Hyderabad (also known as Bhagya Nagaram) is the fifth largest metropolis of India and the capital of the state of Telangana. It is known for its rich history and culture with monuments, mosques, temples, a rich and varied heritage in arts, crafts, and dance. Also known as The City of Nizams and The City of Pearls, Hyderabad is today one of the fast developing cities in the country and a modern hub of IT, ITES, and Biotechnology. Hyderabad is often referred to the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad together which is commonly referred as a single city. Hyderabad is one of the top places to experience Telangana tourism.
Places to visit in Hyderabad:
Ramoji Film city
Ramoji film city is a proud tourist destination of India that attracts millions of people every year due to its unique and beautiful themes. It is said that a movie director can never leave without making a movie here, such is its inspiration.
Set up by Ramoji Rao, the head of Ramoji group in 1996, the Ramoji Film City is a beautiful holiday gateway with cinematic themes and studios in the city of Hyderabad. There is so much for you to see, learn and experience as new treat comes towards you from every nook and corner. It is also certified as the World’s largest Filmstudio Complex by the Guinness World Records.
Birla Planetarium & Science Museum
At a distance of 2 km from Nampally Railway Station, Birla Planetarium & Science Museum is located near Birla Temple in Nampally area of Hyderabad. This is a large planetarium providing a virtual tour of the solar system and is one of the must visit places for children in Hyderabad.
Situated on a small hill known as Naubat Pahad, it was established in 1985. It is one of the most modern planetariums in the country. The Planetarium offers daily sky shows (in Telugu and English) unfolding various aspects of the Cosmos, the beautiful mysteries of the Universe, the Hubble Space Telescope, Eclipses, the puzzling Unidentified Flying Objects. The sound effects give the feel of being in an outer space, which adds to the thrill and excitement. Special interactive sessions for students are also organized here. The Planetarium also conducts a popular course on Astronomy and Astrophysics.
Birla Temple
At a distance of 2.5 km from Nampally Railway Station, Birla Mandir is a magnificent marble temple dedicated to Lord Venkateshwara. The temple stands on 280 feet high hillocks called Kala Pahad & Naubat Pahad in the center of Hyderabad city.
Dedicated to Lord Venkateshwara (Balaji), the temple is made of white marble brought from Rajasthan. This is one of the must visit tourist places in Hyderabad city. The temple was constructed by Birla Foundation in 1976, which has also constructed several similar temples across India, all of which are known as Birla Mandir.
This temple is a wonderful blend of Nagara and South Indian temple architecture. A Rajagopuram built in the South Indian style greets the visitors. The tower over the main shrine of Lord Venkateshwara called the Jagadananda Vimana is built in Dravidian style, while the towers over the shrines of the consorts are built in the South Indian style. The granite image of the presiding deity is about 11 ft tall and a carved lotus forms an umbrella for this image. In the inner shrine of the temple is a replica of the Venkateshwara temple at Tirupati.
Lumbini Park
At a distance of 3 km from Nampally Railway Station, Lumbini Park is located near the Tank Bund on the banks of Hussain Sagar Lake. The Lumbini Park has been named after the birthplace of Buddha and it lies just opposite a famous Buddha statue. The boats to reach Buddha statue start from Lumbini Park.
The park was developed as part of the Buddha Purnima project of the state government in 1994. It is one of the most beautiful parks in the city of Hyderabad and one of the best places to visit in Hyderabad city. In 2007, it was one of the targets of the 25 August 2007 Hyderabad bombings that killed 44 people.
Buddha Statue
At a distance of 3.5 km from Nampally Railway Station & 0.5 km from Lumbini Park, Buddha Statue has been placed on the rock of Gibraltar in the placid waters of the Hussain Sagar. The Buddha Statue is the world’s largest single-stone statue of Buddha with a height of 72 feet (including base) and the weight of 450 tons. This is one of the prime attractions in Hyderabad city.
During his visit to New York, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N.T. Rama Rao (1983-89) saw the Statue of Liberty and inspired to build a similar structure of Gautama Buddha in the famous Hussain Sagar Lake. Erected as part of the Buddha Poornima project in 1985, this monolithic statue was erected out of a white granite rock. It was carved by 200 sculptors for two years. After 5 years and the expenditure of $3 million, the statue stood at 58 feet and weighed 350 tons, making it the world’s tallest monolithic statue of the Buddha. A concrete platform measuring 14 feet, now referred to as the Rock of Gibraltar, was constructed in the middle of Hussain Sagar to aid in erecting the statue.
