Hyderabad, a city in our southern neighborhood sports quite a few
attractions to merit a family visit in a non-summer vacation (summer is
punishingly hot). Ramoji Rao film city which provides day long
entertainment, the mock snow world, the marble wonder Birla mandir,
Golconda fort, Salar Jung museum full of medieval antiquities and most
importantly, its sumptuous variety of both veg and non - veg food
(including the famous Hyderabadi Biriyani) are few of them. But the true
charm of the city and its life lay at and around its most renowned
landmark Charminar.
A bus from almost everywhere in the main city of Hyderabad takes you to
Afzal Gunj and if you are not that scrupulous about travelling
conveniences, a shared rickshaw is the most exciting mode to reach
there. Mere five rupees can fetch you a prized seat beside the driver
and you may take it provided your arms are strong enough to cling on to
the metal during a bumpy ride. You feel like accompanied by a close
family in an auto packed with six or seven people. I had six co
travelers: 2 Burkah clad old ladies, two young tourists and two
students. As the beautiful mansions pass, you feel like a privileged
invitee to Nizaam’s private Banquet; taken along with your family in a
jumping wheeled palanquin.
Thanking the auto driver for zipping past a million pedestrians in no
time, you turn and look for Charminar, only to find a unending series
of shops like a gigantic line of Yachts floating in a ever swelling sea
of humanity. The first striking fact here is life. Men and women
saunter and shop here in such great numbers that it looks typical
representation of India, so populous and overwhelmingly lower middle
class. The petty shop keepers throw all the tantrums to grab the
attention of potential customers. The number of people shopping and
going up and down the street is astonishing, making it a unique
extension of Hyderabad, which in no way is like any other of its
quarters. In a nutshell: it is a gigantic shopping plaza for the masses.
All the streets streaming out of Charminar quarter are full of shops.
The total number is estimated to be 14,000. Laad bazaar area has plenty
of shops for you to pamper your women. The bangles sparkle in their
cases, colorful sarees glitter from a height, draping the headless
hanging mannequins. Every colour in the world embodies a fabric and is
up for display as a dress material. Half of the employees perform the
attention grabbing act. It’s a bitter competition between these boys,
the one with louder voice and more animated movements gets his prized
catch; another prospective purchaser.
In every by lane you find at least one shop looking like mini museum
thanks to the age old items it offers for sale. Outside few of the shops
you find items known to you only through your grannies bedtime tales.
Some clock shops sport watches made by men who have died and companies
which have wound up many centuries ago. The carts, both mobile and
immobile are useful trade implements. Ice cream seller pushing his cart,
cycle rickshawas (in different designs) plying goods is still vogue
here at least to the petty shoppers. Age runs back a few decades if not
more when you stroll in this quarter.
Step ahead and look beyond the obvious. You’ll be stunned to note that
every building that houses the petty shop is a gorgeous medieval
mansion. Just wipe out the merchandize stocked in front of them in your
mind’s eye and you realize that each of them is an elegant “Haweli”
(mansion) deserving dwelling by a “Nawab” or a noble man if not by the
King himself. If the administration was bit heritage literate and
population pressures were much scanty, then the houses should have been
on display and the goods at much distant place. But, the reality of the
population supported by this trade might make it a task not possible
for a few more decades if not a century. So, see the people, enjoy
man’s triumphant survival instincts at their best. The sheer number of
grand mansions is both astonishing and a powerful indicator to
Hyderabad’s prominence and stature in its prime.
The number of mansions was impressive and their condition though not
immaculate, is still worthy of artistic appreciation. If Nizams in the
heaven wish to take back the reign of the city back into their hands
very little they’ll have to do at this quarter; find a alternate place
for those poor souls and scrub all the dirt deposited by the passing of
time and vomit of the autos.
Move ahead a few more yards and one of the four grand arches (each
located on prominent street leading to Charminar) welcomes you to bygone
times. Suddenly, from the crowded background emerges a tall and
majestic structure of stately charisma. The structure isn’t strikingly
grand but its minimalist aesthetics and grand symmetry of four minarets
gives it elegance thoroughly deserving the prominence that it enjoys
throughout the planet. A European had termed it “Arc De Trompe” of the
east, but the Napoleonic structure by a long way lacks the medieval
charm that its oriental cousin.
In 1591 when William Shakespeare was busy penning his Hamlet and first
settlers were flirting around the coasts of what is now US, A Indian
King, Mohammed Quli Qutb Shah ordered its erection. The dreaded Plague
that haunted London and ravaged whole of Europe made its presence felt
in Hyderabad too (surprisingly, for the dreaded disease the world was a
small place even then). It is said that this edifice was built as a
memorial for cure of Plague in the city.
Once atop the Charminar, wonderful view of the places around unfold
themselves and you also get a closer glimpse of the elegant looking
outer carvings of the Minarets. The space inside at the top seems
surprisingly vast. The King is said to have held Durbar and conducted
his prayers. There are plenty of prayer spaces and a little mosque too
is housed inside. Good view of the Mecca Masjid and Yunani Hospital are
added rewards, so is the chance to see the countless battalions of
rushing yellow roofed autos and the view of innumerable souls garbed in
Human bodies.
Amidst the buzz of sellers and honks of the Autos I reached the Masjid
area but was bit skeptic to enter it. Firstly I have never entered a
Mosque before and secondly I thought I looked a most ill fitting
creature to enter a mosque ever. While every man coming out of the
Mosque was decked in clean whites and sported a foot long beard, I was
wearing most bizarre T-shirt, a quaint Jeans and there was not a strand
of hair on my whole face. This made me fear that I would look too odd
to be allowed to enter. Still the affable air gave me the courage and
to my utter surprise no one seemed bothered by my presumably awkward
presence. I felt like a man with clean whites and foot long beard
myself. Atmosphere was solemn, calm and serene. It’s a wonder only a few
seconds back I was at a place which could surely contend to the
coveted title of noisiest place on whole earth and now I was reveling
in silence. A stone from Mecca (from Aurangajebs times) and a watch
from Switzerland were the two diverse relics. People prayed earnestly
inside the mosque and sat and sauntered on its outer yard.
The thing that touched me most was; the Charminar housing a Mariyamma
temple at its base. It wasn’t built by Kings but it being thriving in a
locality so overwhelmingly Muslim made me proud about India’s tolerant
heritage that is mostly followed by masses and is being attempted to
ruin by the selfish politicians and their blind followers. Yunani
Hospital too is a elegant structure. I relished the beauty of its dome
from outside.
At night fall I kept walking every lane and by lane. All the famed
Hyderabadi items made their presence felt. The thick layered “Burhewali
Chai” , Street side Biriyani, Islamic version of Pundit “Hakeems”,
Panwalah; all were there. Fate of poor old men forced to toil was very
visible. Walking in the night in the ill lit by lanes made me feel
either I was in a different country or in a different decade. But it all
was mostly a comforting portrayal of life and its truth.
As you keep moving away from Charminar, shops turn more sophisticate
and the buildings-modern and slowly it dawns to you that you are back in
to the reality. No matter you have shopped or not you are sure to
carry relics of the place with you. Deeply impressed scenes of day to
day life and its hustle-bustle, colors and magnificence of the dress
materials and truly medieval aura of the surroundings are few of them.
Visit this place to feel overwhelmed by life, its struggles and its beauty in its simplicity.
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