HYDERABAD AND ITS CHARMS -

Every city and country honors its important denizens, present and past. Still, very few cities might have done what Hyderabad has done. On Tank Bund Road, an arterial road that connects Hyderabad with its twin city Secunderabad, are 33 statues in a row - all of people who were important in the history of Andhra Pradesh. The road dams the famous Hussain Sagar, the beautiful lake which is a star attraction for tourists. In the center of the lake is a gigantic statue of Buddha, 18 meters tall and weighing 350 tons, the largest monolithic statue of Buddha in India. By going for a morning walk on Tank Bund Road, one can see the past and the present of the city coming alive, seamlessly merging into each other.

Hyderabad is the sixth largest metropolis of India and the capital of the state of Andhra Pradesh. It is situated in the Deccan Plateau, considered to be one of the more geologically stable land masses of the world. The city shares its name with a city and district in Pakistan and a village in the state of Uttar Pradesh in India. The climate is tropical with hot summers from March to June and monsoons from July to October. Sporting a mixed heritage, it is a city rich in culture, monuments, parks and arts and crafts. It houses big forts and tombs where history slumbers in contentment, as well as grand museums in which history comes alive in brilliant colors and shapes.

The city was founded towards the end of the 16th century by the Qutb Shahi dynasty, who were later defeated by the Moghuls. The Moghul emperor appointed a viceroy to rule the area. After the Moghul Empire disintegrated in the beginning of the 18th century, the then viceroy became the independent ruler of a large princely state with Hyderabad as its capital. This line became the beginning of the Asaf Jah dynasty, the sovereign rulers of the state, more commonly known as Nizams. These extremely wealthy rulers were patrons of literature, art and architecture and were connoisseurs of rich food. They ruled from the beginning of the 18th century till 1948 when the state became a part of India which has been liberated from British rule in 1947. The Nizams gave this South Indian city a unique North Indian flavor by keeping alive Islamic heritage in the Moghul way.

The original city is now known as old city.' The city has grown towards south, along with its twin Secunderabad. It is famous the world over for its pearl jewelry, with markets catering exclusively

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