Monolithic Buddha Statue, Hussain Sagar, Hyderabad

Monolithic Buddha Statue

Hussain Sagar, Hyderabad

See also: FAM (familiarization) tour of Hyderabad and Warangal

The giant monolithic statue of Buddha stands on a island in the middle of the Hussain Sagar Lake in Hyderabad, Telangana.

Monolithic Buddha Statue on Rock of Gibraltar, Hussain Sagar, Hyderabad

The statue curved out of a single rock is a brainchild of former chief minister of unified Andhra Pradesh, N T Rama Rao (NTR). NTR was highly impressed by the Statue of Liberty, during his vist to New York, USA and wanted something similar in Hyderabad.

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Taramati Baradari, A Dancer’s Pavilion

Taramati Baradar, A Dancer’s Pavilion

A classic example of adoptive reuse

See also: FAM (familiarization) tour of Hyderabad and Warangal

As my Indigo Airlines flight lost altitude over Hyderabad, I peeped out of the window to locate the important landmarks, but before I could figure out the Golconda Fort or the Charminar, the wheels of my plane had hit the tarmac.

Taramati Baradari, Hyderabad

My visit to Hyderabad was on the occasion of a FAM (Familirazation) tour of Hyderabad and Warangal, conducted by Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC).

Cherial (Cheriyal) Scroll Paintings

Ancient Audio Visual Art, Chrerial (Cheriyal). Warangal, Andhra Pradesh

See also: FAM (familiarization) tour of Hyderabad and Warangal

As our car meandered through the winding roads of Cherial (Cheriyal) village, it was a total disappointment. I expected houses with intricately painted scroll hanging from the walls, something which I have seen in Raghurajpur (Orissa) and Naya (West Bengal). But Cherial (Cheriyal), which is located in Warangal district of Andhra Pradesh and is 100 km from Hyderabad, looks like any other Indian village.

Cherial (Cheriyal) Scroll Painting, Cherial, Warangal, Andhra Pradesh

We made our way past playing children, to the studio of famous Cherial (Cheriyal) Scroll Painter, D. Vaikuntham. Its just an ordinary house but a board outside said that it belonged to a National Award Winner.

Charminar, the Icon of Hyderabad

Charminar

The Icon of Hyderabad

See also: FAM (familiarization) tour of Hyderabad and Warangal

“At Hyderabad’s centre stood the great Char Minar, a monumental gateway formed by quadrant of arches rising to four domed minarets. The Char Minar marked the meeting of the city’s two principle bazars, where the road from the craggy citadel of Golcanda crossed with that comming from the great port of Masulipattanam.”

William Dalrymple’s White Mughals

Charminar, Hyderabad (view from the southern side)

Charminar, literally meaning four towers (Char = four, Minar = Tower), is synonymous  the Pearl City of Hyderabad. Standing on a traffic island in one of the the most congested part of the old city this monument is the icon of Hyderabad.

Hyderabad and Warangal

FAM (Familiarization) tour of Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC)

A thundering voice echoed through the ruins of an ancient fort depicting the the tales of a long lost kingdom and battles long ago. Relevant portions of the fort were lit up to add a new dimension to the story.

L – R: P. Jogi Naidu, Kiran Mehta, Rangan Datta, Kalyani and Sunil Vaidyanathan (Photo: Kirtana)

Probably you have got it by now, its the sound and light show at the Golconda Fort, Hyderabad and I was part of a 3 day (8 – 10 Oct. 2013) FAM (Familiarization) trip of Hyderabad and Warangal organized by the APTDC.