hyderabad sightseeings, hyderabad tourist attractions, tourist places in hyderabad, hyderabad attractions

Charminar
Charminar is always on the top of the mind of any tourist visiting Hyderabad. To say that Charminar is a major landmark in the city is to state the obvious, to repeat a cliché. The great monument is a synonym for Hyderabad and the pivot around which the glory and history of the city have developed. To imagine this 400-year-old city without Charminar is to imagine New York without the Statue of Liberty or Moscow without the Kremlin. Built by Mohammed Quli Qutub Shah in 1591, shortly after he had shifted his capital from Golkonda to what now is known as Hyderabad, this beautiful colossus in granite, lime, mortar and, some say, pulverised marble, was at one time the heart of the city. This great tribute to aesthetics looks sturdy and solid from a distance but as one moves closer, it emerges as an elegant and romantic edifice proclaiming its architectural eminence in all its detail and dignity. Apart from being the core of the city's cultural milieu, it has become a brand name.
Golconda Fort	Top^
Golconda fort, 10 kilometres west of Hyderabad city, to appreciate the majesty and grandeur of the 800-year-old ruins and the architectural glory of those structures, which have survived the ravage of time and rampage by Mughal vandals. One of the most magnificent fort complexes in the country, Golkonda, meaning shepherd hill, was built consecutively by three dynasties, the Kakatiyas, the Bahmanis and the Qutub Shahis, the major contribution coming from the latter. It betrays the confluence of Hindu and Muslim architectural perceptions of the times. It was the capital of the Bahmani kings first and the Qutub Shahis later for sometime, before they shifted the capital to what is now the old city of Hyderabad. The fort has now become a symbol of the composite cultural heritage of the 400-year-old city.
Nehru Zoological Park	Top^
Nehru Zoological Park is credited with being the largest zoo in India. It is located at a distance of 16 km from Hyderabad and comes under the Bahadupur region. The park was named after Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India. For wildlife lovers, Nehru Zoological Park is the best place to explore the rich flora and fauna in its natural habitat. Sprawled over an area of approximately 300 acres, the zoo has a wide array of animals, birds and reptiles. Indian Rhino, Asiatic Lions, Royal Bengal Tiger, White Tiger, Black Panther, Giraffes and Black Bears are some amongst the animals' treasure of the zoo. In case you are hunting for adventure and buzz, then you can take jeep safari of the Lion Park, a place with exclusive charm throughout the continent. Nehru Zoological Park is an abode to both, African and Indian Lions. If lucky enough, you may come across the Big Cats devouring their kill just a few feet away.
Botanical Gardens	Top^
Hyderabad Botanical Gardens an eco-tourist place, the botanical garden is in Madhapur, near the Hi-tech City, approximately 16 kilometers from Hyderabad. The garden sprawls over 120 acres of vegetation. On completion, the garden will possess 19 Vanams, or sectors. The first phase is already completed and opens to public, with 5 sectors, which include medicinal plants, fruit and timber trees, ornamental plants, bamboos, palm trees and aquatic plants. The design of the park includes rolling meadows, water bodies, and lush green grass lands. For people who would like to retire shortly from the city life, the garden is an excellent choice. Tents are available if you plan to stay. Bamboo and palm sectors are a major attraction in the park.
Birla Mandir	Top^
Birla Mandir, an enchanting temple dedicated to Lord Venkateswara, the Birla Mandir stands in all its grandeur on the hilltop of Kalapahad. Made of pure white marble from Rajasthan, the Birla Mandir overlooks the serene and placid waters of the Hussain Sagar lake. The magnificent shrine offers a fantastic panoramic view of the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. The intricate carvings of the temple, the ceiling and the mythological figures are a standing testimony to the dexterity and sculptural excellence of the craftsmen. Beautiful scenes from the great epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata are finely sculpted in marble. A number of lofty steps lead the visitor to the sanctum sanctorum. Along the winding path are many a marble statue of gods and goddesses of Hindu mythology located in the midst of verdant gardens, full of blossoms. The Birla Mandir presents a colorful spectacular sight when illuminated at night.
Falaknuma Palace	Top^
Falaknuma Palace or the Mirror of the Sky is the one of the finest palaces of Hyderabad. It is situated on a 2000 ft high hill at a distance of 5 km from Char Minar. It was built in 1883-84 AD by Nawab Vikar-ul-Umra Bahadur, who was the fifth Amir of Paigah and the prime Minister of Hyderabad. The Sixth Nizam purchased it in 1897 AD to use it as the royal Guest House. Nowadays it belongs to Nawab Mukarramjah Bahadur, the grandson of seventh Nizam. An Italian architect designed the Falaknuma Palace. The influences of various styles can be seen in the palace as the Nawab was an avid traveler. It a fine blend of the Italian and Tudor architecture. The foundation of the palace was laid on the 3rd March 1884 and took 9 years to complete it. The palace was designed in the shape of a scorpion with its two wings spread out on the north. The main building is in the middle part while the kitchen and the harem quarters are towards the south. However, the building yielded to many additions and alterations by its later occupants.
Warangal	Top^
Warrangal, one of the greatest ruling clans of Andhra Desa made this fort city, its Capital. Orugallu, as it was known, is today's modern Warangal. During the reign of the Kakatiya, Telugu culture and literature attained great heights. Some of the finest forms of architecture in the whole South India can be seen in the ruins of the once glorious empire. Only the beauty of the surroundings lakes Warangal, the heartland of Andhra Pradesh. The capital of the Kakatiya empire. Warangal, once the capital of the Kakatiya Kingdom lying south of the River Godavari, is the fifth largest city in Andhra Pradesh located about 148 kms from Hyderabad. It is an important cultural centre of the Telangana region. The ancient history, beautiful lakes, fine architectural temples, rich fauna and flora have contributed its importance to Warangal as a Tourist Centre.
Public Garden	Top^
Hyderabad Public Gardens The Public Garden of Hyderabad is one of the oldest, largest and finest gardens in Hyderabad. It came into being in 1846 during the tenure of the Nizam government. Located right in the center of the city, incorporates some important buildings within its premises. Within the premises of the Public Garden of Hyderabad are several public buildings, some of which are : * State Legislative Assembly * State Archaeological Museum * Jubilee Hall * Jawahar Bal Bhavan * Telugu Lalita Kala Thoranam The Public Garden is a popular haunt for school picnics. This tastefully landscaped garden also contains two museums: * The AP State Archaeological Museum * The Health Museum
Macca Masjid	Top^
Mecca Masjid is one of the oldest masjids in the city and easily the biggest. Muhammed Quli Qutub Shah began building it in 1617 under the supervision of Mir Faizullah Baig and Rangiah Choudhary. Mughal emperor Aurangzeb completed the construction in 1694. It took 77 years to come up as the magnificent edifice we see today. Like many other ancient buildings in the city, the mosque is a granite giant with awe-inspiring innards. The main hall of the mosque is 75 feet high, 220 feet wide and 180 feet long, big enough to accommodate ten thousand worshippers at a time. Mecca masjid is just a hundred yards southwest of the historic Charminar. Between Muhammed Quli Qutub Shah and Aurangzeb, Abul Hasan Tana Shah of Golconda also continued the task launched by the Qutub Shahi kings. It is believed that Muhammed Quli commissioned bricks to be made from earth brought from Mecca and inducted them into the construction of the central arch of the mosque, which explains the name of the mosque.
Husain Sagar Lake	Top^
The Hussain Sagar is located is called 'Tank Bund'. It is an abridged version of its actual area, and has attained lovely trimmings and environs that augment its appeal to tourists as well as the residents of the twin cities. The Lake doubles up as an important landmark as well as picnic and recreation spot. The Lake is bordered by four major spans of greenery, Indira Park in the east, Sanjeevaiah Park in the north, Lumbini Park in the south and a green belt stretch squeezed in between the Raj Bhavan road and the Necklace Road. Indira Park, named after former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, is the oldest of these four parks and is also a favorite site among the residents of the city. One of the largest man made lakes is situated at Hyderabad. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that it connects the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. A famous monolith of Lord Buddha is installed at the center of the lake. Hussain Sagar Lake is popularly known as the Tank Bund, a major spot of tourist attractions.
Osmania University	Top^
Osmania University, was established in the year, 1918. It is affiliated to state University. NAAC re-accredited it with Grade A and with CGPA: 3.31 (as on February 4, 2008). In India it is seventh oldest institution. Till year 2004 there were 250,000 students enrolled in Osmania University. There are 850 colleges affiliated to it in which computer courses and MBA programs are also offered. IGNOU is its regional study centre. Institute of Advanced Study in Education and Faculty of Education comes under IGNOU. Established in 1918, the university is not just famous for its excellence in the field of higher learning. Its architecture is also unparalleled in educational institutions around the country. It is the reason why the university also attracts so many tourists, as much as students.
Ramoji Film City	Top^
Ramoji Film City Ramoji Film City (RFC) offers comprehensive production Services facilities for film and television productions. RFC is known for catering to more than twenty film productions simultaneously. We at RFC are here to serve you with quality and convenience. Ramoji Film City is one of the largest, most comprehensive and advanced film production facilities in the world, designed and managed with dedicated professionalism. At Ramoji Film City, nature’s grandeur - woods, hills and lakes – frames the stunning human conceptions such as studios, gardens, hotels, multi-storied buildings and flexible mock-ups. Every RFC location, whether it is an exquisitely landscaped garden or a vividly real mock-up, has been specially conceptualised to serve filmmaking purposes. For instance, the façade and orientation of every film city edifice – airport, apartment block or a medieval castle – can be manipulated in accordance with the imperatives of a shoot. Such a level of customization for filmmakers has been achieved because renowned designers, landscapists and architects – with a sterling record in executing film-specific projects – were deployed for creating RFC locations.
Yadagirigutta Temple Nalgonda	Top^
Yadagirigutta Temple Nalgonda is located about 69 kilometres from Hyderabad city situated at Warangal. The temple is a heritage site and it holds attention of quite a large number of tourists travelling from all across the globe. The accessibility of this temple is quite easy and one can cater to local transport to visit this temple. Although the temple is set-up on the hill-top which is at a height of 300 above sea level in the Nalgonda district of Andhra Pradesh. Lakshminarasimha The temple has an old age historic story which is quite interesting. It is said that a hermit by the name 'Yadavarishi' has been the incarnation of Vishnu. The main shrine of the temple holds the idol of Lakshminarasimha who has a super-natural power of healing incurable and vulnerable diseases. It also has the power of witchcraft and black magic.
Nagarjuna sagar	Top^
Nagarjuna Sagar in Andhra Pradesh located about 150 kilometers from Hyderabad, Nagarjuna Sagar is a well-known irrigation dam built on the Krishna River. The tallest and biggest masonry dam in the world, Nagarjuna Sagar creates the third largest man-made lake in the world. In ancient history, Nagarjuna Sagar was known as Vijayapuri. The name, Nagarjuna Sagar is derived from Nagarjuna, which is one of the most respected Buddhist monks who ruled the region in the 2nd century. Nagarjuna Sagar was earlier an important site for Buddhist teachings and propagation. Some of the tourist attractions to visit during a tour to Nagarjuna Sagar are the Nagarjuna Sagar Dam, which was completed in 1966 and measures 124 meters in height and 1 kilometer in length. The dam has 26 gates. Around the dam are the historic sites where relics of Buddhist excavations dating back to the 3rd century were found. Nagarjunakonda is an interesting island museum located in the midst of the Nagarjuna Sagar Lake. The museum houses significant relics of Buddhist culture and art that make it an important place to visit during a tour to Nagarjuna Sagar. Mahachaitya, the main stupa of the museum contains relics of Buddha.
Mahavir Harina Vanasthali Park	Top^
Mahavir Harina Vanasthali park is located at Vanasthalipuram, at a distance of 15 km from the city. Initially the area was under the Nizam and later named after the renowned Jain saint 'Lord Mahavira' was established as a national park in 1975, in commemoration of his 2500th birth anniversary. The main species of fauna found here is the endangered Black Buck, which once inhabited the grasslands and plains throughout India. Their main predator was the now extinct cheetah. Their glossy white dotted bodies, ranging from dark brown to black, accentuated by a white underbelly, their large lustrous eyes and mouth surrounded by white, are a study in contrast. There are over 400 black bucks (Amtelope Cervicapara), about 500 Cheetals and large herds of wild boar. Common animals seen here are monitor lizards, mongooses, porcupines besides a variety of snakes. Several species of birds like Partridges, Quails, peacocks, Doves, pond herons, egrets, kingfishers, cormorants and birds of prey like kites, vultures etc. are found here. A variety of migratory birds of over 80 species can also be seen round the year. Short-toed Eagle is another rare species nesting in this area.
Salarjung Museum	Top^
Salar Jung Museum is the fantasy of an art visionary come to life which waited for its consummation for another great lover of art Jawaharlal Nehru to visit the historic city of the Quli Qutab Shahs and inaugurate it on 16 December, 1951 when the collections were hurriedly assorted and housed in Diwan Devdi, residence of the Salar Jungs. Every year a million visitors pay homage to this great repository of art and history. The priceless collections were moved in 1968 to a new site from the 100-year-old palace Dewan Devdi of the prime ministers. Legend has that the museum houses art collections of three generations of the Salar Jung family, beginning with Salar Jung, who was prime minister under. Salar Jung MuseumThe incomparable treasures of the museum, consisting only of a part of the original collection, are an amazing amalgam of antiquity and modernity, the three Salar Jungs scouring continents for objets d'art and returning home with shiploads of artefacts.