Hyderabad

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

A city of contrasts, Hyderabad exudes an old-world charm of its own with the Old City (Charminar side), Hitech City (Cyberabad) and the other areas lying between the old and the new. The capital and the largest city of Telanaga, Hyderabad is home to stately mosques and noisy bazaars lined parallelly alongside swanky new office buildings and malls, and it is these very contrasts – these glimpses into the city’s rich past with inherent promises of an even better future –that make Hyderabad a city worth visiting. Maybe even more than once. The city of pearls and biryani, Hyderabad is home to one of the most iconic landmarks - the Charminar. Translating to 'four minarets', the grand edifice is built entirely out of limestone and granite, with four minarets on four sides, each of them facing a different street. The Charminar stands in a labyrinth of lanes crammed with shops, markets, stalls and shoppers - one of the best places to shop for the authentic pearls and relish the tasty biryanis, skewer kebabs and haleem (the smorgasbord of food that Hyderabad is known for). The other side of Hyderabad - HiTech City or Cyberabad - is a stark contrast to the Old City. The area teems with grand malls, pulsating clubs, sleek restaurants and hi-rise buildings of the every-growing multinationals. Between the old and new lie the popular city areas of Banjara Hills and Jubilee Hills flanked on the northeast by Secunderabad. Hyderabad and Secunderabad together are still referred to as the "twin cities", though they are practically one now. Hyderabad pulsates with a spectacular mix of people and traditions. Make a journey through this mind-stirring metropolis and be ready to be amazed, frustrated, confounded and thrilled, all at once!