Sunday, December 28, 2008

‘Hyderabad still brings a rush of emotions’- Hindustan Times


Shyam Benegal
"Like everyone else, I have many identities. But there is one that I love to flaunt. Of being a Chitrapur Saraswat. I cannot advance a single convincing reason why, except that it gives me the somewhat harmless and naïve pleasure of seeming exclusive. The census of the community taken in 2001 says that we are all of 22,000 in the whole wide world, i.e. much less than the Parsis. We are, I have been assured, not quite as endangered as the Veddas, Jarawas or the Todas. Nevertheless, a micro minority in a country of considerably more than a billion. The very idea of being part of such a tiny and exclusive community gives me a great high. They have their own home language; one of the many dialects of Konkani. To make the Konkani we speak specially exclusive, we dispense with the term Konkani and call it ‘our language’ or ‘our tongue’. Nothing could be more exclusive than that." continue reading

More about Shyam Benegal @ Telugu Street

Monday, December 1, 2008

Hyderabadi Website of the Month: fullhyderabad.com


fullhyd.com: Hyderabad and Secunderabad local guide and community

The Complete Hyderabad Guide
New to town? Visiting? fullhyd.com presents the most mammoth ever guide for Hyderabad. And the easiest. Let us help you plan your trip, your stay, your life.
URL: http://www.fullhyderabad.com/

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What others say: http://urdupages.com/showthread.php?t=30092


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Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Roads in Banjara Hills are oddly numbered, not named


Banjara Hills
Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India

10 Nov 2008, Sonia Krishna Kurup , TNN, Times of India
HYDERABAD: What is there in a name ? If Shakespeare could ask this brilliant question so must have those who named the roads of Banjara Hills and Jubilee Hills. For if they did not find anything in the names they had definitely found something in the numbers.

... As Road No 1 heads left and Road No 2 right, one is left wondering why are these roads named like numbered-convicts or could there be more?

... Reacting to the claims of the history lecturer that Banjara Hills had no event or personality to remember, V K Bawa, city historian and the first vicechairman of Huda says, "Nonsense . Banjara Hills was founded by Mehdi Nawaz Jung," thus proving that there was indeed a personality the roads could have been named after.

...However, city historian and former chief secretary of state, Narendra Luther says that roads in Banjara Hills could have been numbered sometime in 1933 during the Nizam's time. He too thinks that there could be no possible record to decode this number puzzle.

In the booklet on 'House Numbering ,' the list of main roads shows the roads in Banjara Hills as Avenue No 1, Avenue No 2 and so on till Avenue No 8. How these names came about would be yet another mystery. much more

See also: A History behind Street Names of Hyderabad & Secunderabad

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Charminar beautification project 'shelved'

CHANGING FACE: Pre-cast cement ducts kept ready for the underground cabling works at Laad Bazar near Charminar.

10 Nov 2008, 0315 hrs IST, Mahesh Koride, TNN, The Times of India
HYDERABAD: Eight years after lofty plans were drawn up to beautify the area around the historical structure which, in a way, defines Hyderabad , the Charminar Pedestrianisation Project (CPP) has come to a grinding halt. What's more there is no sign that the plan will move forward in the near future. "There are far too many agencies involved. It is not easy to coordinate with so many for a project which is low in priority . The project is as good as shelved," says a senior official involved in the implementation of CPP.

Monday, November 10, 2008

Hyderabadi Website of the Month: BESTHYDERABAD.COM


We are giving you all about hyderabad (the state capital of Andhra Pradesh) information, it gives you history and culture with monuments in hyderabad, it gives you hyderabad business, automobile, realestate, information technology (IT), shopping, Hyderabad lifestyle, banking and others.


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Thursday, October 30, 2008

Pingali Venkayya, Designer of the India's National Flag

NB. Info courtesy: Jay Bee + History Of The Indian Flag & Detailed descriptions of each flag areVijay For Victory


Pingali Venkayya (Telugu:పింగళి వెంకయ్య) (August 2, 1876 - July 4, 1963) was the designer of the Indian national flag. He was born in Bhatlapenumarru, near Masulipatnam or the present day Machilipatnam of Andhra Pradesh. After high school at Masulipatnam, he went to Colombo to complete his Senior Cambridge. On returning to India, he worked as a railway guard, then as a government employee at Bellary, and later moved to Lahore to join the Anglo-Vedic college to study Urdu and Japanese. More @ Telugupedia

See also:

  • NEED TO COMMEMORATE MEMORY OF SHRI PINGALI VENKAYYA, DESIGNER OF INDIAN NATIONAL FLAG @ Rajya Sabha Debates, 2002
  • Saturday, October 25, 2008

    Celebrating Diwali the Telugu way Round-the-world


    Telugu Cultural Association of Greater Toronto's Greetings For the Deepavali


  • Diwali the Telugu way @ Malaysia By DERRICK VINESH
    FOR the Telugu Hindu community, Deepavali or the Festival of Light is the most important celebration after Ugadi, which is the Telegu New Year, and Makar Sakranthri, also known as Ponggal in Tamil Nadu. More...
  • Diwali in Trafalgar Square In London Diwali is enthusiastically celebrated by people of all nationalities and religions. A floating lantern for Diwali in Trafalgar Square, London. © Dan Karran, www.dankarran.com
  • When is diwali this year? - October 28: Trinidad News and Tobago News
    Diwali is observed by 3 religions, Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism. It has a strong significance for Indians, both religiously (Rama returned to Ayodhya, Shakti joined Shiva, etc.) and culturally (as the Indian New Year).
    The Divali Nagar (Village of Lights) is the flagship project of the National Council of Indian Culture (NCIC). It is a nine day festival that is held annually during the nine days preceding Divali. More..
  • Vaaranam Aayiram, Not To Be Released This Diwali
  • Diwali Dhamaka on TV!
  • Diwali Celebrations Gerrard India Bazaar, Toronto
  • Albion Islington Square - Diwali Extravaganza -TABIA - Toronto Association of Business Improvement Areas -From Sunday, 19 October 2008 - 8:00amTo Friday, 31 October 2008 - 8:00pm
  • Difference between Diwali in North India and Deepavali in South India
  • Deepavali, or Divali, (Markiscarali) @ Wiki
  • Diwali, also called Deepavali @ Telugupedia
  • Sunday, October 12, 2008

    Hyderabadi Website of the Month: Charminar Connection






    HYDERABADIAN CYBERSPACE MEY, BAIT KE KUCH BATAN KARINGE
    "Rushke firdous chaman hai apna Hyderabad watan hai apna"

    "It is a mistake to think that the past is dead. Nothing that has ever happened is quite without influence at this moment. The present is merely the past rolled up and concentrated in this second of time. You, too, are your past; often your face is your autobiography; you are what you are because of what you have been; because of your heredity stretching back into forgotten generations; because of every element of environment that has affected you, every man or woman that has met you, every book that you have read, every experience that you have had; all these are accumulated in your memory, your body, your character, your soul. So with a city, a country, and a race; it is its past, and cannot be understood without it." WILL DURANT

    CharminarConnection Is a place where Hyderabadies from all over the world gather and discuss the events of the past and present. Original Web site (now inactive)


    This is a Yahoo Group:
    Members: 1430
    Category: Issues and Causes
    Founded: May 10, 2002
    Language: English

    Subscribe to CharminarConnection

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    Wednesday, October 1, 2008

    Hyderabad goes global with Haleem-e-Khas


    FE THE FINANCIAL EXPRESS SUNDAY STORY

    BV Mahalakshmi: Sep 28, 2008

    Be it an off-season or mid-season, the traditional haleem from Hyderabad is going places. Gati, the express distribution and supply-chain management company, will soon be shipping about 600 kg of haleem worth Rs 6 lakhs to middle-east for a confirmed order. continue reading

    Friday, September 19, 2008

    In The Bazaars of Hyderabad, Revisited

    Madhumita Gopalan's visualizations of the Lad Bazar and Charminar area during Ramadan (click here for other pictures):

    "...I'll leave you with this poem by Sarojini Naidu called "In The Bazaars of Hyderabad", that beautifully describes the Charminar experience :)
    What do you sell, O ye merchants ?
    Richly your wares are displayed.
    Turbans of crimson and silver,
    Tunics of purple brocade,
    Mirror with panels of amber,
    Daggers with handles of jade.
    What do you weigh, O ye vendors?
    Saffron and lentil and rice.
    What do you grind, O ye maidens?
    Sandalwood, henna, and spice.
    What do you call , O ye pedlars?
    Chessman and ivory dice.
    What do you make, O ye goldsmiths?
    Wristlets and ankles and ring,
    Bells for the feet of blue pigeons
    Frail as a dragonfly's wing,
    Girdles of gold for dancers,
    Scabbards of gold for the king.
    What do you cry, O ye fruitmen?
    Citron, pomegranate, and plum.
    What do you play, O ye magicians?
    Spells for aeons to come.
    What do you weave, O ye flowergirls
    With tassels of azure and red?
    Crowns for the brow of a bridegroom,
    Chaplets to garland his bed,
    Sheets of white blossoms new-garnered
    To perfume the sleep of the dead."
    --Sarojini Naidu

    Another Blogger, Gautam Valluri's comment on the above poem:
    "In The Bazaars of Hyderabad is a classic poem by Sarojini Naidu which I first read in school. Coincidentally, Sarojini Naidu was also a student of my school- St.George’s Grammar School, Hyderabad."

    Tuesday, September 16, 2008

    Pictures from Mirrors in Hyderabad -- Mirrors Salon and SPA

    Pictures from Mirrors in Hyderabad by Posted by Sukku: "I hope you enjoy these photo's taken at Mirrors as I certainly did. I liked the small pool or pond if you like to call it with a water lily. Do let me know what you think." ***

  • See also directory of Beauty Salons @ Hyderabad and Secunderabad Blog [PS: All the information has been sourced from the Internet unless specified otherwise.]

  • ***More by Sukku on Hyderabadi culture:

    Saturday, September 6, 2008

    Mera Bharat Mahan - Food Map & Tour Map of India

    Taste, flavor, Site, Sight & Essence of India:








    Map info courtesy: Yasir Sait and rakshith

    Friday, July 11, 2008

    Best Hyderabadi Blog 2008 -- Your Vote Please

    Welcome to the world of the Hyderabadi diaspora. Wherever you are, we keep you posted on and connected to Hyderabad. Tell us what you think about us and some of the other blogs on Hyderabad. Your vote means everything to us and all the others. We'll know where we stand and more importantly, what you want.

    Monday, June 16, 2008

    The World in Pictures -- Colors of Hyderabad


    Experience the world without having to leave your desk. View daily gallery of striking images from our the globe.
    INDIA - A child plays among sarees out for drying at a cotton saree factory in the outskirts of the southern Indian city of Hyderabad. Back to: The World in Pictures - Photo gallery of images from around the world - MSN UK News - news & weather

    Wednesday, June 11, 2008

    H for Hyderabad: Alphabetical Index of Hyderabad in Pictures

    Art-wise:

    C for CHAR - MINAR

    H for Hyderabad @

    A for Arts College;
    B for Birla Mandir;
    G for Golconda;

    Q for Qutub Shahi Tombs;
    F for Falaknuma;
    M for Mecca Masjid,
    and more @ 7wondersofhyderabad.com

    NB. For more alphabetical visuals and details, enter your info in the comment section and submit your email, too. The Blogmaster will respond in one business day. 
    On the same shelf:

    A for Aghapura
    B for Baba Nagar
    C for Champapet or Chaderghat
    D for Dhulpet or Dabeerpura

    how many hydi localities names can you figure out with alphabets A to Z by Gorekhan Hyderabad Kiii Jaaaannn

    A for Aghapura
    B for Baba Nagar
    C for Champapet or Chaderghat
    D for Dhulpet or Dabeerpura

    Wednesday, May 21, 2008

    House buyers flock to Hyderabad

    Thats what this image tells you. Hau kya, sachi bhi, nakko poocho:


    Info courtesy: Posted by Srini's Weblog HyDeRaBaDi bLoGs.

    see also: Hyderabad: A Haven for Real Estate Investors + Much more

    Saturday, March 15, 2008

    Theme Song composed by A R Rahman @ Hyderabad International Airport


    Aasmaaan!!!!!!
    That's the latest ARR song that's been released - It's not from any movie/pop album... I'm in loue with this one track already - starting off with slow whispers, and then moving on to "aasmaan" at a high pitch, with wonderful string arrangements which is typical of ARR - he has created magic again!!! says A.M. Aravind @ Rahmaniac's Reflections

    This theme song composed by maestro A R Rahman playing in the background, welcome the guests. Congress president Sonia Gandhi inaugurated India’s most modern Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at Hyderabad. Much more specialities of this Airport, AR Rahman Biography

    Lyrics: Prasoon Joshi, Singer: Naresh Iyer, Composition: A.R.Rahman
    Watch Video, Audio
    GMR Airport song lyrics
    Aasmaan….ho zaraa raaste palat ke hum taiyaar hain
    Baadalon karo zaraa dhoop ko azaad hum taiyaar hain
    Dekho udd chalaKhwabon ka shahar
    Lo hum aa gayeNeeli si dagar
    Hawaaein chod doHum taiyaar hain
    Dishaaein mod do mod do mod do... [Lyrics courtesy: N S murthy]

    The plan to build the Airport, Posted by Pradeep Sadanapalli Youtube / News updates on the Airport

    Sunday, March 2, 2008

    Fun Aur Masti is another sequel of Hyderabadi Angrez

    Fun Aur Masti Trailor

    See more trailors: FM 1 and FM 2


    NB. Download the complete movie, FM = Fun aur Masti (2008)- Original-VCD Rip

    Note @ U R In stuffdrive:
    Language: Hyderabadi
    Rating: 3.25/5
    Cast: RK, Payal Sarkar, Monica Nouva, Satya and Others
    Costumes: Ashok
    Story-Dialogue: RK
    Co-Director: Nanda Gopal
    Editing: Nandamuri Hari
    Producer: RK, Sorai Swamy
    Director: Sekhar Surya
    Released On: 16th Nov 2007

    It's again a treat from Hyderabad Nawabs' team. The fun dose is good but not on par with their earlier films.

    Story:
    Johnny is the street smart guy who sells fake-medicines and quacks on streets. His friend Hussain is a painter who is a bit innocent and carries away by a good looking girl. David is a police officer who is hen-pecked at home. Johnny loves David?s sister. On the other hand Lallu Bhai is a street dada who assumes him to be a bhai on par with mafia dons. With this set of characters a story is narrated. It?s all screenplay based fun and masti on screen and there is no big story to write here.

    Wednesday, February 27, 2008

    Hyderabad: Break traffic rule, be constable for a day

    Hyderabad: Shwetal Rai / CNN-IBN Published on Sat, Feb 23, 2008, in nation section

    You won't be fined for breaking a traffic rule during non-peak hours in Hyderabad. You'll instead be given a role to play: of a traffic cop. That’s city traffic police's way to make people follow the rules.



    Read the details, CLICK here.

    Tuesday, February 26, 2008

    What Mysore can learn from Hyderabad...

    [Original title: What namma Mysore can learn from Hyderabad; namma=our]

    Dr. K. JAVEED NAYEEM, A Mysorean writes: Although I know that Mysore does have its own charm, I have still often wondered why people compliment us so much over our luck in being in such a nice City. But it is only when we compare Mysore with other ... Continue reading [info courtesy: churumuri swalpa sihi, swalpa spicy / Star of Mysore]




    Readers' comments are interesting:

    9 Responses to “What namma Mysore can learn from Hyderabad”

    chetan krishnaswamy Says: 4 November 2007 at 10:29 pm
    Let me focus on the most pertinent point in your story…our Biryani is better

    Anonymous Guy Says: 5 November 2007 at 8:14 am
    Agree with Dr. Nayeem 100%

    Kadana Kuthuhala Says: 5 November 2007 at 8:19 am
    I think the writer should’nt worry about mysore so much as it’s the people of mysore that actually hinders progress. So if the ‘deve gowdas’ of mysore contribute in their own way, the progress will be definitely slow which obviously means slow growth.
    BTW, what does ‘Namma’ mean???

    thisisananth Says: 5 November 2007 at 11:16 am
    I stay in Hyderabad and experience the traffic problems that you have said. It s really lack of planning on part of GHMC. Even though there are flyovers at every junction, they ease the traffic only at the junction. The traffic at peak time is very slow moving that 13 km distance is taking 45-50 mins. An efficient public transport system can alone solve this. But the buses are few and infrequent. Even the hyped MMTS( multi modal transport system) didnt yield the expected results, the reason being that it just goes around the city and doesn’t touch the main junctions at all. An efficient underground or any other fast railway system can only solve the problem. Hope successive govts who are dodging this issue will realise its importance and take up project without any further delay and be committed towards its completion and make Hyderabad a really enjoyable place.

    Dinesh Says: 5 November 2007 at 8:31 pm
    [flyovers] are the only solution to any city’s growing traffic needs? On the contrary, I believe transportation engineers have a saying, “You cannot build your way out of congestion”. And thisasananth’s comment seems bears this out, as indeed our experience in Bangalore. And as he says, an efficient public transport system alone can solve this. That and severe restrictions on usage of private vehicles.

    ERR Says: 5 November 2007 at 9:43 pm
    Let us hope and Pray Mysore will not have a single flyover, if thta’s possible…

    Doddi Buddi Says: 7 November 2007 at 4:16 am
    Thank you Dr. Nayeem for the update on Hyderabad. I last visited the city in 1988 and I was not impressed at all. But the newspapers made me believe that Hyderabad was doing very well when compared to Bangalore. I am sad it is not true–more hype than reality it now seems to appear.
    Bangalore would have done well if only the likes of Dirty Devegowda had not stuck his nose into every development project that could have lifted the city out of its problems. Systematically DDG has rogered the city projects like the transit rail, Kheni’s road to Mysore, the new airport (delayed by many years), roads and other projects. I was in Hassan recently and even the approach road to the city’s industrial park has become a two-lane road from a four-lane road. The reason–the contractors hired by HD Revanna gave us a disposable road–an innovative concept in road making!
    Coming to Mysore, I love the ring roads around Mysore. Looks like that is the only thing our town planning authorities have got it right.

    Harshith_mysore Says: 21 December 2007 at 4:38 pm
    @ ERRI do hope we dont get any flyovers in Mysore.
    I always wish Mysore retains its old charm which i used to see in my childhood days.

    shanker Says: 3 January 2008 at 8:09 pm
    what development have seen in chandra babu naidu and not in ysr, may be you have read development of chandra babu in newspaper and media, if so he developed hyderabad why is lost in election and even he didn’t get single MLA and MP seats . may be i even accpect that he bought IT to hyderabad. with no proper infrastructre




    See also: Nizam of Hyderabad and Tiger of Mysore by Neria Harish Hebbar, MD

    Saturday, February 16, 2008

    Hyderabadi bakra is a sequel of Angrezy

    Oops: Angrez (not Angrezy)!!!
    Short introduction, 3 min:Click to activate
    'Hyderabadi Bakra' in Mumbai (www.lehren.tv) Bollywood


    Longer version: 38 min Click to activate



    NB. To download the complete movie, Click here @ Groovy Corner: Hyderabadi Bakra - Hungama In Dubai (2008) - Original DVDRip

    Tuesday, January 22, 2008

    Digital entertainment city in Hyderabad

    First Digital Entertainment City, Techtree News Staff

    AP govt to set up entertainment city

    BS Reporter / Hyderabad January 20, 2008
    The Andhra Pradesh government, in collaboration with FXLabs, DQ Entertainment, Suresh Productions and Sun Network’s Telugu channel Gemini TV, is planning to establish the country’s first ‘Digital Entertainment City’ in Hyderabad.

    Proposed to be set up on the lines of the Dubai Entertainment City, the project will house animationand game companies, film production houses, music and TV studios, training academies, a regulation support office and an entertainment complex.

    The project will be managed and promoted by the Digital Entertainment City Task Force (DECTF), a consortium comprising industry leaders including Sashi Reddi, founder and chairman of FXLabs, Suresh Babu, CEO of Suresh Productions, P Kiran, director, Gemini TV, Tapaas Chakravarthy, chairman and CEO, DQ Entertainment, JA Chowdhary, chairman, Nvidia and Sudhir R, CEO, Colorchips, along with the state government. continue reading Business Standard.

    Unlike the conventional model of the government developing the entire infrastructure and managing it, the proposed project will be managed and promoted by a Digital Entertainment City Task Force (DECTF). This consortium will have industry leaders including Sashi Reddi (FXLabs), Suresh Babu (Suresh Productions), P Kiran (Gemini TV), Tapaas Chakravarty (DQ Entertainment), J A Chowdary (nVidia), Sudhish R (Colorchips) and state government representatives. [
    Hyderabad to be first Digital Entertainment City, Saturday - Jan 19, 2008, Televisionpoint.com Correspondent ]