad until a year after India's independence from Britain. Asaf Jah's successors ruled as the Nizams of Hyderabad. The rule of the seven Nizams saw the growth of Hyderabad both culturally and economically. Hyderabad became the formal capital of the kingdom and Golconda, the former capital, was all but abandoned. Huge reservoirs, like the Nizam Sagar, Tungabhadra, Osman Sagar, Himayat Sagar, and others were built. Survey work on Nagarjuna Sagar had also begun during this time; the actual work was completed by the Government of India in 1969. The wealth and grandeur of the Nizams is demonstrated by the fabled Jewels of The Nizams which is a tourist attraction.The state was richest and the largest in the princely states of India.The land area of the state was 90,543 mi² its population in 1901 was 5,00,73,759. It enjoyed an estimated revenue of £9,00,29,000/.

After the Indian independence in 1947, under the terms of independence from the British, the Nizam opted for independence or accession to the newly created Pakistan. India, then, implemented an economic blockade and forced Hyderabad state to sign a Standstill Agreement with the Indian Union. On September 17, 1948, more than a year after India had gained independence, the Nizam signed the Instrument of Accession to the Indian Union.

On November 1, 1956, the states of India were reorganized on linguistic grounds. The territories of the State of Hyderabad were divided between newly created Andhra Pradesh, Bombay state (later Maharashtra), and Karnataka. Hyderabad and the surrounding areas were added to Andhra Pradesh, based on the Telugu speaking community. Thus, Hyderabad became the capital city of the new state of Andhra Pradesh.

Lately, the city has been subject to severe social tensions, as revealed in the aftermath of the 18 May 2007 Mecca Masjid bombing which soon was followed by the 25 August 2007 Hyderabad bombings.

Geography

Main Article: Geography of Hyderabad Situated on the Deccan Plateau, Hyderabad has an average elevation of about 500 metres above sea level (1640 feet). Most of the area has a rocky terrain. There is a lot of cultivation in the surrounding areas with paddy fields and other crops which are grown.

The original city of Hyderabad was founded on the banks of river Musi. Now known as the historic "Old City", home to the Charminar and Mecca Masjid, it lies on the southern bank of the river. The city center saw a shift to the north of the river, with the construction of many government buildings and landmarks there, especially south of the Husain Sagar lake. The rapid growth of the city, along with the growth of Secunderabad and neighboring municipalities has resulted in a large and populous metropolitan area.

Hyderabad has a tropical wet and dry climate, with hot summers from March to June, the wet monsoon season from July to October and a mild, dry winter from November to February. Annual precipitation is around 79 cm. Temperatures range from a lowest minimum of 12 Deg C in winter to 41 Deg C in Summer.

Civic administration

The city is administered by Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), whose titular head is the Mayor who has few executive powers. In the past, the mayor was chosen by the legislative body of the corporation, but just before the last elections, the state government modified the Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad Act to stipulate that the mayoral election be held directly and simultaneously with the corporation elections. The real executive power of the corporation is vested in the Municipal Commissioner, an IAS officer appointed by the Andhra Pradesh state government. The Mayor and the Corporation legislative body can and have been in the past dismissed by the state government. For several years elections had not been held for the corporation. Recently the corporation completed its full term and elections are due to the GHMC and for the post of Mayor.

A large part of the twin city Secunderabad and some parts of Hyderabad itself come under the jurisdiction of the Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) owing to a large presence of military units. The infrastructure and civic administration in these areas is controlled by SCB which comes under the ministry of defence of the union government of India. The President of the board is the incumbent Secunderabad area Indian army commander, who is of the rank of Brigadier, an one-star General officer. The executive powers are vested in the civilian Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the cantonment board who is appointed by the defence ministry.

The GHMC is in charge of the civic needs and the infrastructure of the metropolis. Hyderabad is divided into 100 municipal wards, each overseen by a corporator. The corporators of the administration are elected through a popular vote, and almost all the state political parties field candidates.The metropolitan area of Hyderabad covers two districts, Hyderabad and Rangareddy. The administration of each district is headed by a District Collector who is in charge of property records and revenue collection for the Central government. The district collector also oversees the national elections held in the city.

The Hyderabad Police comes under the state Home Ministry and is headed by a Police Commissioner, an IPS officer. The city is divided into five police zones, each headed by a Deputy Commissioner of Police. The Traffic Police is a semi-autonomous body under the Hyderabad Police.Hyderabad is the seat of the State High Court and also has two lower courts - the Small Causes Court for civil matters and the Sessions Court for criminal cases.Hyderabad elects two members to the Lok Sabha, the lower-house of the Indian parliament, who represent the constituencies of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. In addition, parts of the city overlap two other Lok Sabha electoral districts. Hyderabad elects thirteen representatives to the State's Legislative Assembly.

Economy

Hyderabad is the financial and economic capital of the state. The city is the largest contributor to the state's gross domestic product, state tax and excise revenues. The workforce participation is about 29 percent. Starting in the 1990s, the economic pattern of the city has changed from being a primarily service city to being one with a more diversified spectrum, including trade, transport, commerce, storage, communication etc. Service industry is the major contributor, with urban workforce constituting 90% of the total workforce.

Hyderabad is known as the city of pearls, lakes and, lately, for its IT companies. The pearl market known as Laad Bazaar is situated near Charminar. Ornaments made with Rice Pearls can be bought from Char Kaman or the General Bazaar market. Products such as silverware, saris, Nirmal and Kalamkari paintings and artifacts, unique Bidri handcrafted items, lacquer bangles studded with stones, silk-ware, cotton-ware and handloom-based clothing materials are made and traded through the city for centuries.

Andhra Pradesh inherited from the State of Hyderabad great academic institutes and research labs, both public and private institutes with very diverse areas of interest. The infrastructural facilities for basic research in Hyderabad are some of the best in the country, hosting a large academic population from all over the country and beyond.

Hyderabad is a major centre for pharmaceuticals with companies such as Dr. Reddy's Laboratories, Matrix Laboratories, Hetero Drugs Limited, Divis Labs, Aurobindo Pharma Limited and Vimta Labs being housed in the city. Initiatives such as Genome Valley and the Nanotechnology park are expected to create extensive infrastructure in bio-technology.

Like many Indian cities, Hyderabad has witnessed a remarkable growth in the real estate business, thanks to a predominantly information-technology-driven boom in the 1990s and the retail industry growth over the last few years which have spurred hectic commercial activity. A number of mega malls have come up or are being built in the city. Real Estate demand in the suburban and rural areas surrounding Hyderabad has gone up exponentially leading to reckless increase in prices over the past few years.

For the advancement of infrastructure in the city,the government is building a skyscraper business district at Manchirevula with a 450m supertall APIIC Tower at its centre which upon completion will be the tallest building in India.

Information Technology industry

Hyderabad city is today known for its IT and IT Enabled Services, Pharmaceuticals and Entertainment industries. Many call centres, Business process outsourcing (BPO) firms, dealing with IT and other technological services were set up in the 1990s making it one of the major regions for call centre setups, technology development and KPO hubs in India. The development of a township with state-of-the-art facilities called HITEC City prompted several IT and ITES companies to set up operations in the city. An aggressive promotion of growth in this area has led civic boosters to call the city "Cyberabad". Hyderabad has also been referred to as the second Silicon Valley of India next to Bangalore. There have been extensive investments in digital infrastructure within the city promoting the setting up of several campuses by a vast array of companies within the city. This list includes several multinational corporations having established their development centres in the city. The major areas where such campuses have been set up are Madhapur and Gachibowli.

Hyderabad is home to some of the best Fortune 500 Corporations. Microsoft has its development centre in Hyderabad which is its largest Product Development Centre outside the headquarters in Redmond, USA. Computer Associates, GE, IBM, Samsung, Deloitte, Oracle, Yahoo, Dell, Franklin Templeton, Ness Technologies, Qualcomm, Agilent, ADP, Bank of America, CSC, Verizon, InfoSpoke, Convergys are some of the other Fortune 500 companies that have significant presence in Hyderabad. Honeywell plans to open up a new R&D centre at Nanakramguda, outskirts of the city.

Indian IT Giants such as Satyam, Infosys, Wipro, Tata Consultancy Services, Polaris, Infotech, Apollo Health Street, Zavata Inc. and Mayur's group of industries also have set up their development centres in the city. Sonata Software plans to open its new development centre at Gachibowli. Another mega project is the proposed semiconductor fabrication facility to be built by a consortium of companies, Intellect Inc and Semindia, called Fab City.

Transport

The Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation runs a fleet of 19,000 buses, the largest in the world. Hyderabad has the third largest bus station facility in Asia, with 72 platforms for 72 buses to load passengers at a time. Officially named as the Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station, it is locally known as the Imlibun Bus Station. The APSRTC operates point to point bus services which connect important places within the city. There are more than 4000 buses in the city running the point to point service.The yellow colored Rickshaw usually referred to as an "auto", is the most widely used transport/ taxi service.

Hyderabad is connected to the rest of the country by National Highways—NH-7, NH-9 and NH-202. Like other cities, Hyderabad suffers from traffic congestion. Several flyovers have been built to ease the congestion. An inner ring road going around Hyderabad within the city limits and outer ring road is proposed to make travel in the city easier. The Hyderabad Metro is under construction and will ease up traffic in the city. The Metro will travel three different routes, extending to the outskirts in the second phase of its construction.

Hyderabad has a combination of light rail transportation system known as the MultiModal Transport System (MMTS) and suburban railway system which offer connectivity between rail and road transport for the facility of the commuters. The South Central Railway headquarters are located at Secunderabad. The three main railway stations are Secunderabad Railway Station, Hyderabad Railway Station (Nampally) and Kachiguda Railway Station.

The Begumpet Airport has domestic and international terminals operating flights to other cities and destinations across India and the world. There has been an unprecedented increase in the number of passengers leading to increased air traffic. The present airport with moderate services is unable to cope up with the situation. A new International airport has been planned with state-of-the-art facilities and environs, and is under construction at Shamshabad. It would begin operations from the month of March 2008. When completed the airport is believed to have the longest runway among other airports in the country and would be able to cater to the high passenger and cargo transits.

Culture

Hyderabad has been the meeting place of many different cultures and traditions. Historically, Hyderabad has been the city where distinct cultural and linguistic traditions of North India and South India meet. It is thus considered as the gateway to the South or gateway to the North. Hyderabad is a cosmopolitan city and home to people practicing many religions. Hyderabadis, as residents of the city are known, have developed a distinctive culture which is a mixture of ancient Hindu traditions of Telugu people and Islamic Culture.

Christianity was brought to the city by the visiting missionaries. Early english education system was brought by them. They have established schools and churches, most of them are located in the Abids area. Their sacrifices have seen the development of the region. Some of them are the Methodist church and school, Stanley's Church and school, St.George's and the Baptist Church. The structures of the Methodist's and St.George's are considered to be of heritage value being established in the 18th Century.

Telugu, Urdu and Hindi are the principal languages spoken in Hyderabad. Both Urdu and Telugu have linguistically impacted on each other in this region. The Telugu spoken here has assimilated many Urdu words into it. And the Urdu spoken here is also unique, with influences of Telugu and Marathi, giving rise to a dialect sometimes called Hyderabadi Urdu or Deccani.The Telugu spoken in Hyderabad and rest of Telangana prior to formation of the present state of Andhra Pradesh was very distinct from the one spoken in coastal Andhra. A large percentage of the population is also well-versed in English.

Women of all cultures and faiths in Hyderabad typically wear either the traditional Indian dress, the sari, or, increasingly, the Shalwar Qamis especially among the younger population. A large percentage of Muslim women in the city wear either the burqa or the hijab. The traditional Hyderabadi garb for females are the Khara Dupatta and the Shalwar Qamis, and for the males, it is the Sherwani. This is one of the more visible cultural attributes of Hyderabad. It has a mixed set of people forming a base from all regions of India. In fact, Hyderabad is considered to be a transit place for the North and South of the whole of India. While Muslims are concentrated more towards the old city (localities surrounding Charminar), other parts of the city especially to the north, people of mixed cultures and backgrounds like the Sikhs, Gujaratis, Coastal Andhra, Marathis, Bengalis, and others have made the city their home. Secunderabad has got a more contemporary look with a good concentration of Anglo-Indians.

One of Hyderabad's popular public carnivals is the annual immersion of Lord Ganesh idols after the 10 day Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations on Ananta Chaturdashi (locally known as the Ganesh Nimajjnanam). Bonalu is another vernacular festival which is celebrated with great fervour. Another is the procession of Muharram which takes place every year 10th Muharram (1st month of Islamic calendar). While this event is mourned throughout the Shia Muslim world particularly, the old city of Hyderabad is known for its grand procession in which participants sacrifice their own blood by hitting on their heads, chest and back with sharp edge weapons (knives, swords and knives attached to chains).

Hyderabadi cuisine is a blend of Mughal, Persian and Telugu cuisine. Hyderabadi Biryani is an iconic dish of the region. Other culinary delights include Qubani ka Mitha, Double Ka Mitha (a sweet made with bread), Phirni (a sweet vermicelli delicacy eaten during the festival of Deepawali, Nahari Kulche also known as paya and Haleem (a meat dish traditionally eaten during the holy month of Ramzan).Indian mithai (sweet) shops are popular for their ghee-based sweets. Mozamjahi Market located in Nampally, is known for its fruit biscuits and the sweet Dil Khush. A family residing in Azeez Bagh palace in the old part of the city is famous for the preparation of badaam ki jaali (Almond lattice confection). Also widely found on street-corners are cafes that offer Irani chai, Irani samosa and Osmania biscuit. Irani cafés are once again becoming popular.

Demographics

The city's population in 2006 was estimated to be 5.7 million, while the population of the greater metropolitan area was estimated at over 8.3 million. Hinduism and Islam are the most widely practiced religions in the city. Christianity is also present in the city with famous churches located in the Abids area, and other churches present across the city. The main languages spoken are Telugu, Urdu, Deccani, and Hindi. English is widely used in business, commerce and governance. In recent years, people of tribal origin, called Banjaras, have immigrated to the city in search of work and brought in their own distinct culture and language called Gorboli which is spoken among banjaras only.

Education and research

Hyderabad is an important seat of learning in southern India. It is a city with the most Educational Institutions in India. The city is home to three central Universities, two deemed Universities, and six state Universities. Among them is the flagship, Osmania University, established in 1917, which is the seventh oldest University in India and the third oldest in South India. Many institutes for technical education like Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, International Institute of Information Technology,C.B.I.T,Vasavi College of Enginneering,Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University, ICFAI Business school and medical colleges such as the Gandhi Medical College, Osmania Medical College and several other private medical colleges such as Deccan College of Medical Sciences, Mediciti Institute of medical sciences and Shadan Medical College are located here. Also based here is the world-class Indian School of Business, Hyderabad Central University and the National Academy of Legal Studies & Research.

Hyderabad has various research institutes such as the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT), Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB),ICRISAT and Central Institute of English and Foreign Languages (CIEFL, which was accorded Central University status recently and subsequently renamed as the English and Foreign Languages University). It is the home of Maulana Azad National Urdu University as well as BR Ambedkar Open University. This educational infrastructure attracts students from all over the country and some beyond, especially from Africa and the Middle East. Due to the rising IT boom in the state, a new Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani campus is being set up new campus in Shamirpet area of Ranga reddy district an area in the outskirts of Secunderabad. A new IIT has been proposed by the central government in Medak District which is just an hour's drive from Hyderabad. Recently Georgia Institute of Technology signed an MOU for setting up its offshore campus in the city.

Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) had set up Defence Electronics Research Laboratory (DLRL) in 1962, to work on the design and development of communication and radar systems. Currently, DLRL is involved in the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP) of DRDO. Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL) was set up by DRDO, which has diversified into the missile complex at present. It is developing strategic weapons for defence. Nuclear energy sector has a strong presence with three organisations under Department of Atomic Energy (India) such as Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research (AMD), Nuclear Fuel Complex (NFC) and Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL), located here for conducting basic research and providing the much needed materials and technology required for carbon free energy generation.

See also: List of institutions based in Hyderabad, India

Media

Hyderabad is home to the second largest film industry in India, Telugu cinema, also known as Tollywood which produces approximately 150 movies every year. Saradhi Studios, Annapurna Studios, Ramanaidu Studios, Ramakrishna Studios, Padmalaya Studios, Ramoji Film City are some of the notable film studios in the city.The first Hyderabad International Film Festival (HIFF) was organised in 2007 by the Hyderabad Film Club and Andhra Pradesh Film Directors Association. The festival included a competition section for short and documentary films and Golden Pearl was given away for the awardees. Prasads at Hyderabad has the world's largest screen, the IMAX.This theatre also includes sub theatres and other malls inside it. PVR Cinemas,Cine Planet and the most recent Talkie Town are few other multiplexes in Hyderabad. Hyderabad also has the highest number of cinemas in the country.

The FM radio channels broadcast in the city include AIR Vividh Bharathi FM (102.8 MHz), AIR Rainbow FM (101.9 MHz), Radio Mirchi FM (98.3 MHz), Radio City FM (91.1 MHz), Big FM (92.7 MHz), S FM (93.5 MHz) and AIR Gyan Vani FM (107.6 MHz). State-owned Doordarshan transmits two terrestrial television channels and one satellite television channel from Hyderabad. Many private regional television channels broadcast from Hyderabad, including :DD-Saptagiri, ETV, Gemini, Teja, Maa TV, ETV Urdu, Vissa, ETV2, ,TV9, Zee Telugu, Gemini Music, Gemini News, NTV, TV 5, Bhakthi TV, Samskruthi,Shubhavartha TV .There is another channel joining this list very soon and thats from the family of Asianet communications. The channel will be called Sitara and would start operations from October this year.

Hyderabad has three print media groups that publish several newspapers and magazines in English, Telugu and Urdu. The major Telugu dailies include the Eenadu, Vaartha, Andhra Jyothi, Praja Shakti, Andhra Bhoomi,Andhra Prabha and sakshi. The major English dailies are The Deccan Chronicle, Business Standard, The Hindu, The Times of India, The Indian Express and The Economic Times. The major Urdu dailies are The Siasat Daily, The Munsif Daily, The Etemaad Urdu Daily, The Rahnuma-i Deccan and The Daily Milap. Besides these major newspapers, there are a number of neighbourhood newspapers that cater to several localities. Magazines published from Hyderabad include Swati, Navya, Andhra Prabha, Andhra Jyoti, Vipula,Chatura, Vanita and Chandamama. Movie magazines include Sitara, Superhit , Chitranjali, Santosham and Jyoti Chitra.

Hyderabad is covered by a large network of optical fibre cables. The city's telephone system is serviced by four landline companies: BSNL, Tata Indicom, Reliance and Airtel. There are six mobile phone companies: GSM players include BSNL, Vodafone, Idea, Airtel and CDMA is offered by BSNL, Tata Indicom and Reliance. Several companies like BSNL, Tata Indicom, Bharati, Hathway, Reliance,Vodafone, Sify Ltd. and YOU Telecom offer broadband Internet access.Apart from these media "attractions", there are also some Bollywood actresses from Hyderabad like Sushmita Sen (the gorgeous 1994 Miss Universe), Dia Mirza (the beautiful Miss Asia-Pacific 2000), Tabu (quite famous for her various movies), Shabana Azmi (the legendary actress) etc.

Sports

Cricket and Hockey are the most popular sports in the city. Hyderabad Sultans won the inaugural Premiere Hockey League championship in 2005. Cricket is the favorite sport among kids and the youth, and is played in all varieties such as home cricket, street cricket, ground cricket etc. The game of Badminton is loved by adults and veterans, and is usually played in the locality parks.

Hyderabad's cricket team in the Indian Premier League is owned by the Deccan Chronicle for USD 107 million. Notable players include Adam Gilchrist and Andrew Symonds.

Stadium

The earliest stadium built in the city is the Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium. Formerly known as Fateh Maidan, it was, till recently, the city's only stadium that could conduct International cricket matches. The first cricket match was played here was on November 19, 1955. With the construction of the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium at Uppal, it is unlikely that any more cricket matches will be held here.

The city also houses the Swarnandhra Pradesh Sports Complex, the G.M.C. Balayogi Athletic Stadium and the Velodrome. The Aquatics Complex Stadium with a capacity of 2000 spectators hosts swimming, diving, water polo and synchronized events. Kotla Vijay Bhaskar Reddy Indoor Stadium is multi-purpose stadium with a capacity of 2000 spectators and world class wooden flooring with temperature control. SAAP Tennis Complex has a central court that holds 4000 spectators and has seven courts with synthetic surface. City also has about five Go-Karting tracks and a Paint Ball Field.

Sporting icons of Hyderabad

• International Tennis Player, Sania Mirza, who is the first Indian woman to win a WTA singles title and also first women from India to get into top 50
• Former Indian cricket allrounder - Abid Ali.
• Indian Cricket player, V. V. S. Laxman
• Former Indian Cricket team captain, Mohammad Azharuddin
• Former Indian Cricket player, C. K. Nayudu
• Former Indian Cricket Player, and Guinness Book of World Record Holder for runs batted in, Sultan Saleem
• Former India's #1 Junior Table Tennis Player, Abu Tayeb Mohammed (ATM) Yahya
• World class Shooter, Gagan Narang
• Former Indian Men's Table Tennis Champion, Mir Khasim Ali
• Present captain of Indian Women's Cricket Team, Mithali Raj
• Former Indian Cricket Player, M. L. Jaisimha
• Olympian and Former Indian Hockey player, Nandanoori Mukesh Kumar
• Badminton player (Winner of The All England Badminton Championship - 2001), Pullela Gopichand
• Former Indian Cricket Player, P Krishna Murthy
• International Speed Skater and Former National Champion, Abbas Iqbal Lasania
• Badminton player, Saina Nehwal
• Former Indian Cricket Player and Former Indian Cricket Team Selector, Shivlal Yadav
• Olympic tennis player, Syed Mohammad Hadi
• Former Indian Cricket player and Present Indian Cricket Team Selector, Venkatapathy Raju
• International Chess Player, P. Hari Krishna
• International Chess player, Koneru Humpy
• International Tennis Player, Sandri Gangotri
• National Cricket Player (Ranji Trophy), Garlapally Ravi Kanth
• Olympic bronze medalist in weight lifting, Karanam Malleshwari

Attractions

• Charminar - the major landmark in Hyderabad with four graceful minarets.
• Falaknuma Palace - Built by an Italian architect through one of the Paigah nobles, Nawab Viqar al-Umra', complete in Italian marble. It's a beautiful and stunning piece of architecture with Louis XIV-style decor, a lavish Mughal ambience, Italian marble staircases and ornate fountains.
• Golconda Fort - located on the outskirts of the city, Golconda Fort is one of the most magnificent fortress complexes in India.
• Chowmahalla Palace- It was the seat of Asaf Jahi dynasty, where the Nizam entertained his official guests and royal visitors. Initiated in 1750 by Nizam Salabat Jung and designed along the lines of the Shah's palace in Isfahan, this actually consists of a group of palaces each used as a Durbar Hall.
• Salar Jung Museum - The museum houses the largest one-man collection of antiques in the world. Collections include "The Vieled Rebecca" and other huge collection of artifacts dating back to a few centuries. A mere day isn't enough to cover the whole museum.
• Taramati Baradari - Located near Golconda, built by a Qutb Shahi sultan, this place is a must visit.
• Mecca Masjid - a stone-built mosque, immediately southwest of Charminar. Remarkable for its architecture, size and its royal splendour. This is one of the most beautiful mosques in Hyderabad.
• Birla Mandir (Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh) - a Hindu temple made of white marble located on top of a hill overlooking the city.
• Purani Haveli - The official residence of the Nizam.
• King Kothi Palace - The last Nizam, Mir Osman Ali Khan lived here.
• Qutb Shahi Tombs - Home for various Tombs dedicated to Rulers of Qutb Shahi dynasty, located at Shaikpet, near Golconda Fort.
• Birla Planetarium - located in the heart of the city on the panoramic hillock of Nawbat Pahad, the Birla Planetarium is a tribute to the advances made in science and technology.
• Lumbini park - This is one of the popular parks in the city. The main attraction of this park was the Musical fountain. It is now replaced by the 1500 seater Laserium, the first of its kind in the state. Boat rides take you across the lake to give you a closer glimpse of the Buddha.
• Hussain Sagar - It is a man-made lake that separates the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. It is famous also for the 18-metre tall Buddha statue on a platform island called "Rock of Gibraltar" in the middle of the lake, and for the Tank Bund which consists of beautiful gardens and statues of famous personalities. Boating and water sports are a regular feature here.
• Botanical gardens - These gardens are spread across a sprawling area of 120 acres, housing different varieties of herbs, plants, trees etc. These gardens provide a complete visual treat to the eyes with water bodies, meadows, and rich grasslands - nature at its best.
• Chilkur Balaji - Temple of Lord Sri Venkateshwara. Around 23 km from Mehdipatnam.
• Nehru Zoological Park - This zoo is among the largest in India, houses a large variety of animals, birds, nocturnal species, aquatic and amphibian species etc. Located close to this is the Mir Alam lake, which is proposed to be converted into an Aquarium along the lines of Sentosa, Singapore.
• Gandipet - A man-made lake, the largest in Hyderabad. The lake is a major drinking water source to the city. Abutting the lake are lush gardens that provide an ideal ambience for a holiday.
• Himayat Sagar - A lake close to Gandipet.
• Necklace road - This popular boulevard lies on the other side of the lake, linking the IMAX theatre and Sanjivaiah park. This has become the-place-to-be for the Hyderabadis in the evenings. This strip provides a scenic atmosphere with lush lawns and long rows of flower beds. Eat-Street,Water Front are popular restaurants located on this strip. The latest addition to this strip is the Jal Vihar, a mini water world designed to soothe your senses.
• NTR gardens - This leisure spot is located beside the IMAX theatre. Situated on 36 acres of land adjoining the Hussain sagar, these gardens provide every kind of entertainment and recreation. It also houses a memorial of Late Shri N.T.Rama Rao, former Chief Minister, with an exemplary piece of architecture.
• Laad Bazaar - also called Chudi Bazaar is on the west of Charminar, and known for its exquisite bangles, jewelry and pearls..
• Lotus Pond - A beautiful garden built around a pond situated in Jubilee Hills, said to have been designed by an Italian designer. This garden is currently maintained by the Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad. It is also home to a few rare species of birds.
• Paigah Tombs
• Sanghi Temple - A temple dedicated to Lord Venkateshwara graces a promontory overlooking Sanghi Nagar.
• Ramoji Film City (RFC) is the world’s largest integrated film studio cum theme park, at nearly 2,000 acres (8 km²). It is also one of Asia’s most popular tourism and recreation centres. Recently, it has made its way to the Guinness Book of World Records for being the largest film studio in the world. Opened in 1996, it is located about 25 km from Hyderabad on Vijayawada National Highway (NH-9).
• APIIC Tower at Manchirevula in the suburbs will be the tallest building in India upon completion with 100 floors.

Theme Parks and Resorts

• Snow World - Situated close to lower Tank bund road, it is India's first Snow Theme Park. This has become a popular attraction with tourists who can enjoy temperatures of -5°C, with a special snow fall. This is the place-to-be for those who really want to chill out.
• Ocean Park - This theme park is located at Gandipet, around 15km from Hyderabad. This place is loaded with a number of water amusements, amusement rides, restaurants etc. This place is enjoyed best in the summer.
• Treasure Island - This resort is located at Gandipet on a sprawling 60 acres of land. It offers a variety of leisure and entertainment activities such as go-karting, horse-riding, swimming pools etc.
• Dream Valley Resorts - This is also located at Gandipet amidst lush green environments, includes leisure actvities such as a water theme park, 9 hole golf course, go-karting etc.
• Dhola-ri-Dhani - This resort is a typical setting recreated with the entire rustic ambience and charm of an ethnic Rajasthani village, situated at Kompally on Medchal Road. Camel rides, puppet shows, folk dances and authentic Rajasthani cuisine give you the taste of the desert State. A large swimming pool, a lake to go boating, an amphitheatre for plays and entertainment programmes add to the ambience.
• Durgam Cheruvu - Durgam Cheruvu also known as 'Secret Lake' is located at Madhapur, close to the HITEC City. This lake spread over an area of 60 acres has been developed into a tourist attraction by A.P.Tourism providing boating, camping, trekking facilities and film shooting as well. Its also famously known for weekend/festive parties.
• Ramoji Film City - The famous film studio cum theme park offers holiday/honeymoon packages for visitors. It has hotels, restaurants, many exquisite gardens and sight seeing fantasies to thrill its visitors.
• Mount Opera - It is located at Batasingaram, (Hyderabad-Vijaywada Highway) NH-9 Ranga Reddy District. It is famous for its amusement rides, like oasis zone.

Sister cities

Hyderabad has three sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International.

Riverside, California, USA Miyoshi, Hiroshima, Japan Suwon, South Korea

External links

• Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad
• Hyderabad Urban Development Authority
• Heritage buildings of Hyderabad
• Photos on Columbia University website
• Osmania University
• City Development Plan
• New York Times - A Graceful City of Two Cultures
• A veritable cultural potpourri on Times of India
• Iran and Hyderabad: Iranians find home in Hyderabad
• Photos and Videos of Hyderabad City