INDIA GUIDE
TRAVEL DESK
EVENTS
AIRLINES
SEARCH

Photographs and Text: Sanjay Singh Badnor

Our early morning take off, from New Delhi, fortunately coincided with the ETD (estimated time of departure). Though it was the middle of winter, morning fog, happily, did not disrupt my flight to Hyderabad.

The flight was packed with businessmen, government officials on election duty and politicians. I must have been the lone tourist on board, heading to explore Andhra Pradesh.

Expecting clear blue skies, I was a wee bit disappointed to see Hyderabad under a thick blanket of grey clouds as we prepared to land. However my thoughts were soon disrupted by the chaos which prevailed at the Rajiv Gandhi Airport. Election fever had reached a frenzied pitch and the airport was abuzz with political leaders who were simultaneously arriving, as well as departing.

Luckily I spotted the hotel taxi which had come to receive me. Had it not been for the driver's quick manoeuvres, I would have found myself part of the huge political rally which had just commenced from the airport.

Hyderabad airport must be one of the few airports located so close to the downtown area. Within minutes I found myself in the heart of town heading for the Grand Kakatiya hotel.

Kakatiya?! The name did sound somewhat strange. Was it a locality of Hyderabad? Perhaps it was the owner's name, suggested my driver, who said it was the Andhra norm to name commercial complexes and hotels after the proprietor.

We drove up to the hotel and soon I was led to my room, the interiors of which were trimmed with the traditional ikkat fabric and offered a pleasant view of the city.

Andhra Pradesh was created largely by merging the former princely state of Hyderabad with the Telugu speaking portions of Madras state. A bit of pre-trip research had armed me with some background info about the state. I knew therefore that most of the state which spreads across the high Deccan plateau is divided into three distinct regions. The Telengana region comprises the northern parts of the province and the Hyderabad region. Then there are the coastal areas; the state has a long coastline along the Bay of Bengal. The southern part of the state is known as the Rayalseema region.

I learnt that Andhra Pradesh was once part of the great Ashoka empire and a major Buddhist centre, of which relics can yet be seen. After its break-up, several Hindu dynasties took charge. By the 17th century Mughal forces had captured power. And it was a Mughal general who became the viceroy of Hyderabad and his successors ruled the state of Hyderabad right through to Independence.

On my first afternoon I decided to acquaint myself with the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. So I asked my driver to merely cruise about the city. We headed first for Secunderabad, which was the former cantonment area. But today it had more or less merged with Hyderabad.

By afternoon I was coasting around Hyderabad's poshest neighbourhood, Banjara Hills, peering at the ostentatious bungalows of Telegu cine stars, politicians and Hyderabad's leading business families. Near Banjara Hills at a shopping arcade, I came across several antique dealers. I swiftly abandoned my sightseeing plans. And the rest of the afternoon was whiled away browsing through sepia tinted lithographs, old Tanjore paintings, furniture, glassware and other bric-a-brac which had probably filtered down to these dealers from the dwindling fortunes of the old aristocratic and landed families of Hyderabad.

Hyderabad has a 400-year-old history which began with the establishment of the Qutab Shahi dynasty. Named after Hyder Mahal, the queen of Quyili Qutab Shah, the metropolis is located on the banks of the Musi river and is an important centre of Islamic culture. It is also South India's counterpart to the Mughal splendour of the northern cities of Agra, Fatehpur Sikri and Delhi.

Founded in 1590 by Muhammad Quili -- one of the Qutab Shahi kings -- Hyderabad's wealth and strategic location lent it fame and attracted the jealous attention of the Mughal emperor, Aurangzeb. However it was Aurangzeb's son who seized Golconda.

A visit to the Shilparamam crafts village on the outskirts of the city at Madhapur proved extremely interesting. This sleepy craft village houses the huts of artisans from all over the country. A rich variety of colourful crafts were available -- sheet metal art from Pembarthi, Kondapalli toys, Anantpur leather puppets, Banjara needle work, Latur mirrorwork, giant gangalam vessels, Nirmal paintings, terracota, dhurries Dokhra, Kalamkari and lacquerware. To add to the fun folk artistes performed in the middle of the village. A bit of traditional Andhra drumming numbers or tappetagullu, Banjara gypsy dances and skits from mythology. On sale too were a range of spicy snacks -- mirchi bajji, bhelpuri, chaat, jalebis and more.

After Madhapur, I did all the right 'touristy' moves. I strolled through the well-laid out public gardens, situated beside the impressive state legislative assembly building and then drove past Hussain Sagar (one of the four artificial reservoirs of the city) before returning to Hotel Grand Kakatiya. I had still not unravelled the mystery of Kakatiya. But weary from fatigue I headed straight for the Marco Polo bar for a quick sundowner.

Sipping a cool gimlet I spied the tea lounge beside the bar which was named Rani Rudrama's Court. Did it have anything to do with Kakatiya, I wondered. "Of course," explained Ashutosh Chibba, the hotel's banquet manager. "The Kakatiya dynasty was one of the more glorious of the southern dynasties and they ruled a large part of the Telengana region in the 12th century."

Warangal was their capital city and Rani Rudrama, a Kakatiya queen. Marco Polo visited India during her reign and was spellbound by the tales of grandeur of the Kakatiya kingdom. Finally! an answer to my question. I decided that the next day's agenda would be a trip to Warangal. Seated in an Ambassador car (India's mechanised bullock cart) with ample supplies of beer and mutton biryani to last me an entire week, I rattled along the Andhra state highway towards Warangal (150 km away) through semi-arid countryside that was interspersed with rice fields, date palms, coconut trees, an occasional lake and some fantastic rock formations.

Speeding crimson red and yellow state transport buses added a sudden dash of color to the landscape. The dandy of a driver merrily swayed to his favourite Telugu numbers, which blared from the car stereo system and I suffered in silence.

An hour later I called for a break and stepped out to enjoy the countryside. A nearby cluster of palm trees seemed to be the centre of much activity. On closer inspection I realised it was a mid-day party in progress.

The locals relish a drink known as toddy, which is obtained from a tree similar to the coconut palm. All over Andhra one can come across numerous toddy tappers skillfully climbing these tall trees, tying earthen pots to obtain the milky substance. I discovered toddy had a peculiar essence and a strong, sweet flavour. It was without doubt potent and I was told contained almost 15 per cent alcohol.

We resumed our journey. This time I insisted that my Spice Girls tape be played. The driver obliged reluctantly. By early evening we arrived at Kazipet, where I stopped for a Pepsi and then on to Hanamkonda and finally to Warangal.

The town is the site of an ancient mud-brick fort which lies in a sad state of ruin. Built in 1261, not much remains of the fort. It was interesting to scramble about looking at the exquisite sculpture and carved temple gateways, typical of the Chalukyan style of temple architecture.

From the fort we headed towards Warangal proper and visited the marvellous thousand-pillared temple built by the Kakatiya king Rudra Dev in 1163 AD. It was now dusk and while the driver edged through evening traffic to get back on to the highway for Hyderabad, I couldn't help but notice the name on every other sign board. Kakatiya Hair Cutting Saloon, Kakatiya Pan Shop, a hospital, a hotel, a high school, a bank... it was Kakatiya all the way.

Back in Hyderabad I still had some sightseeing to do. At the crack of dawn I left the hotel for the old city. I had been there for two full days and still not even had a glimpse of Charminar, Hyderabad's landmark. I still remember being intrigued, as a child, by the sunset yellow packets of Charminar cigarettes, with a sketch of the monument drawn on the outside. That had been my first memory of this spellbinding piece of architecture which I could now see for real in brick and mortar. It was absolutely fascinating against the backdrop of a clear, azure blue sky.

Built as a triumphal arch in 1591 AD by Mohammad Quili Qutab Shah, it commemorated the end of the plague in Hyderabad. I was glad I had already done a bit of sightseeing before reaching this edifice. For once I reached the Charminar I was so captivated that I did not want to leave.

The Muslim month of Ramzan was on and the bazaars were at their liveliest. Parking my vehicle at the Nizam hospital I tried to soak in the atmosphere through my lens. I am not certain whether I succeeded, but I did end up exposing a lot of film.

Tell us what you think of this feature