HYDERABAD HISTORY

Hyderabad is the capital of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It also goes by its sobriquet City of Pearls. It is the largest city in Andhra Pradesh and the sixth largest city in India.Hyderabad was founded by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah in 1591 on the banks of Musi. The city has been classified as an A-1 city in terms of development priorities, due to its size, population and impact. The twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad come under the ambit of a single municipal unit, The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation. Hyderabad has developed into one of the major hubs for the information technology industry in India which has earned it the additional sobriquet "Cyberabad". In addition to the IT industry, various biotechnology and pharmaceutics companies have set up their operations in Hyderabad. The city houses the most costly residential real estate in Andhra Pradesh in the posh Banjara Hills and Jubilee Hills. The city is home to the Telugu Film Industry, the second-largest in India, known popularly as Tollywood. Residents of Hyderabad are generally called Hyderabadis. Located at the crossroads of North & South India, Hyderabad has developed a unique culture, reflected in its language and architecture.

GOLCONDA FORT

Golkonda, a ruined city of south-central India and capital of ancient Kingdom of Golkonda (c. 1364–1512), is situated west of Hyderabad. The most important builder of Golkonda was Ibrahim Quli Qutb Shah Wali, the fourth Qutb king. Ibrahim was following in the spirit of his ancestors, the Qutub Shahi kings, a great family of builders who had ruled the kingdom of Golkonda from 1512. Their first capital, the fortress citadel of Golkonda, was rebuilt for defense from invading Mughals from the north. They laid out Golkonda's splendid monuments, now in ruins, and designed a perfect acoustical system by which a hand clap sounded at the fort's main gates, the grand portico, was heard at the top of the citadel, situated on a 300-foot (91 m)-high granite hill. This is one of the fascinating features of the fort. They ruled over the Telangana region and some parts of present day Karnataka and Maharashtra.

CHARMINAR

Charminar meaning "Mosque of the Four Minarets" and "Four Towers" is the most famous mosque and monument in the city of Hyderabad. Sultan Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah , the 5th ruler of the Qutb Shahi dynasty built Charminar in 1591 shortly after he had shifted his capital from Golkonda to what is now known as Hyderabad. He built this famous structure to commemorate the elimination of a plague epidemic from this city. He is said to have prayed for the end of a plague that was ravaging his city and vowed to build a masjid (Islamic mosque) at the very place where he was praying. In 1591 while laying the foundation of Charminar, Quli Qutb shah prayed: "Oh Allah, bestow unto this city peace and prosperity. Let millions of men of all castes, creeds and religions make it their abode, like fish in the water." Today one can see the city as evidence of the prayer being answered. The Mosque became popularly known as Charminar because of its four (Persian/Hindi char = four) minarets (Minar (Arabic manara) = spire/tower).

Andhra Pradesh State Assembly

The Andhra Pradesh State Assembly Building located in Hyderabad city, is the seat of the state legislature of Andhra Pradesh. It was built in 1913, the building was originally the Hyderabad Town hall. The Citizens of Princely state of Hyderabad raised money to build it to mark the 40th birthday of Nizam Mir Mahboob Ali Khan in 1905. This white gem of Hyderabad's architectural splendor was designed by specially commissioned architects. It adjoins the picturesque public gardens.

OSMANIA UNIVERSITY

Founded in 1918 by the Seventh Nizam of Hyderabad state, Nawab Mir Osman Ali Khan, higher learning in India, the third oldest in southern India and the first to be established in the erstwhile princely State of Hyderabad. For almost nine decades, it has sustained an integrated development of all faculties. It has contributed to the academic, social, and economic development of the region and the nation as a whole. Arts College, A recognizable building in campusIts alumni have distinguished themselves nationally and internationally. Osmania University is a public university situated in the city of Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh, India. It is one of the oldest modern universities in India. It was the first Indian University to have Urdu language as medium of instruction. It is one of the largest university systems in the subcontinent with over 300,000 students on its various campuses and affiliated colleges.

HUSSAIN SAGAR

Hussain Sagar is a lake in Hyderabad, India, built by Hazrat Hussain Shah Wali in 1562, during the rule of Ibrahim Quli Qutb Shah. It was a lake of 24 square kilometres built on a tributary of the River Musi to meet the water and irrigation needs of the city. There is a large monolithic statue of the Gautam Buddha in the middle of the lake which was erected in 1992.

BIRLA MANDIR

Birla Mandir on the Naubath Pahad is a magnificent Hindu temple of Lord Venkateshwara, entirely built in white marble located in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India . The Birla Foundation has constructed several similar temples in India, all of which are known as Birla Mandir. The temple manifests a blend of South Indian, Rajasthani and Utkala temple architectures. In its entirety, it is made of 2000 tons of pure Rajasthani white marble. The granite of the presiding deity is about 11 ft (3.4 m). tall and a carved lotus forms an umbrella on the roof. The consorts of Lord Venkateswara, Padmavati and Andal are housed in separate shrines. There is a brass flagstaff in the temple premises which rises to a height of 42 ft (13 m)