24.02.2020
My flight from Bengaluru landed in Hyderabad right on time at 08:35 and my suitcase was already turning circles on the luggage belt when I made it there. Most people travelled with cabin baggage only and a lot stayed on the plane en route to Jaipur as well … so the luggage delivery was quicker than passengers getting out …
The airport was huge and it took me some time to locate the prepaid taxi counter. The line was not long, but it took forever. So I skipped it and went to the Ola Pick up area close by in the parking lot and used the app. I found the car easily … the app said – Take any car at the line up. First the guy did not understand me even though I showed him the app. But the next guy in waiting line helped me out and told him not to be such a prick … Go! Get in! He understands you just fine! … I got in and off we went. Following along on google maps I realized the driver took the longest route possible to my hotel … It took an hour to get to Holiday Inn Express Banjara Hills … or Rs 777 … maybe it was the traffic, though …
Reception was on the 2nd floor and check-in was quick even though I was too early. I never ask for early check-in in the hotels, but rather advise my arrival time and ask to drop my luggage. Usually hotels grant early check-in as a courtesy if available – and most of the time it is no problem. Also this time it was no problem to get the room already at 10:20. I did not even have to ask. They just handed me the key for the room on the 5th floor. The key card activated the elevator as well.
The room was nice – definitely a step up from my sleeps before – still affordable for Rs 3650 a night – a compact room and spotless – with the sink and shower basically in the room, the toilet in a cubicle with a door. I settled in and logged on the internet to write. Having had already decided to catch up on my journal while in the city, I made the most of the comfortable room, fast WIFI and English TV channels.
For today I was only up to another Hard Rock Café visit … nothing else … The HRC was conveniently located not far from my hotel … as if I had planned it … By around 14:30 I got going and walked the few minutes to the GVK One Mall. It was very hot in Hyderabad and traffic was crazy. But I found the Hard Rock Café easily. It was not as nicely decorated as the other ones, but it was OK. I got a high table near the stage, so for the mandatory photo that would do well. I started with a Sparkling Blue Hawaiian again. They did not have any logo glasses here either … what a pity … But the drink was good and the music too.
For lunch I ordered the Steak Salad and One Night in Bangkok Shrimps. I explicitly asked to have it both at the same time … of course they did not manage. They brought the shrimps first. The waiter said the salad will come shortly … I waited … it did not arrive … in the meantime the shrimp were cold … I heard a man behind me complaining big time about his burger … not sure what was his problem, but he left the burger half eaten. It was a good opportunity to grab the waiter – Sir, I said specifically I want both dishes at the same time! – Yes yes! – Now the shrimp sit here and they are cold already! When is the salad coming? – Coming soon the salad! Coming! – Good … – Oh, we can change the shrimp if you want! – Well, just make them hot again and bring them together with the salad! – OK OK!
They did accomplish that and the shrimps were hot and spicy again. I just wanted it all on the photo … And I wanted to eat it together … The shrimp were really good. The salad was good as well – the blue cheese sauce was a bit too strong, though. However, I was happy, I did not order the Beef Tenderloin here … they would have messed it up, I am sure, because the beef on the Steak Salad was not very good … Oh well.
I had a good time anyway and in the end they even opened the Rock Shop for me so I could buy a pin! Here they had the same selection as in Bengaluru, so I took the same style pin – the guitar plectrum.
I might have to rearrange my corky pin wall at home … it is getting full. I should do a list of which Hard Rock Cafés in the world I visited … There were some, that do not even exist anymore … And I had been there … I have a pin to prove it! Working on cruiseships … there were times we went to every HRC we had the chance … living in Thailand for 5 years … I was a sort-of regular in HRC Bangkok as well … and it is still some kind of addiction to visit one if there is one …
In Hyderabad I was not going to do too much sightseeing, but much relaxing and catching up on my journal since I had such a nice hotel room. But I went in search of a beer shop … of course. The area around did not look as if there was a hole-in-the-wall alcohol store – plenty fancy shopping malls around here. Google showed a wineshop way down the road … Oh well, I might as well take a longer walk to explore Banjara Hills.
Banjara Hills is an urban commercial centre in the city. It is one of more than 150 boroughs comprising greater Hyderabad. This is an upmarket locality now, but was a hilly forest before. Only royal members of the Nizam’s Dynasty used it as a hunting ground. Even with its history and status, this area now has completely been transformed to an urban commercial centre of importance and according to Economic Times Magazine it is considered the most expensive zip code in India. Banjara Hills is also famous for its hotels, upscale restaurants, large shopping malls … and hospitals.
Well, I walked along Road 1 and indeed found a beer shop on the junction with Road 3. I did not go inside the fancy Wine & Liqueur Store, but ordered my Kingfisher cans at the over-the-counter-hole-in-the-wall cheap shop adjacent to it. In this heat beer is the best thirstquentcher. But I had to wait until reaching the hotel before I could down one …
I decided to not return the same way – it went uphill …. – but to continue down to the main road along the metro line instead – completing a circle. There was no point in taking the Metro, though. The stations were not so convenient for my hotel from this point. I would have to walk further away for one station and then get off at the next one and still walk much more. So I might as well walk the entire stretch, which was less than 2 km anyway. Traffic was crazy, though. I walked of course on the side of the road against the traffic, because due to the elevated Metro Line and this being a major road, there was no way to cross anyway. While I followed the sometimes rather narrow footpath, I did some window shopping and let my eyes roam around. And then it hit me … I passed an area with many men’s wear shops and also wedding wear shops … No no, not getting married … but the wedding outfits are just stunning! And on my last Ganges Cruise we were in wedding season and in each hotel we stayed during the land program after the cruise, there were huge weddings going on. On one of those weddings I had spotted the Best Man in this gorgeous outfit … a jacket asymmetrically cut and immediately I had decided that I wanted … not the man … but a jacket like that!
Now, here I walked along and in the window of one of the shops on a mannequin that gorgeous jacket caught my eyes … it was beautiful … it was a men’s wear shop … I looked at it and looked at it … and walked away … it was a men’s wear shop … but the thought never left my head … maybe they could tailor me one for women? … You know, just put the buttons on the other side? … Or maybe I could just get this one? … Should I go and ask? … Who cares if it is a men’s wear shop? … Damn, I would be forever regretting it, if I did not go and ask … So I turned around … after maybe half an hour walking along the road talking to myself … and went back …
I looked at the mannequin again … the guys inside smiled at me again … they had seen me looking at that jacket before already … Head held high, I walked in … Hello! – Good afternoon, madam! This is a men’s wear shop! – Yes, I know! But I wanted to have a look at this particular jacket and wondered, if you have this for women? – No, this is a men’s jacket. – Yes, I know. But could I try it on anyway? – It is a men’s jacket! – Yes, but I do not care! Do you have it in different sizes or colours? – Sizes are not the problem. OK, I show you!
They pulled out some more colours, but none jumped at me. I had set my easy on the one in the window. – Can I try this one, then? – Yes, you can. – Do you have a size that might fit me? – Yes, this is your size! – Are you sure? – Yes! Put your arms back … there you go! Now turn around! Head up! Done!
He had put me into that jacket in no time and … damn … it fit perfectly! I was totally happy! Exactly what I wanted. Yeah, it is a men’s jacket and I have to get used to the buttons on the wrong side, but who cares? – How much is it? – Rs 12000 – … *gasping for air* … Can you give me a discount, because I am a woman buying a men’s jacket? – No, sorry. Fixed price! – Are you sure? – Yes, sure! – Sure, not even a little discount possible? – Sure! No discount! Fixed price! Sorry. – Oh well, I take it anyway! But I have to go back to the hotel to get money. Is that OK? – Yes, no problem. – OK, I will be back within the hour! Keep my jacket! Do not sell it! – Yes yes!
They did look as if they did not believe that I would be coming back, though. But I was determined to buy this jacket and walked quickly back to my hotel, which was luckily not that far away, just a 15 min undistracted quick walk through heavy traffic.
I got the cash out of my stash and off-loaded beers putting them in the minibar. Lucky the security guy at the hotel entrance – which was on the bottom floor while reception was on floor 2 and the guest rooms on 3 to 5 – was a bit lax in his work and did not scan any bags … so no blah blah about my beers. Once I had the money dug out of its hiding place, I was on the go again back to the shop. I had not even looked at the name of the shop … so I had to walk back even if I wanted to take an autorickshaw … But I would find it again and I did – the mannequin still had his jacket on in the window … Smiling I walked in and the guys did look somewhat surprised to see me again. But they did have my jacket set aside!
Can I try it on again? – Yes, ma’m! You should! … This time around it fit as perfectly as the first time. – You should put it on one more time all by yourself, so you know how to do it! Or do you have somebody to help you? – No. Why? Is it as complicated as putting a saree on? – No, but it is a men’s jacket! – Ah, yes! … I shall try it … It was no problem!
Ma’m, once you have it on, can we take a photo and a little video of you? It is not every day that a woman buys a men’s jacket … – Ah yes, but can you take a photo for me too? … So photo session! And that video was hilarious … I hate being on video … but they made me tell the story … I actually went back the next day and ask them to whatsapp me the video … I had forgotten to ask it in the first place … and they did happily.
They packed my jacket in a fancy clothes bag and I paid in cash … I asked what the jacket style is called … no, it is not a groom’s outfit … that would be all beige and dark red and gold … it was more a best man’s outfit or a gala outfit … well, exactly what I needed it for … Happily I walked with my new outfit back to my hotel. What a find! Forget the price … They called the style Indo Western, by the way …
Next to my Holiday Inn Express Hotel was a supermarket and I went there – with my new outfit in the bag over my arm – the security guy just gave me a funny look – I needed to buy some juice. The heat here was doing me in and I clearly did not have enough water today. I was so glad to find fresh orange juice there and bought water too, then headed to my room. That 1 l orange juice was delicious and disappeared in no time … I did not even have time to add Vodka to it … and the cold beer followed only after the orange juice and a bottle of water were gone …
It was around 18:30 by now and I just wanted to hang out a bit watching TV, then shower and more catching up on the journal before sleep.
25.02.2020
This morning I set my alarm early … I did not have to … I woke up early as usual around 06:30. I was determined to catch up on my journal and wrote and posted all morning. But by 10:30 I was done and ready to go … 10:30 is a good time to go explore … I had decided to visit Charminar today. A little sightseeing needed to be done.
Hyderabad is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and de jure capital of Andhra Pradesh. Located along the banks of the Musi River on the Deccan Plateau in the northern part of South India, much of Hyderabad is situated on hilly terrain around artificial lakes. Hyderabad City has a population of about 6.9 mio – with about 9.7 mio in Hyderabad Metropolitan Region – making it the 4th-most populous city and 6th-most populous urban agglomeration in India.
The city is huge and I was happy the Hyderabad Metro had been inaugurated in 2017! I walked to the closest Metro Station which was Irrum Manzil and not very far from my hotel. For Rs 25 I got a token and crossed about half the city in 15 min before I got off at Osmania Medical College. That was the closest Metro Station to the old city.
The Hyderabad rapid transit system is with 57 stations the 2nd longest operational metro network in India after the Delhi Metro – which has some 285 stations. As of February 2020 about 490000 people use the Metro per day … so trains are crowded no matter what time it is. I think everybody was happy to have a Metro, because traffic was a bitch in the city. A ladies’ only coach was introduced on all the trains from 2018 – I have not noticed it yet, though – I was in a regular coach.
When I got off the metro I was looking for a bus stop – I am cheap, I know, but public transport is the best way to get around. It is getting into the matter. Taking a taxi … everybody can do that … but I want to experience the country and see things. Doing the touristy thing is for my work during the tours to Brahmaputra and Ganges … but this is vacation and taking public transport feels just right … I found a bus stop, but no bus that was going the some 2 km to Charminar, so I did take an autorickshaw for Rs 70 instead. That is still better than a taxi!
The Charminar is not only a monument mosque landmark in Hyderabad, but also the Old City of Hyderabad – a walled city located on the banks of the Musi River built by Sultan Muhammed Quli Qutb Shah in 1591. There used to be a wall surrounding the Old City – however most of it was destroyed by now. Nevertheless, the crowded Old City remains the symbolic heart of cosmopolitan Hyderabad along with HITEC City. The area is nowadays a tourism hotspot and the heart of Hyderabadi Muslim culture.
The autorickshaw dropped me right in front of the Charminar – Four Minarets – which has become known globally as a symbol of Hyderabad and is listed among the most recognized structures in India. The Charminar’s long history includes the existence of a mosque on its top floor for more than 400 years. While both historically and religiously significant, it is also known for its popular and busy local markets surrounding the structure.
I walked around it first – the markets were already buzzing and it was obvious that it was a tourist hotspot, because everybody wanted to sell me something …
Since I was here already, I decided to pay the Rs 300 foreigner fee to climb up to the second floor of the Charminar. There are 149 winding steps to reach the upper floor. The staircase was very narrow and the stairs unevenly high, but it was not that high to climb up until I reached the floor open to the public.
The 5th ruler of the Qutb Shahi Dynasty, Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, built the Charminar in 1591 after shifting his capital from Golconda to the newly formed city of Hyderabad. The Archaeological Survey of India – the current caretaker of the structure – mentions in its records, “There are various theories regarding the purpose for which Charminar was constructed. However, it is widely accepted that Charminar was built at the centre of the city to commemorate the eradication of cholera”, a deadly disease which was wide spread at that time. According to other sources, the Charminar was constructed to commemorate the beginning of the 2nd Islamic millennium year. The event was celebrated far and wide in the Islamic world, thus Qutb Shah founded the city of Hyderabad to celebrate the event and commemorate it with the construction of this building. Due to its architecture it was also called the Arc de Triomphe of the East.
The Charminar Masjid is a square structure with each side being 20 m long. Each side has one of 4 grand arches. At each corner stands an exquisitely shaped, 56 m high minaret built into the main structure. The structure is also known for its profusion of stucco decorations and the arrangement of balustrades and balconies. It is made of granite, limestone, mortar and pulverized marble. The actual mosque occupies the top floor of the 4-storey structure.
The Charminar was constructed at the intersection of the historical trade route that connected the markets of Golconda – the ancient capital of the Qutb Shahi Dynasty who ruled the Golconda Sultanate – with the ancient port city of Machilipatnam to the East of Hyderabad, which served as the settlement of European traders from the 16th century and was a major trading port for the British, Dutch and French in the 17th century.
The Old City of Hyderabad was designed with Charminar as its centerpiece. The city was spread around it in 4 different quadrants and chambers, segregated according to the established settlements. Eminent architects from Persia were invited to develop the city plan. The structure itself was intended to serve as a Mosque and Madrasa. It is of Indo-Islamic architecture style incorporating Persian architectural elements.
The views from the Charminar were very nice. To the west lies the Laad Bazaar – a very old market popular for bangles, rigid bracelets usually made of metal, wood, glass or plastic. Hyderabad – also called The City of Pearls – is famed for its enchanting pearls, beautiful poetry, delicious cuisine and those much in vogue Hyderabadi Bangles. Appealing colored and ethnic patterned bangles have become a fashion statement for today’s women. There are many types of bangles and there are quite a few present near and around Charminar. The most famous are the Hyderabadi Lacquered Bangles – molded out of pure lac and studded with glittering and beautifully cut glass pieces of various colors.
To the southwest of Charminar lies the richly ornamented granite Makkah Masjid – also called Mecca Masjid – one of the largest mosques in India with a capacity of 20000 people. The mosque was built between the 16th and 17th centuries and is a state-protected monument situated in the heart of the old city. Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah commissioned bricks to be made from the soil brought from Mecca, the holiest site of Islam, and used them in the construction of the central arch of the mosque, thus giving the mosque its name.
Four arches to the north of Charminar are known as Char Kaman. These were built along with the Charminar in the 16th century. Next to it lies the Jamia Masjid Shujaiya – a historic mosque that was built by Sultan Mohammed Quli in 1597. Due to passing of time this mosque became bleak and converted into a Feel Khana – a place for keeping Elephants – until a great religious scholar came down to Hyderabad and started prayers again and also founded a Madrasa – an Islamic school.
To the Southeast opposite the Makkah Masjid lies the Government Nizamia General Hospital for general medicine and Unani medicine. It was established during the reign of Nizams by the last Nizam of Hyderabad – Mir Osman Ali Khan – in 1926. To me it did look like a mosque, too, but it is indeed a hospital.
I walked around to enjoy the views a couple of times and had to take quite a few selfies with Indian tourists, before I climbed the stairs down again. Lucky, there was one staircase for up and one for down!
Strolling around the market a bit more I contemplated what to do next … it was hot and I already had enough of the city traffic. There was much to see, though. But I walked in the general direction of the Metro Line.
Passing through the alleyways filled with textile shops – sarees, suits, clothes, textiles by the meter … everything was there to buy. I stopped for a sugar cane juice as well and had a look at the High Court of Telangana from afar. The impressive building in red and white stones stands on the south bank of the River Musi and was inaugurated by the 7th Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan in 1920.
Walking across the bridge over the Musi River I also had a great view of the building of the Osmania General Hospital – one of the oldest hospitals in India located at Afzal Gunj and named after its founder – Mir Osman Ali Khan, the last Nizam of Hyderabad. The present hospital building was completed in 1919 and was designed by British architects in Indo-Sarcenic style. The hospital is now run by the Government of Telangana.
I tried several times to get an autorickshaw back to the metro station, but either they asked too much from the foreigner or did not understand me or did not want to go. So in the end, I hopped on a public bus – it is easy to just ask the driver or ticket man if they pass a Metro Station – and for Rs 15 I reached Ghandi Bahvan Metro Station in less than 15 min. The driver was happy enough to drop the foreigner right by the entrance.
Not ready to go back to the hotel, but ready for lunch I had decided to take the Metro to Khairatabad Station – Rs 15 got me a QR Code ticket – no tokens in this station … fancy! – and off I went.
I wanted to have lunch by Hussain Sagar Lake and had looked up some places at the waterfront … I wanted to have a view … When I walked out of the Metro Station there was a huge traffic junction and I could not decide if I wanted to walk or take an autorickshaw. But the junction was so busy and I was on the wrong side of the road, so I decided to start walking. The wall on the opposite side of the road was beautifully painted with wild life motives.
After a while I had enough – it was too hot and it became clear that a railway line was between me and my destination and I would have to walk a long detour to get to the waterfront … I flagged down an autorickshaw and for Rs 100 the driver agreed to take me – he had a student in the back who he made move to the front next to him. It turned out, he had to go some way further in the direction I had walked, then he u-turned and went all the way back to the Metro Station where he then took the other road crossing the railway tracks towards the water front …
I had him drop me at Peoples’ Plaza – on the map it looked like a fancy square, but indeed it was only a place where kids played cricket and football. However, on the road alongside it were some awesome wall murals.
By the parking lot there were several multistoried residential buildings painted with murals and it looked pretty cool. I tried to get them all on a photo by climbing up an abandoned hawkers stall between the parked cars.
Walking along the wall fencing the residential area I found many more murals – all very well done and colorful. Even one of the buildings behind the wall had a huge mural on one side. I love murals and graffiti. One of my favourite places for that street art is Lodhi Gallery in Delhi. I had visited it last year around this time and it had so many beautiful wall paintings.
The map said right next to that Peoples’ Plaza is a photo point – a Love Hyderabad Sculpture, landmark and selfie point … I found it … it was unfortunately not that impressive, but it was huge!
For lunch I had decided to go to one of the restaurants there at the shoreline of the lake. By the Bay looked nice and in I went. The restaurant was on the upper floor overlooking the waterfront and had a nice maritime surfer theme going on inside.
I found a nice table on the porch with a good view of the lake. Hussain Sagar is a heart-shaped lake built by Ibrahim Quli Qutb Shah in 1563. It is spread across an area of 5.7 km² and is fed by the River Musi. I could see Sanjeevaiah Park on the opposite bank of the lake and the 2nd tallest Indian Flag in the country. In 2016 on Telangana State’s 2nd formation day the flag was hoisted. It stands tall at 88 m and measures 33 x 22 m. The country’s tallest flag is – by the way – hoisted at the India-Pakistan border in Attari at a height of 33.5 m.
They had draught beer at the By the Bay Restaurant and I downed one in no time while choosing lunch. I took Royyala Vepudu – Andhra Prawn Fry – Ceasar Salad and Butter Naan. It did all arrive at pretty much the same time! The prawns were absolutely delicious! It was some spicy – but not too much – and had Curry Leaves and Fennel Seeds in it along with Green Chilis. It was so yummy! The Ceasar Salad was very good, too … by the way …
It was not expensive here, for 3 draught beer and my food I only paid Rs 1100. On the next table over were 4 young Indian women celebrating 2 birthdays. They had a good time and laughed so much when I tried to hide when they were taking selfies so not to photo bomb their shots. I volunteered to take a photo of all of them and wished Happy Birthday. That got me 4 handshakes and hugs from them, when I left.
After lunch I walked a little further along the waterfront and found more cool graffiti along the wall. There were some really good ones, but unfortunately the afternoon sun was against me. I took some photos anyway.
There was a train station near the waterfront – I thought about taking a suburban train back to the Metro Station – but I could not find the ticket window and the train was late and all in all I could not be bothered with it. So I took an autorickshaw for Rs 80 only instead. The ride was quick and for Rs 10 I got a token for a one stop metro ride to the station closest to my hotel.
But I did not go back directly. First I walked back to the men’s wear shop from yesterday. I wanted to ask if they could send me the video they took of me. The boss was not there today, but the shop assistants recognized me straight away and it was a quick do to send me the video.
On the way to my hotel I again stopped at the supermarket for another bottle of that great Orange Juice. And as quickly as I downed it yesterday, it was gone today as well. By now it was only 15:30 and I hung out for a bit recovering from the hot weather sightseeing. But later I went back to the supermarket for some more exploring and shopping. I love supermarkets. This one actually had 3 floors – I only had been on the ground floor so far.
I wanted to buy some more shower gel, shampoo and also hair colour. Yes! I needed hair colour and in India they have half sized packages for Rs 199! The ones in Germany are always one big size and expensive. Half the mix goes down the drain, because I do not need to dye all the hair – only the hairline … I am getting old and grey … unfortunately …
I also found another kurta style blouse for Rs 599 and some other bits and pieces before I went back to the hotel, had a beer and got back to writing my journal and posting some photos.
26.02.2020
This morning I got up early and got going around 08:00. I wanted to visit Golconda Fort before it got too hot. I walked up to the main road to the bus stop and hopped on a public bus to Masab Tank for Rs 10. It was not far before the ticket guy told me my stop was coming up. But I did not know that there were several stops called Masab Tank … so I had to walk some 500 m along to the next stop. There I had to wait only a few minutes until a bus #66 for Golconda passed and I got on. The ride was approx 35 min and cost me Rs 30.
The bus stand was right next to the entrance of the fort and I arrived shortly after they had opened. Rs 300 was the foreigner ticket. It was already very hot, eventhough it was just after 09:00 …
Golconda Fort – literally meaning round hill – is a fortified citadel and an early capital city of the Qutb Shahi Dynasty which ruled the Golconda Sultanate between 1512 and 1687. Because of the vicinity of diamond mines Golconda flourished as a trade centre of large diamonds, known as the Golconda Diamonds. The region has apparently produced some of the world’s most famous diamonds – including the colourless Koh-i-Noor now owned by the United Kingdom, the Blue Hope of the National Museum of Natural History in the United States, the Pink Daria-i-Noor of the Iranian Crown Jewels, the White Regent displayed in the Louvre in Paris, the Dresden Green at the Green Vault in Germany, the colourless Orlov of the Kremline Armoury in Moscow and the colourless Jacob which is kept in the vaults of the Reserve Bank of India in Mumbai.
Golconda Fort was first founded in the 12th century by the Kakatiyas – a Kakatiya dynasty whose capital was Orugallu, now known as Warangal north of Hyderabad – as part of their western defenses. The city and the fortress were built on a granite hill that is 120 m high. But the Qtub Shahs were the ones who in the 16th century made it into the massive fortress which substantial remains are seen today. Over a period of 62 years, a first mud fort was expanded by the first 3 Qutb Shahi Sultans into the present structure, a massive fortification of granite extending around 5 km in circumference. It remained the capital of the Qutb Shahi Dynasty until 1590 when the capital was shifted to Hyderabad. The fort finally fell into ruins in 1687 after an 8-month-long siege led to its fall at the hands of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb which also ended the Qtub Shahi rule. From there on the fort was left unattended.
There was an Earth Cache located here and of course I had to collect the answers for that one to be able to log the virtual secret box. I walked endless stairs all the way up to the upper fort in blasting sun.
Golconda Fort actually consists of 4 distinct forts with a 10 km long outer wall with 87 semicircular bastions – some still mounted with cannons – 8 gateways and 4 drawbridges with a number of royal apartments and halls, temples, mosques, magazines, stables etc. inside. I could see the outer walls from the top clearly surrounding the hill. And I think, the bus came through one of the gates when it reached the town of Golconda.
The lowest of the enclosures is the outermost where the entrance is located by the Fateh Darwaza – Victory Gate – so called after Aurangzeb’s triumphant army marched in through this gate – which is studded with giant iron spikes – to prevent elephants from battering the doors down – near the south-eastern corner. An acoustic effect can be experienced here – characteristic of the engineering marvels at Golconda. A hand clap at a certain point below the dome at the entrance reverberates and can be heard clearly at the Bala Hisar Pavilion – the highest point almost a kilometer away. This worked as a warning note to the Royals in case of an attack. When I walked in, one of the guides offering their services did this – he wanted to get attention so I or some of the other few people that walked in at this moment would book him for a fort visit. He called it Ancient Telephone. It was quite impressive, but did not do the trick for him … we all decided to explore without a guide …
I came by Ramdas’ Prison originally built as a store room – but according to a legend, Ramdas was a revenue collector in Abdul Hasan Shah’s court and was imprisoned here. During his imprisonment, he carved Hindu deities on the wall of his cell. There are many carvings of Hindu Lord Hanuman here, which are now smeared with holy vermillion. A holy lamp or two are also kept lit in front of the carvings.
The fort also contains the tombs of the Qutub Shahi kings. These tombs have Islamic architecture and are located about 1 km north of the main outer wall of Golconda. They are encircled by beautiful gardens and numerous exquisitely carved stones. I saw them from above in the distance, but did not go there to visit … too much history for today … too hot as well …
Coming up past some minor buildings I reached the Sri Jagadamba Mahakali Temple on the top of the fort. Apparently in early days – way before the fort was built – only shepherds visited the top of the hill and that is one of the origins of the name of the fort – Gwala Konda or the hill of the shepherds. It is believed that the shepherds may have found the temple which is considered being around 900 years in worship. Now, here is a fort ruled by Islamic rulers for centuries and right there next to the mosque and the Emperor’s Palace is the Hindu Sri Jagadamba Mahakali Temple … What else do we need to believe that the rulers of Golconda respected all faiths and when it comes to Kali everybody bows down their head and wants to be in her good books?
Walking up the long stairs I had noticed already the offerings at the stairs marking the beginning of the precinct of the temple. It was some 300+ stairs to get to the top and on almost each of them there were Vermillion and yellow marks.
Fierce gatekeepers with whips welcomed the devotees to the temple as if to warn that only the worthy ones are allowed to enter the precinct of the divine ….
There are actually 2 parts to the temple – behind the main entrance sits a more modern temple and up a set of narrow stairs between some boulders painted with Mahakali and Durga on her lion, a small cave is located where the original idols were.
The temple is dedicated to Mahakali – the consort of Mahakala, the God of Consciousness, the basis of reality and existence. Mahakali is an epithet of God Shiva. Kali and all her forms are the different manifestations of Mahakali who is most often depicted as blue. Her most common 4-armed iconographic image shows each hand carrying variously a sword, a trident, a severed head and a bowl or skull catching the blood of the severed head. Her eyes are described as red with intoxication and in absolute rage, her hair disheveled, small fangs sometimes protrude out of her mouth and her tongue is lolling. She has a garland consisting of the heads of demons she has slaughtered and wears a skirt made of demon arms.
The temple is actually very small – on a hillock within the fort but the size of the temple has never deterred the devotees to throng in thousands every year specially during festivities … today the temple was closed … maybe it was too early? … I would not know …
Close to the temple on the top of the fort was also the Durbar Hall or the Bala Hisar – Bala meaning small and hisar meaning highest point – some call it the Acropolis of Golconda Fort – has been renovated and whitewashed with lime mortar by the Archaeological Survey of India recently in an effort to preserve it. The Bala Hissar marks the inner area of the fort. Bala Hissar Gate was the main entrance to the fort located on the eastern side, shows Indo-Islamic design in stucco and is the gate to the second line of fortification walls. It has a pointed arch bordered by rows of scroll work. Much thought went into building this gate. A few meters in front of the gate there is a large wall. This prevented elephants and soldiers during enemy attacks from having a proper ramp to run and break the gate.
The structure was built by bricks and limestone with many big halls which were used as assembly halls. The roof has an elevated structure which was the seat of the Sultan also called Tanashah ki gaddi. It is believed that Sultan Mohammed Qutub Shah and Sultan Abdullah used to sit on this high point and listen to music wafting from a distance. The acoustics of the fort were of a very advanced nature.
From the top floor of the building superb views over the fort and the city were possible. From above the sheer dimensions of the structure became visible. And much was – in ruins – but preserved and restored. There were several mosques and palaces on the premises.
I descended the stairs eventually completing an anticlockwise circle and passed more ruins of old palace buildings, mosques and gardens. Since I had spent almost 1.5 hrs in the fort, more and more visitors had arrived – I did not see any other foreigners, though. But there were many requests for selfies again. It made whole families happy to have a photo take with the tall and sweaty white person.
Having collected all and hopefully correct answers to the Earth Cache questions, I slowly made my way back to the entrance. But first I had to ascend some of the stairs again on the other side … one of the answers had to be collected on another of the gates up a different set of stairs …
There was also the Taramati Mosque which is well preserved and beautiful. Golconda’s upper fort – Bala Hisar – was built on the eastern slope of the hill. Enclosure walls separate the lower from the upper parts of the citadel. Public buildings such as an armory and the Royal Mosque Taramati Masjid occupy the lower portions of the citadel. They are overlooked from the top of the hill by private palace buildings.
Coming out of the fort I went straight to the bus stand and thought of getting a sugarcane juice from the stall there. But when I approached, a bus was just pulling out and rather than waiting another half an hour or so for the next one, I hopped on. The last available seat was on the back row … right on the axle again … Oh well … it was not even possible to stay seated when the bus jumped over a road bump … not even, when he went very slowly … But I had a seat and for Rs 30 it was a bit more than 30 min again back to Masab Tank – now I knew the bus stop where I had to change.
The bus was so packed in the end that I almost did not get out at my stop – even though my seat was close to the back door. I had to do some serious squeezing through and some guy banged on the roof so the bus would stop again for me to get off when it was already rolling on. Lucky I was that the next bus coming was already the #19M going my way and for another Rs 10 I went all the way to the turn-off for the road to my hotel.
In the supermarket I got another bottle of my favourit Orange Juice as well … I am a habitual creature sometimes … Then at the hotel reception I inquired about my early check out tomorrow and also ordered a taxi to the airport. It would cost me twice as much as an Ola or Uber, but it was a hotel car and they would be more reliable. The receptionist said, it is enough to leave at 03:45 for my flight at 06:40.
I was back in my room around 11:30 and had decided to take a break before going out for lunch and then do nothing else the rest of the afternoon … other than catching up on the journal and posting photos … I needed down time from all the sightseeing … I would have to do plenty more of that and guiding it as well in a few days during the next tour … So I just hung around for an hour watching TV and then around 12:45 went out again. There were not that many restaurants around the area, but I had set my eye on Barbeque Nation. I remember, once I ate at the chain in Mumbai and it was very good. I found it quickly and then they wanted to seat me next to the kitchen door, which I did not like and said so. The person showing me the table could not decide by himself to give me another table and while he went to check with his boss, I had a look at the buffet … and … no … I am out of here. It looked good and all, but the atmosphere was just too much company canteen style and buffets I will have enough during the next tour …
I contemplated about McDonalds on the other side of the road in City Mall … but … no … no McDo … they do not have any beef burgers anyway … So I got on an autorickshaw and for Rs 100 went to Chutney’s instead. It was conveniently located opposite the beer shop I knew already down the road …
They did not serve beer at Chutney’s, though. But I had a South Indian Thali with plenty refills and a Lemon Soda. The food was good. I did not like all the curries on my plate, but most of them and they came by with refills and I had seconds on a couple of them. Everything was very spicy. Plain curd came with it, though, and also plain rice as much as I wanted and roti and papadam as well. It was not expensive and all in all the bill was Rs 436. Good lunch.
A stop at the beer shop for a couple more cold beers and off I went on an autorickshaw again. For Rs 50 he dropped me off at the junction of the road to the hotel. The walk back was quick and by 14:45 I was back in my room hanging out doing nothing. I took an afternoon nap, watched TV, did not write too much journal, posted photos, packed my suitcase, drank beer …
My flight in the morning was with Air India. The good thing was that the luggage allowance was 25 kg and I could just pack everything in my suitcase instead of putting heavy things in the carry-on. My new outfit would fit in the suitcase, too. But Air India closes the bag drop 90 min before departure … so I did not have too much leeway there.
27.02.2020
I woke up way to early because there was a lot of noise on the hotel corridor and in the next room, then even somebody knocked on the wrong door – my door … Well, my alarm was set for 02:50 anyway. I got ready and went to reception to check out by 03:15. My transfer was already waiting as well – the hotel car is probably always on stand-by. There was no traffic whatsoever and we reached the airport just before 04:00.
The line at check-in was long, but moved fast. The airport was busy this time of the day and they had just opened another security check when it was my turn. So that went fast as well … almost … the security guy saw something in my bag and removed every single bit from all the pockets and almost wanted to take my work nametag away. – Sir, this is my nametag only! You see, just like yours! – Yes yes, magnetic item! – Yes, same metallic as parts of my camera, the selfie stick, the laptop … – Yes yes, but no good! – Oh come on! It is just like your nametag, sir! It does not even have a needle! Just a magnet! I need it! It has travelled for year through India and nobody ever cared, even when I was actually wearing it! – OK OK! Go! …
Of course I was too early at the airport again … I got myself a large coffee and sat by the gate using the time to keep writing my journal.
The flight was on time. Actually they started boarding very early – now I knew why they closed bag drop so earl y … – and then we just sat in the plane and waited for take-off. Once we did take of, Air India even served breakfast on this flight. The Indian was too spicy for me and not so much after my taste that early in the morning, though. But the rest was good anyway. Again I was impressed with the wooden cutlery … Air India imposed a ban on single use plastic products, stopped using most single-use plastic and replaced packaging with eco-friendly paper and wooden cutlery, as the government ramped up its Clean India Mission last year. It was not all plastic free yet, but it was a start.
On arrival in Delhi luggage took a long time coming. Air India operated from Terminal 3 which is essentially the International Terminal. So it is much bigger than Domestic T-1 where IndiGo operates from. Therefore, luggage takes some time longer here.
But T-3 is better connected with the Metro and I took the Airport Express Line one station to Dwarka-21. In Vivanta by Taj they recognized me of course and even though it was only 10:30 when I arrived I only had to wait for a few minutes for my room. The guests for the next tour would only arrive in the wee hours of the next morning, but the rooms were already booked of course from today, otherwise they would not be available at 04:00 tomorrow morning.
But I did not stay long – I took the Metro back to Connaught Place, went straight to one particular shop in Janpath Market and bought a couple more Kurta-style blouses for Rs 300 each.
Then off to Odeon Social for my traditional Two-Lost-Souls-Swimming-in-a-Fishbowl & Who’s-is-my Papaya-Salad with Tenderloin … I am a creature of habit … I said it before … and when I like certain places I tend to return … My friend Komal had intodruced me to Odeon Social last year and I had been back a few times since.
On the way back to the Metro Station I walked around the circle and encounted the Animal Shelter guy who was feeding the street dogs … Believe it! I first noticed all the dogs running in one direction and then indeed there was that guy feeding them. I would not have thought they did that here.
Later at the Metro Station I got another bottle of medicinal Vodka for the tour and then took the metro to Aerocity. Since I had to go to Hotel Lemontree Premiere to pick up the bag I had put in storage there before flying to Goa, I wanted to have another cocktail at Plum by Bent Chair Aerocity again. I had been there for the first time in November 2019 – one of those instagram finds …
Plum by Bent Chair – India’s first true retail restaurant – is not only allowing people to buy whatever they see and like, but also brings a one-of-a-kind concept to the city as it offers an extensive pan-Asian menu with signature dishes and exotic cocktails while allowing the guests to purchase everything they see at the venue. From decor to furniture to crockery – everything is up for grabs. The quirky designs and eccentric decor have made it India’s most Instagrammable place. That is how I noticed it anyway.
Last time I was here I had an Elderberry & Blueberry Spritzer along with some Salmon Sushi for starters. It was not the very best Sushi I ever had, but for sure the one I ever had in India and the one in the most spectacular restaurant. And it was very good indeed.
The Salmon Cechive I had back then was absolutely spectacular! I do love Ceviche – especially the Peruvian Ceviche – and this one here was very close to it and the best Ceviche I had in years! Believe it! And for sure it was the most pretty one! They do know how to present their food here!
This time around I had the notion to try something different … I usually tend to stick to the same once I found something that suits me … like at Odeon Social. But here I wanted to try something else … I chose a Rosemary & Grapefruit Spritzer and a Tuna & Roasted Quinoa Ceviche … It sounded great … It all looked fantastic as well … but I should have stuck to what I knew … The Spritzer was good, but I just do not like Tomato Sauce on my raw fish in a Ceviche … Next time it will be better again …
At Lemontree Premier next door I picked up my bag with all the excess I had stored before going off to Goa. Then I took the Metro back to Dwarka-21 and hung out in the hotel. Tonight I had to go to the Airport to pick up the group and it was back to work again …
I even decided to go to the Airport earlier than necessary, because a friend of mine was arriving for a Rajasthan Tour – with the tour compnany I travelled to West Africa with – on a flight an hour before my guests would arrive. Since I had to be at the airport by flight arrival time anyway, it did not really matter, because getting out of immigration, luggage and customs took time anyway … they came out half an hour before my guests had landed … It was a very short meeting … they were also picked up by somebody and since they were the only ones of the small group on this flight, we had just time for a very brief chat and a photo … But it was fun to catch up after several years …
Once my friends had left, I just hung out in arrivals waiting for my guests … It was the start of the last Brahmaputra Tour for this season …
