Charminar

Charminar has always been an iconic symbol of Hyderabad. Its a 400 year old living monument which stands in the center of the Old City. Built by Sultan Mohammad Quli Qutb Shah around 1591, this was originally a mosque built to commemorate the elimination of a deadly plague that ravaged the city. Like all other monuments in Hyderabad, Charminar is steeped in history as well.

Around it are other famous landmarks such as the Makkah Masjid, the 2nd largest mosque in India and the Laad Bazaar and Pather Gatti which is famous for jewellery and bangles. As you weave through the throngs of people and the dusty lanes, you can see lanes dedicated to perfumery especially Attar and I believe there is a lane that houses shops that sell exotic animals.

A famous and rather favorite tea at Hyderabad is the Irani Chai which is made of thick sweetened milk, cardamom and an array of secret ingredients. It is very different from the regular masala chai though. Another feature are the various fruit carts that sell fresh dates, sugar cane juice and fresh fruits. Revisiting this monument, visiting the fruit stalls and the various Irani chai shops here has been a very memorable experience for me.

Chowmahalla Palace

Hyderabad has a rich history and seems to have flourished in a timeless zone under the Nizam’s rule. It was a golden era for art, architecture, poetry and museums. The Nizams were wealthy and seemed good enough to develop Hyderabad or Bhagyanagar into a prosperous city that traded in spices, diamonds and pearls. I visited [...]

Brihadeeswarar Temple

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I never knew until I reached Tanjavur that the famous UNESCO heritage temple, the Brihadeeswarar temple is located there. Therefore, it was in great awe and wonder that I stepped inside the temple. The architecture of this 1000 year old temple is simply marvelous and something out of this world.

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Dating back to the 11^th Century AD, the temple was commissioned by the Chola king Rajaraja Chola I, one of the greatest Chola rulers in South India. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, this temple has one of the largest monolithic Shiv Lingas standing tall at 13 feet and the 2^nd largest monolithic idol of Nandi (largest being the Lepakshi Nandi). The temple is made up of 130,000 tons of granite and boasts of a 60 meter tall vimana which is believed to be the tallest in South India. Another feature is that the shadow of the gopuram is believed to never touch the ground.

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Yet another significant fact is that this is one of the rare temples which has 6 feet statues dedicated to the “Ashta Dikpaalakas” or the Lords of the Eight Cardinal Directions – Indra, Varuna, Agni, Vayu, Eesana, Niruthi, Yama and Kubera. There is also a big idol of Dakshinamurthy here.

Religion apart, the temple and its massive complexes looked beautiful exuding the power of the bygone era at dusk. It is definitely a must visit place in South India. This temple completed 1000 years in 2010 and the government had organised a mele of Bharatnatyam dance programs in honor of its existence. And as for Tanjavur, its history can span pages.

Winter Roses

Ikebana – zoya

I wasn’t really expecting to attend this show and didn’t even know that it was

Roses Medley – zoya

being held. So as I strolled into the local library campus I was surprised to hear about this show. So as my uncle and I stepped in through a fence adjoining the library into the exhibition, we were hit with this wonderful aroma of different varieties of roses that were on exhibit. Colors upon colors in various sizes hit us as we strolled through the aisles separating the various varieties that were exhibited.  Sizes varied from the usual garden prim roses, miniature roses to the larger and more mixed varieties.

Orange blooms – zoya

What more was that they were categorized something like… the 12^th bloom of the 3^rd variety (can’t recall the exact specs) or something a personal collection or classification based on the hybrids used. The arrangements were also perfect with participation from amateur rose enthusiasts who did their bit with presenting beautiful Ikebana creations with roses. This was the 1^st time I saw the Ikebana arrangements with roses.

This time around, the display was different in the sense, the roses were displayed using the concept of hydroponics rather than displaying them in their original pots or with Earth themes.

The final roses on display were the ones that won the prizes. A pity though,

The winners!

they were all on the verge of wilting there all alone. On the whole, a spectacularly colorful show organized by the local Rose Society!!