HYDERABAD - CHILUKUR & ANANTAGIRI HILLS

At a distance of 4 km from Nampally Railway Station, Charminar stands in the heart of the old city and is the most important monument in the city. Charminar is one of the top places to visit in Hyderabad city and a grand heritage site in Telangana state. Along with Golconda Fort, Charminar is the prime tourist places to visit in Hyderabad.

The Charminar was constructed in 1591 by Mohammed Quli Qutub Shah to mark the end of an epidemic of plague in Hyderabad city. Since the construction of the Charminar, the city of Hyderabad has almost become synonymous with the monument. It is located near the bank of the river Musi. Charminar is derived from two distinct words Char and Minar, which means four towers. It is a massive and impressive structure with four minarets.

Charminar is constructed in Indo-Islamic architecture. Marble, limestone, mortar and granite .....

At a distance of 5 km from Nampally Railway Station and 1 km from Charminar, Chowmahalla or Chowmahallat Palace is a magnificent palace belonging to the Nizams of Hyderabad. It is one of the top attractions you must include in Hyderabad packages. The palace was the seat of the Asaf Jahi dynasty and was the official residence of the Nizams of Hyderabad. The palace remains the property of Barkat Ali Khan Mukarram Jah, heir of the Nizams.

The name 'Chowmahallat' comes from two Urdu words, Chow (four) and Mahallat (palaces) means Four Palaces. While Salabat Jung initiated its construction in 1750, it was completed by Asaf Jah V, between 1857 and 1869. Extending from the Laad Bazaar on the north to the Aspan Chowk Road on the south, the palace originally covered 45 acres but only 12 acres remain today. This palace is one of the top tourist places to visit in Hyderabad city. It was the place where the Nizams entertained their official .....

At a distance of 5 kms from Nampally Railway Station (1 Km from Charminar - southeast of Afzal Gunj Bridge), Purana Haveli is the main residence of Mahbub Ali Pasha, the Nizam VI.

Purani Haveli is a 'U' shaped complex with a single storied central building in European style, bordered by two double storied oblong wings. The lavish life lived by Nizam can be seen from the Massarat Mahal, situated on the eastern wing of the building. It houses the Nizam's wooden wardrobe, a giant 73-sqm room having two closets and an elevator. The two closets are of two levels, and the mechanical elevator is used to reach the top level of the closets. A library and the Mukarram Jah Technical Institute form part of the complex.

The Nizam's museum is also found in the Purana Haveli with seventh Nizam's collection of gifts.

Timings: 10:30 AM to 5 PM, Closed on Fridays

Entry Fee: Rs. 80 for Adults, Rs. 15 for Child & Rs. 150 for Camera

At a distance of 4 km from Nampally Railway Station & 15 km from Charminar, The Salar Jung Museum located near Afzal Gunj is one of the best museums in India. This is also one of the most visited among Hyderabad tourist places. Situated on the southern bank of the Musi River, this museum houses the collections of Mir Yusuf Ali Khan, commonly known as Salar Jung III, Prime Minister of the seventh Nizam of Hyderabad. The museum has a collection of over 50000 items for exhibition.

There are 38 galleries in the Museum spread across three buildings- Central Block, Eastern Block and Western Block on two floors. The collection of the museum and the library were transferred from Diwan Deodi to the new building in the year 1968 and two more buildings were added in the year 2000. The Veiled Rebecca made with Italian marble is one of the main attractions of the museum including Musical Clock, Marguerite & Mephistopheles .....

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.

The Lumbini Park has become an ideal place of relaxation and a place of amusement. The key features of the park are the fantastic floral clock, the cascading artificial waterfalls and the dancing musical fountains. The Park offers the opportunity to watch one of the greatest laser shows currently .....

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 .....

At a distance of 24 km from Nampally Railway Station & 18 km from Golconda Fort, Chilkur is a small village on the banks of Osmansagar that houses famous 500 Years old Sri Balaji temple. This is one of the most popular tourist places in Hyderabad.

Also, famed as 'Visa Balaji', this deity at Chilkur showers blessings on the devotees who for any reason are unable to go to Tirupati. As per the local legend, anyone desirous of seeking a wish fulfillment from Chilkur Balaji must first make 11 pradakshinas at the temple and after it's granted, one must return to perform 108 pradakshinas as a way of expressing gratitude. It is also the only temple in India that does not accept any money from the devotees and does not have a hundi.

Approximately, 15,000 to 20,000 devotees visit the shrine during the week, but on Fridays and Saturdays, the temple gets close .....

At a distance of 7 km from Vikarabad Bus Stand, 79 km from Hyderabad and 48 km from Sangareddy Bus Stand, Ananthagiri Hills are located at Vikarabad of Ranga Reddy district in Telangana. It is being developed as a small hill station and it's also famous destination for a day trip due to its proximity to Hyderabad. Anantagiri is one of the top Tourist places in Telangana and also one of the popular tourist places to visit in Hyderabad.

The Ananthagiri forest is one of the dense forest areas in Ranga Reddy District. The hills are the main water source for Osmansagar (Gandipet) and Himayathsagar which provide drinking water to Hyderabad. Ananthagiri Hill is the birthplace of Musi river, which flows through Hyderabad. The small reservoir, the lush green jungle, the jungle trail are added attractions to this place covered .....

At a distance of 7 km from Anantagiri Hills (Padmanabha Temple), 6 km from Vikarabad and 78 km from Hyderabad, The Bugga Ramalingeshwara Swamy temple is located in Bugga Rameshwaram Village. This place is the origin of River Musi.

The Ramalingeshwara Swamy Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. This temple has more than 500 years history. There is an underground stream which originates beneath the shivalinga of the temple and flows continuously throughout the year. The water collected in to a pond near the temple. River Musi which flows through Hyderabad is originated from this place.

Maha Shivaratri is the major festival here and it is celebrated pretty well. Major number of pilgrims visit this temple on this special occasion.

At a distance of 11 km from Nampally Railway Station, Golconda Fort (also written as Golconda Fort) is situated towards the western outskirts of Hyderabad. The fort is one of the prime places to visit in Hyderabad and also an important heritage site in Hyderabad city. Along with Charminar, Golconda Fort is the prime tourist places to visit in Hyderabad.

The word 'Golconda' originated from Golla Konda which stands for Shepherd's Hill in Telugu. Golconda Fort was first constructed as a mud fort by the rulers of Kakatiya Dynasty in the 13th century. The fort was rebuilt and strengthened by Pratapa Rudra of the Kakatiyas. It was further strengthened by the Musunuri Nayaks, who defeated the Tughlaq army occupying Warangal. The fort was ceded to the Bahmani Sultanate as part of the treaty in 1364. It was later re-built with granite by initial Qutub Shahi kings, which took about 62 years to complete. Golconda .....

At a distance of 10 km from Nampally Railway Station & 1 km away from the Banjara Darwaza of Golconda Fort. Qutub Shahi Tombs are the burial ground of the 7 kings of the Qutub Shahi dynasty. The tombs are very popular for their unique architecture and grand structures. Qutub Shahi Tombs are one of the best among Hyderabad tourist places and a major heritage site in Hyderabad city.

Planned and built by the Qutub Shahis themselves, these tombs are said to be the oldest historical monuments in Hyderabad. The tombs are built in Persian, Pathan and Hindu architectural styles using grey granite, with stucco ornamentation. These tombs are standing at the center of a garden known as Ibrahim Bagh, containing ponds and planted pathways.

There are more than 30 tombs in the enclosure besides some open air tombs. The tombs vary in size from small to large. The tombs are domed structures built on a square base surrounded by pointed arches, each tomb are quadrangular and rise from 9 to 15 .....

At a distance of 1 kms from Nampally Railway Station, AP State Museum located with in Public Gardens is the oldest museum in Hyderabad. With very good collection, it is one of the important museums in the state.

Built in 1928 by the Nizam VII, the museum building itself is a fine example of Indo-Saracenic architecture. The Nizam, Mir Osman Ali Khan, wanted to preserve the cultural heritage of the state and also took steps to extend the treasure trove act of the British ruled dominions to his state and also created the Department of Archaeology under the stewardship of Dr. Ghulam Yuzdani in 1915. From then onwards the department played an active role and conducted several extensive explorations and excavations.

The museum contains a Buddhist gallery, Brahmanical & Jain gallery, Bronze gallery, Arms & Armour gallery, Numismatics gallery, Ajanta gallery and more. Adjacent to the State Museum is the Contemporary Art Museum.

Timings: 10:30 AM to 5 PM, Closed on Fridays

Entry .....

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. This is one of the most popular tourist places in Hyderabad.

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 .....