Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah (Urdu: محمد قلى قطب شاه), sultan of the Qutb Shahi dynasty, ruled from Hyderabad.
Hyderabad was founded on the banks of Musi river in the present day Telangana by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, Sultan of the Qutb Shahi dynasty, in 1590; this relocation was intended to relieve a water shortage the dynasty had experienced at their old headquarters at Golkonda. They ruled over the Telangana region and some parts of present day Karnataka and Maharashtra. *Nanotechnology Park, Hyderabad, India - The Nanotechnology park is a 350-acre (140-hectare) hardware technology park, near the new International Airport, Shamshabad, in Andhra Pradesh.
The development of a township with state-of-the-art facilities called HITEC City, prompted several IT and ITES companies to setup 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.
The other defence research laboratories at Hyderabad include * Advanced Numerical Research & Analysis Group (ANURAG), * Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory (DMRL), * Advanced System Laboratory (ASL), and * Research Center Imarat (RCI) * National Remote Sensing Agency, India's Satellite Monitoring Station. * Centre for DNA finger printing and diagnostics(CDFD) * Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) * Indian Institute for Chemical Technology
The city is administered by Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad (MCH) [1], whose titular head is the Mayor who has few executive powers. The real executive power of the corporation is vested in the Municipal Commissioner, an IAS officer appointed by the Andhra Pradesh state government. The MCH is in charge of the civic needs and infrastructure of the metropolis. Hyderabad is divided into hundred municipal wards, each overseen by a corporator. The corporators of the administration are voted through a popular vote and almost all the state political parties field their candidates.
The city is composed of one district in Andhra Pradesh, it comes under the jurisprudence of the District Collector. The collectors are in charge of property records and revenue collection for the Central government. They oversee the national elections held in the city. The metropolitan area encompasses the Ranga Reddy District, which was carved out of an earlier unified Hyderabad district.
Like other metropolises in India, the Hyderabad Police is headed by a Police Commissioner, an IPS officer. The Hyderabad Police comes under the state Home Ministry. Hyderabad 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, which has under the State's jurisdiction. Hyderabad has two lower courts, such as the Small Causes Court, for civil matters, and the Sessions Court for criminal cases.
Hyderabad contributes 2 seats to the Lok Sabha (Lower House). In addition, parts of the city are part of two other electoral districts for the Lok Sabha. Hyderabad elects thirteen representatives to the State's Legislative Assembly.
It must be noted that, officially, the Indian government recognises Hyderabad as a major city of India and has given the metropolitan status to only four cites in India. There is a pending demand to upgrade Hyderabad and Bangalore to Metropolitan status as they both meet the criteria to be declared so.
Hyderabad is well connected to all parts of the country and world by air. Hyderabad city has had an airport since the 1930s at Begumpet. This airport provides two terminals, for domestic and international travels. The airport provides flights to all major destinations in India, as well as connections to locations in Middle East, Southeast Asia, Europe, the Americas and Sri Lanka with non stop flights to and from many cities in these areas. As the demand for air travel has grown in recent years, like most major airports in the country, the Begumpet airport now suffers from overcrowding, this has led to major problems, especially in the domestic terminal, and conditions are cramped, unattractive, and sometimes unsanitary.
To meet the growing demands of the city a project to build a much bigger and state-of-art Airport is underway at Shamshabad, which lies on the outskirts of the city. The new airport, once completed, will be able to provide much needed infrastructure to handle large aircraft, and international traffic. The airport is expected to be one of the best in this region and will house world-class facilities. The airport is being developed to cater to a total of 7 million passengers a year and will in the final stage be able to cater to 40 million passengers a year. The total cost of the project is Rs 1,330 crore. The airport will be built on an area of 5,400 acres and will have the longest runway among Indian airports and will be able to handle the world's largest passenger aircraft, the Airbus A380.The work on the flyover linking Mehdipatnam to the Shamshabad Airport has started, and it is expected to be one of the biggest projects undertaken by Hyderabad Urban Development Association, also known widely as HUDA.(MMTS Photo feature). The MMTS connects various parts of the city with Hyderabad, Secunderabad, Lingampally and Faluknama. Hyderabad is currently scheduled to get a Metro system to help ease urban congestion. Nationally too, Hyderabad and especially Secunderabad is considered as one of the important railway cities. The South Central Railway headquarters is located at Secunderabad.
There are three main Railway Stations Secundrabad Railway Station (Which recently got ISO9002 Certification).Hyderabad Railway Station (Nampally).Kachiguda Railway Station. Lot of Development has come up at Kachiguda Railway Station like extension of Platform, Starting point of many Trains like Kachiguda-Bangalore, Kachiguda-Tirupathi etc. to divert the traffic flow from Secundrabad. -BMKS
Roads
The Necklace Road
The Outer Ring Road Expressway
Hyderabad is well connected to many other locations in India, such as Bangalore, Mumbai, Guntur, Nagpur, Warangal, Pune, and Vijaywada, either through directly or through intermediary locations. The highway (express way) network linking Hyderabad to various parts of the country is very good. Indian National Highways, NH-7, NH-9 and NH-202 pass through the city. The city shall also be part of the North-South Corridor.Being in the heart of Telangana it is very well connected to all the towns and cities of the region.
The city has also one of the best laid out internal road systems. A series of flyovers decrease the traffic congestion in the city. Many of the important roads are 3-lane on either side. Due to the burgeoning number of personal vehicles, the city is beginning to face traffic problems. As a measure to ease this, the city plan calls for an inner ring road going around Hyderabad within the city limits and a yet to be constructed, but planned, outer ring road http://www.hyderabadringroad.com outside the city limits. These ring roads are expected to ease the traffic congestion by a lot inside the city since most heavy vehicles which pass through the city on the national highways can now bypass the city using them.
A "Fly Over" at night in Hyderabad
However, as in most in Indian cities, due to increasing number of vehicles, the city traffic has grown leading to chaotic traffic snarls and a lack of perceptible lane discipline. Driving has become a stressful experience for vehicle owners. Accidents are on the rise especially with two wheelers and Auto-ricksaws.
A new Expressway called Hyderabad Outer Ring Road of about 160 Kms is being built now and will be done in about 4 - 5 years. Here are the details.
The city is also linked to various parts by an efficient mass rapid transit, MRT system, which help commuters reach their destination quickly and comfortably. To get a true feel of the city you could also try out the 3-seater and 7-seater autos. Comfortable air-conditioned cabs are also available just a phone call away.
Bus Service
Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC official web site) established in 1932 started as a unit of the Nizam State Railways-Road Transport Division with 27 buses. It consists of about 19,000 strong bus fleet; APSRTC is the largest state transport undertaking in the world and is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records.
The APSRTC operates point to point bus services which connect important places within the city, with a very good frequency. This enables passengers to commute quickly between any two places within the city. Information about APSRTC
The city population is estimated at over 3.69 million in 2001 while the population of the greater metropolitan area is estimated at over 6.39 million. Religiously and culturally, the city is evenly divided between Muslims and Hindus which includes a visible population of Christians. Languages spoken include Telugu, Urdu and Hindi. There is also a very visible population of people, of tribal origins, who have immigrated to the city in search of work. These people, called the Banjaras, have their own distinct culture and language very different from other languages spoken in this region.
Telugu, Urdu and Deccani are the local languages of the indigenous population. There is a significant amount of English used in business. People from many other parts of India have adopted Hyderabad as their hometown.
Hyderabad city is located in the center of Andhra Pradesh, in the region of Telangana. It lies on the Deccan Plateau, 541 meters (1776 ft) above sea level, over an area of 260 km² (100 mile²).
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 Makkah Masjid, it lies on the southern bank of the river. The city has grown over the centuries on both banks and is now a metropolitan area that spreads out from the Musi river. *Annual temperature: 25 - 40 degrees Celsius. *Annual precipitation: About 60 cm. *Geological system: Archean. *Soil: Red Sandy, with areas of Black Cotton soil. *Surrounding terrain: Rocky/hilly. (The region around Hyderabad is known for its beautiful rock formations. There are many rock formation enthusiasts in the city.) *Climatic: Tropical Wet and Dry (Koppen).
Buddha statue at the centre of the Husain Sagar Lake
Hyderabad has been the meeting place of many different cultures and traditions. Historically, Hyderabad has been the city where the distinct cultural and linguistic traditions of North India and South India meet. The Muslim culture of Hyderabad has fused with south Indian traditions of the region.
Telugu and Urdu are the principal languages spoken in Hyderabad. Telugu being the official language of Andhra Pradesh and the second largest language in India after Hindi is widely spoken here. Hyderabad has always had one of the largest Urdu speaking populations in India and the famous Osmania University there was the first Urdu medium university in India. Deccani, a dialect of Urdu and Hindi, is spoken and understood there. Both Urdu and Telugu have linguistically impacted on each other in this region. The telugu dialect spoken in Hyderabad and rest of Telangana is 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 faith communities in Hyderabad typically wear either the traditional Indian dress, the sari, and increasingly the Shalwar Qamis. As a sign of public modesty, a large percentage of Muslim women in the city wear either the burqa or the hijab. The traditional Hyderabadi garb for females is the Khara Dupatta and the Shalwar Qamis and Sherwani for males. This one of the more visible cultural attributes of Hyderabad.
Hyderabadi cuisine is a blend of heavy Mughal influences, traditional Andhra and Telangana cuisine. A number of restaurants have come up that serve a variety of cuisines. All the major hotels in city host one or more restaurants that are popular among city folk.
Some of the famous dishes include Hyderabadi Biryani, Chakna, Baghare Baygan, Khubani ka Mitha,Pheni a sweet vermicelli delicacy eaten during the festival of Diwali and during Ramadan, and Double ka Mitha, as well as Halim traditionally eaten by Muslims during the holy month of Ramadan. As many Hyderabadis travel to the Middle East in search for employment, the Halim is gaining recognition in these regions. Local chains that serve Halim and other Hyderabadi specialties in Hyderabad are Yusufain Pista House, Madinah Hotel, 555 Hotel, Café Bahar, Bawarchi, Paradise and Hyderabad House.
An Indian Mithai(sweets) shop, G. Pulla Reddy, is famous for its pure ghee sweets. Karachi Bakery near Mau'zzam Jahi Market, Nampally, is popular for making biscuits including the local Osmania biscuits. 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). Other renowned joints include 'chat bhandars' like Gokul Chat near Sultan Bazar and Narsing Chat near MG Road, Hyderbadi Pickles have a distinct taste, savoured by many in India, Pakistan & Middle East the best is the mango & lime pickles. Minar pickles of Hyderabad are famous for their authentic Hyderabadi Achaar. Ram singh Chat Bhandar in Begum Bazaar are famous for their North Indian chat, which is liberally doused with spices and yogurt. Restaurant chains in the city which include The Taj Mahal, Kamat are popular.
Hyderabad has a well-developed communication and media infrastructure. The city is covered by a large network of optical fiber cables by Reliance Telcom Company. The city's telephone service is serviced by four landline companies: BSNL, Tata Indicom, Reliance Infocomm and Airtel. There are six mobile phone companies: BSNL, Hutch, Idea, Airtel, Tata Indicom and Reliance Infocomm. Several phone companies offer broadband Internet access.
Radio Stations
The city has two AM and two FM radio stations, operated by All India Radio under the name Akashvani, Hyderabad. AIR has sold airtime on one of its FM channels to a company named DC-Interactive that broadcasts a show called Good Evening Hyderabad under the banner Radio Biryani.A FM radio station called FM Rainbow also broadcasts daily within the city. Newer FM radio stations, as in other metropolitan areas, are also launched in the city. *AIR Rainbow FM 101.9 MHz *Radio Mirchi FM 98.3 MHz *Radio City FM 106.4 MHz
Television Networks
Doordarshan runs several terrestrial television channels and two satellite television channels from its Hyderabad Doordasrshan centre.A multitude of regional television channels broadcast from Hyderabad.
Hyderabad is the homeland of Tollywood, the Telugu movie industry, which apart from being a popular entertainment source and India's second largest film producer (after Bollywood). It also provides livelihood to thousands of its citizens and contributes a large amount of revenue to the local government.
Earlier, many of the Telugu films were produced in Madras. However, with improvement in infrastructure in city, and initiatives such as setting up of Ramoji Film City has changed the situation. Today not only are Telugu films made here, but even films from Bollywood are being shot in Hyderabad.
Sports besides cricket are popular in Hyderabad. In the inaugural Premiere Hockey League in 2005, Hyderabad Sultans won the championships. Hyderabad recently got a new cricket stadium, Visakha International Cricket Stadium, which was later renamed to Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium. *Sporting Icons of Hyderabad **Syed Mohammad Hadi - Olympic tennis player. **V. V. S. Laxman - Current Indian Cricket player. **Mohammad Azharuddin - Former Indian Cricket team captain http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/in_depth/2000/corruption_in_cricket/1055889.stm. **Pullela Gopichand - Badminton player (Winner of The All England Badminton Championship - 2001) **Sania Mirza - Tennis player who is the first Indian woman to win a WTA singles title. **Saina Nehwal - Badminton player The selection of the city as a host of the National Games resulted in a major investment to build some of the best world-class stadiums in the country. Later these stadiums played host to the Afro-Asian Games held 2003. Today the list of stadiums of international standard found in Hyderabad is large and diverse.
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.
*Charminar - the major landmark in Hyderabad with four graceful minarets. *Falaknuma Palace - Built by Nawab Viqar al-Umra', a beautiful and stunning piece of architecture. *Golconda Fort - located on the outskirts of the city, Golconda Fort is one of the most magnificent fortress complexes in India. *Salar Jung Museum - houses the largest one-man collection of antiques in the world. *Makkah Masjid - a stone-built mosque, immediately southwest of Charminar. *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. *Chilkur Balaji - Temple of Lord Sri Venkateshwara. Around 23 km from Mehdipatnam. Special buses and Share Auto Rickshaws are available. It will take apprximately 3-4 Hours for Darshan of Lord on Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays. *Nehru Zoological Park - among the largest in Asia. *Husain Sagar - man-made lake that separates the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. *Laad Bazaar - directly to the west of Charminar, and known for its bangles. *P.V.Ghat - The Samadhi of former Prime Minister, Shri P.V.Narasimha Rao, Labeled the Chanakya of modern India, he is credited to have put India on the path of reforms. *Prasads IMAX Theatre - is the first IMAX theatre to open in South India. It was the world's biggest IMAX screen at the time of opening. *Public Gardens of Hyderabad - one of the best laid-out gardens in the country with buildings of the State Legislature, Jubilee Hall, etc. *Purani Haveli - The official residence of the Nizam. *Chowmahalla Palace- It was the seat of Asaf Jahi dynasty where the Nizam entertained his official guests and royal visitors. Built in 1750 by Nizam Salabat Jung and designed along the lines of the Shah's palace in Isfahan, consists of a group of palaces each used for a specific purpose. It consists of the Khilwat, Aftab Mahal, the Tahniyat Mahal and the Durbar Hall. *Sanghi Temple - A temple dedicated to Lord Venkateshwara graces apromontory overlooking Sanghi Nagar. *Snow World - An amusement park which enables citizens of this tropical city to experience very low temperatures and snow *Astha Laxmi Temple - A temple located in Vasavi Colony near Dilsukhnagar is the 2nd largest Laxmi temple in India. *Wargal Saraswati Devi's Temple - A temple located 50 km from Hyderabad towards medchal highway it is mounted on a big rock, rtc buses are avail on that route * Hyderabad Pearls - Many visitors who visit Hyderabad also take time to shop for the famous pearls and bangles sold in the city *Madhapur - Home to the IT world of Hyderabad.
