Armenian cemetery of Hyderabad, Photos by Dr. Omar Khalidi

 

•  The photos are cited in Chater Genealogy,  Researching Armenians in India from 1600 to present day --  The deserted Armenian cemetery of Hyderabad. Some transcriptions of Armenian graves at Haiderabad between 1645 and 1807 and photographs of the Armenian cemetery at Hydrabad courtesy of Prof. Omar Khalidi and Mr. Leon Avedissian to whom I offer my thanks. By Liz Chater 

On the same shelf:

• “Armenian Diaspora in India: The Case of the Deccan,” by Omar Khalidi Islamic Culture LXXI, no. 2 (April 1997): 77-88.
• “Armenians in Mughal Delhi,” by Omar Khalidi Journal of the Society of Armenian Studies 15 (2006): 147-157.
• Historic Armenian cemetery in Hyderabad buried under waste, By Bhargav Nimmagadda, Azad-Hye

• "Three Centuries Of Armenian Heritage India" To Be Presented In ...

• Mumbai Multiplex | Living arrangements of the dead: The city’s story through a graveyard where Armenians and Baha’is lie next to each other—an excerpt from a new book. By Naresh Fernandes

• A GUIDE TO ARCHITECTURE in HYDERABAD ... - MIT Libraries

  See more results in Google

Mosque of the Moors and Granada Glory in Hyderabad's Jama Masjid Iqbal-ul-Dowla at Begumpet

Memoirs of Syed Ali Arif: Jama Masjid Iqbal-ud-Dowla

Although am not biased at judging against a Masjid to another but this particular one has to be mentioned. The Spanish Mosque (Jama Masjid Iqbal-ud-Dowla) on the Paradise-Old Begumpet Airport Road, and very close to my house in Hyderabad, is a striking mosque with unique plan elevation; it was built by Sir Vikhar-ul-Umra Iqbal-ud-Dowla, the Paigah noble, in 1906.

It is believed to be the only one of its kind in India, with pointed arches, a pointed main roof composed of two truncated octagonal pyramids placed one above the other intervened by octagonal domes. The minarets aesthetically placed at corners of the parapet are in the same style, very unusual from those seen in other mosques in the city and elsewhere. And it is difficult to miss them as you climb on (from Paradise side) to the flyover opposite the Airport.

A lot of debate has been done for its semblance to the architectural look and feel of a church!

Note: See more images of the Masjid @ Google Images

On the same shelf:

• The Hindu : Mosque of the Moors by K. VENKATESHWARLU
• The Hindu: Granada Glory, Hugh and Colleen Gantzer
• Masjid Iqbal-ud-dowla, Hyderabad-Deccan, AP ... - Google Map

A Guide to the Heritage of Hyderabad - Yet another book

Extract from the Publisher's site:

A Guide to the Heritage of Hyderabad, by Madhu Vottery (published 2010)

A Guide to the Heritage of Hyderabad: The Natural and the Built is a comprehensive account of the relationship between the history of Hyderabad and its heritage, explaining the significance, value and architecture behind the heritage structures of the city. Including maps and sketches, this book captures Hyderabad in all its splendour and beauty.
Immensely helpful for students, academics and tourists, A Guide to the Heritage of Hyderabad is a wonderful introduction to the grandeur of a historic city.
Publisher: Rupa Publications, Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.

About the author:
Madhu Vottery was born in Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh. She studied architecture at the Government College of Architecture, Lucknow, and architectural conservation at SPA, Delhi. She briefly worked with the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage in Bangalore. A practicing architect, she is also involved in documenting the historic structures of Hyderabad.

On the same shelf:

On the heritage trail, The New Indian Express -- Arts College of Osmania University, Hyderabad

The Heritage of the Qutb Shahis of Golconda and Hyderabad by M.A. Nayeem

Aziz Bagh: The Heritage of Culture, Zaheer Ahmed

The Deodis of Hyderabad a Lost Heritage, Rani Sarma

Scent in the Islamic Garden: A Study of Deccani Urdu Literary Sources by Ali Akbar Husain

City Museum depicting Hyderabad`s history inaugurated

The City Museum, an extension of the Nizam's Museum at Purani Haveli, was thrown open to the public on Monday offering a riveting slice of history to its visitors... More at the official Website http://www.hehnmh.com/city-museum - Hear Muffakham Jah, at this inauguration.

On the same shelf:

Unveiling the past, YMalaiya @ Yahoo Groups

Neolithic to nizam, Hyderabad, it turns out, has a 4,000-year history. A new museum aims to acquaint people with the rich heritage of the city
Itishree Samal / Hyderabad Mar 25, 2012

Hau (yes), nakko (no) and kaiku (why), are words still widely used by Hyderabadis. The words may sound like Bambaiyya Hindi but they are in fact Deccani Urdu. Not many locals will know the story of their own tongue. Deccani Urdu is a mix of Persian, Turkish Arabic, Khari Boli, Sanskrit and Punjabi, later influenced by Marathi. You would know this if you visited Hyderabad’s new City Museum.

It is an initiative of the Nizam’s Jubilee Pavilion Trust, a non-profit formed in 1957. “The Trust came up with the idea of a City Museum for tourists to acquaint themselves with the history and cultural heritage of the city,” says chairman (Prince) Muffakham Jah.

Documented history says a city first arose here when Golconda fort was built by the Kakatiya kings (11th-14th centuries CE). Modern Hyderabad began as a garden suburb outside Golconda, built by a Qutb Shahi sultan in 1591. A century later the Mughals took over, and after them the Asaf Jahs ruled Hyderabad until Independence. Under the Asaf Jahs the city grew rich trading diamonds, pearls and handicrafts.

But Hyderabad is much older than this history suggests. In 2004, ancient objects were dug up in the IT suburb of Gachibowli. “Few Hyderabadis may know that 4,000 years ago the entire area of the city was inhabited,” says Jah. Jah is the grandson of the last Nizam. “The Museum is all about the city, its people, their creations, achievements and lifestyle.”

An arresting slice of history, Times of India

A Hyderabad you didn't know about, Times of India‎

"Unveiling the past". Times of India.

Hyderabad gets city museum: Hyderabad of yore - when musk (mishq) was sold for Rs 44 a litre (ser)Syed Akbar Journalist

VIDEO (2:42) Hyderabad City Museum Inaugurated By Prince Muffakham Jah (TV5) LIS Trends

HEH the Nizam’s Jubilee Pavilion Trust Inaugurates the City Museum, Concept Public Relations India Limited

Hyderabad - where diamonds were embedded in people's hearts, Charminar Connection

Journey into Hyderabad’s hoary past, P S Jayaram Khaleej Times

 The "Tarboush" Caused Egypt-Turkey Flap huffingtonpost.com --A comment by Mohammed Ayub Ali Khan: "This writer missed the fact that Tarboush is also worn in far away locations like Hyderabad where it is called the 'Roomi Topi." It's popularity is waning in the city but is still holding out. (It is not easily available as it used to be about 15 years ago.)It can also be seen in the hyderabadi diaspora communities----most prominently in New York, Chicago, and Toronto."-- See also similar thought in Turks in India by M. A. Qaiyum.

BASICALLY HYDERABADI @ The ICONART Gallery by Syed Rayees Ahmed

Essence of Hyderabad
November 9th, 2009 Deccan Chronicle

"Basically Hyderabadi at first glance, is a trip down memory lane for most of us who have lived in the city. The scenes and profiles are bound to evoke images of experiences that one has had in Hyderabad."

"Quintessentially Hyderabadi, the paintings depict the leisurely pace of the old city, of women clad in burkhas strolling in an unhurried manner through bazaars, a group of bearded men clustered together and a charcoal sketch of an old fakir with a flowing beard."

"The artist, Syed Rayees Ahmed, has resorted to the cubis style, the provenance of renowned artist Pablo Picasso, for his paintings. Crisp geometric lines with bright colours bring out the colourful attire of the Hyderabadis beautifully. In sharp contrast to the gaiety in their attire, their expressions remain somber and unassuming, born of a simple and unquestioning faith in their way of life. This is a style that has been inspired by famous artist, Laxma Goud, whose artwork has similar flashes of colourful raiment in marked contrast with charcoal-grey poker-faced expressions."

... In short, the collection makes for an interesting viewing. Basically Hyderabadi — Chronicles of Old City is on view at the Iconart Gallery till November 20.

continue reading the full story

On the same shelf:

• Syed Rayess Ahmed
  

• footloose: the essence of hyderabad

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

Charminar beautification project 'shelved'

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.

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

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."

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:

• Pictures from Hyderabad
• Pictures from wet and gloomy Hyderabad
• Bad weather and traffic jams
• Off to Hyderabad

Mera Bharat Mahan - Food Map & Tour Map of India

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








Map info courtesy: Yasir Sait and rakshith

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

" Yeich Hai Dekho Old City ...... Apan Ka Purana Shaher , Yaroooo .....

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

Digital entertainment city in Hyderabad

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 ]

Chowmahalla set to regain grandeur

J.S. Ifthekhar, The Hindu,

Effort to recapture the ambience of the palace which was venue for official banquets of the Nizams

HYDERABAD: Breathtaking and awe-inspiring. That about forms a word picture of the famed Chowmahalla palace. But the renovated palace is even more enticing. With the restoration of Afzal Mahal, the grandest of the four palaces, nearing completion, Chowmahalla is all set to regain its past grandeur.

Conservation architects Rahul Mehrotra and Raja Martand Singh are doing a meticulous job to recapture the ambience of the palace which served as a venue for official banquets and receptions of the Nizams. By November-end Afzal Mahal is expected to be thrown open for visitors.

See also: Chowmahalla Palace to play host to celebrity banquets

Vision of Hyderabad in The Technology Chronicles

A forwarded email (by Brothers Abdul Hai Patel and Malik Khan) brought to me the following text and visuals (Author unkown)!!!

Subject: Beautiful Hyderabad Pictures
Message:
Hello Everyone,
Just wanted to share these beautiful pictures of Hyderabad with all of you.
Enjoy.

[NB. The following text that came with the pictures, is originally posted by VALLABHA in response to Alan Saracevic's article: Visions of India: Next stop Hyderabad]
Tell me how many people in INDIA know that Hyderabad has:

1) The IMAX Theatre with Worlds Largest screen and the only true 3D screen in INDIA

2) Asia 's biggest and one of the Worlds' biggest and best Convention centres 'HICC'

3) World's biggest Film Studio complex ' Ramoji Film City '

4) Country's best Animation and art work studios

5) Country's best and biggest Exhibition centre so far 'HITEX'

6) Country's biggest single real estate venture at the cost of US $2.2Billion by ICICI Ventures and Tishman of New York !

7) Hyderabad is leading in Hospital Tourism, now trying to lead also in Echo Tourism

8) Hyderabad is the best place to start any new retail business or Mall: This was from a study on how Malls are fuelling sales in India and the max amount of Sales happened in the Malls in Hyderabad despite the huge number of very big malls in Delhi and Mumbai.. Many biggest of the kind malls are being constructed here. You can also see, Reliance group, Tata's, Heritage group and many more venturing their first retail units starting from Hyderabad !

9) Hyderabad is the only place where complete restructuring is happening by even demolishing lot of buildings within the city! Delhi is the other only City, which followed this model.

10) In fact Infosys has planned its world's Largest Campus near to Shamshabad Airport in an area of 500acres of land! However its pending.. it may take of soon. Else some other campus would come up there.

11) Fab City would be the Ultimate answer for the Electronic and chip making industry from India !

12) How many know about ISB

13) IIT is being setup now in Hyderabad .

14) Birla has already setup Bits in Hyderabad

15) Country's largest number of Colleges for Engineering Medicines and largest number of Universities are in AP!

16) Just the colleges in and around Hyderabad produce much more Engineering graduates than any other city in INDIA !

17) Country's most expensive Residential Only venture has started in Hyderabad , with 250 villas where each Villa will be in 1 Acre of land and at the cost of Rs.14crores each! Why only in Hyderabad ? Because people are ready to buy and live there :-)

18) The most connected city in INDIA with highest Teledensity
.....and lot more like this!

Can you expect Bill Gates, Larry Ellison, The 2 Google Champions, CSC, GE and all these people pour huge investments and expand their campuses just based on Hype?
Hyderabad is now a tri-city: CYBERABAD-HYDERABAD-SECUNDERABAD!

You must be knowing the Fact: US has chosen Hyderabad over Bangalore for setting up its New Consulate and it is already in process! This is because there are more VISA applicants from AP hitting Chennai Consulate! For that matter, always the biggest number of Travellers to US is from AP

A visual treat ..… [info courtesy: The Great Hyderabad (Deccan - Telangana) - Andhraguyz Community] Birla temple: Budha statue at Hussain Sagar: Charminar: Falaknuma palace: Chowmahalla palace: Khilwat: Palace Purani haveli: Mummy in Archeological Museum: Ashur khana: Durgam Cheruvu: Golconda: Fort High Court: Himayat Sagar: NTR Gardens: Osmania Hospital: OsmaniaUniversity: Ramoji Film city: Salarjung Museum: Museum Shilpa Ramam: Toyland: And Finally the One and Only Hyderabadi biryani: See also: Hyderabad (Deccan - Telangana): A visual treat ..… Visions of India: Next stop Hyderabad Deccani lithographs bring back Hyd of yore

Will Hyderabad ever get past square one?

That's the big question. officialdom, being officaldom will tell you that Hyderabad is the most happening city (without defining 'happening'), that it's ready to take on Singapore and Shanghai--after a peg ot two, an official might even tell you that it's already giving Shanghai a run for its money! A businessman told us an anecdote about a meeting with some officials in which some NRIs, interested in investing in a new project here, had also participated. One NRI asked this official how the traffic mess would ever get resolved, because no plan seems to be in place. He glibly replied that the ring road would soon take care of all the traffic problems and for effect, added that 'self-sufficient' satellite townships were going to come up all around soon. Now isn't that a perfectly 'Alice in Wonderland' situation!

This is much like a play that was staged at a city hotel recently where Shah Jahan calls for tenders to build the Taj, assigns the work to his Chief Engineer, who passes it on contractors with hefty cuts of the pie distributed all over the place. The Taj doesn't get built and Shah Jahan dies after an endless wait. We, Hyderabadis, are a bunch of Shah Jahans who will never see our Taj Mahals (in our case, good roads, accountable governance and a responsive administration), cynical as it may sound. As the great Meer Taqui 'Meer' said nearly 200 years ago:
jab se jahaN hai tab se Kharaabi yahi hai 'meer'
tum dekh kar zamaane ko Hairaan kya rahe
(This world has always been a rotten place ai 'meer'
why are you astonished to see it so?)

see also:

Travails for the Taj
Marathi play ‘Tender taj mahalache’ was a depiction of corruption in society

Rangadhara theatre stream presented their 94th play in Hyderabad , with a Marathi play titled Tender Taj mahalache, an adaptation of the original Hindi play Tajmahal Ka Tender, written by Ajay Shukla. The show wa s held recently at the Maharashtra mandal auditorium, Ramkote, Hyderabad.

The play in Marathi was translated by Bhaskar Kulkarni, who also co directed the play along with Prof. Bhaskar Shewalker.

'Prince' from Hyderabad claims Taj

GHMC--An Alice in Hyderabad's Wonderland

Hyderabad is suddenly being seen as the city of disasters by some of our prophets of doom. Yes, there have been tragic bomb blasts at Mecca Masjid on May 18 and at Lumbini Park and Gokul Chaat, three months later. Both the Mecca Masjid blast and the Lumbini Park blast could possibly have been averted with some vigilance, screening and precautionary measures. But, as always, we seem to be growing wise after the event. Public places now are more sensitive to security, which is a good thing.

The other tragedy that shook us up was the collapse of a section of the flyover near Panjagutta for which there are simply no excuses. The contractor, the consultant, GHMC and all the other government agencies are equally responsible for the death of Ankit Aurora, young techie whose life has been rudely cut short, and that of Ramu, a supporter of a politician, from Armoor. Disaster management is an expression our officials have not heard of. There is no nodal disaster management agency it appears, equipped with gas cutters and other emergency relief equipment. Of course, the officials were there to give sound 'bites' to tv cameras, sounding more like politicians than men on the job responsible for both the disaster and its relief operations. How else can one explain their irresponsibility in blaming 'the unprecended rain' for the flyover collapse? It rained for an hour dammit--I live about a mile away from the blessed flyover: I should know. Of course, a 'wizened' GHMC Commissioner clarified the next day that by 'unprecedented' rain was meant 'the quantum of rain in an hour, a single hour, that is.' Oh really! Give us a break Mr. Sarma! Like millions of other Hyderabadiz I was born in this city and have lived here all my life and have seen enough of 'unprecedented rain'. The GHMC and everybody else told the citizens of Hyderabad that this flyover and others being built along with this elsewhere in the city, were 'quake-proof' and 'terror-proof'. They're telling us now that they aren't even 'shower-proof'! GHMC is the new Alice in Hyderabad's Wonderland. Welcome to 'Greater' Hyderabad!

Hyderabadi roads

We're back with the same refrain--Hyderabadi roads and the attendant chaos that goes in the name of traffic. A longtime Mumbaikar (Deepak DeSouza) wrote to the DC yesterday complaining of the utter absence of pedestrians' rights in Hyderabad. His grievance is spot on.

Where are the 'footpaths', one may ask? In no other city does such chaotic traffic go unregulated, as Deepak rightly points out. That's sadly true. One simply has no place to walk--if one doesn't depend on any mode of transport, that is, such as a car/bike/auto/pushcart/bus/truck etc. The sidewalks have been taken over by 'nature's callers' and hawkers or more often, simply don't exist. Hyderabad's traffic police continues to wink blissfully at the anarchic movement of all and sundry on the streets. One would have expected an aggressive, pro-active campaign from the traffic authorities to bring some sanity on to the streets, but the big question is--where are they, Hyderabad's traffic police, I mean?
On a different note, if you're web-savvy, there are enough tools to navigate you. No longer do you need to ask in the local lingo-"yeh rastaa kaaN jaata?" And get the tongue-in-cheek retort--"kaiiN naiiN jaata bhai, bachpan se dekhruN... aap jaareN jaaN kaiiN jaareN." There are web-tools to help you get there--"jaaN kaiiN aap jaareN", that is.....be it Charminar, Gachhi Bowli or Nacharam!

Far and away......

Locating Home: India's Hyderabadis Abroad, by Karen Isaksen Leonard

Review from Saty's desktop:
Karen Isaksen Leonard's 'Locating Home' is a brilliant, comparative study of the Hyderabadi diaspora across the world-- Pakistan, the United Kingdom, Australia, the United States, Canada, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates.

Quite evidently, Karen has spent a lot of time over painstaking research, fieldwork and conducting interviews. 'Locating Home' looks at Hyderabadi culture and institutions, transplanted in alien shores. She demonstrates how memories of old Hyderabad, in terms of cultural values and institutions still find a place in the lives of these expats, or get transmuted and even discarded, depending on several factors, which include generation, gender, social strata, and other associations with what used to be the state of Hyderabad. Interestingly, Karen's previous publications include a book on the Kayasth community. 'Locating Home' is a must read for Hyderabadis--be they a part of the diaspora or 'locals'.

Review @ Amazon:
“This is research on a grand scale. Karen Leonard questions prevailing notions of diaspora, transnationalism, and globalization not by adding yet another layer to the cake of theory on these topics, but by providing a rich, incredibly diverse engagement with Hyderabadis around the world. As a multisite ethnographer, Leonard practices what most anthropologists are content merely to preach.”—Andrew Shryock, University of Michigan

The changing metropolis

That Hyderabad is not what it used to be, is something not worth repeating any more. Besides, isn't that true of every other city? But the pace at which change has overtaken the twin cities, is something no one, least of all our MCH and other civic bodies, had anticipated. A large, consumerist middle-class, and huge swathes of migrants seem to have sprouted from nowhere--thanks mainly to the IT sector. In turn, a related chain of service businesses burgeoned and boomed, making the city look like a happening city--you simply need to visit one of the many high-end malls or local pubs to see what I mean. But, scratch the surface and what do you find? A city that is fast losing the green cover it had, obsolete sewerage systems, municipal authorities who couldn't care less about roads, streets, parks or parking spaces, and who would merrily look the other way if you happen to be a builder or a contractor, regardless of what you are doing. Be it traffic management, civic problems, mass transport--things that are of basic importance in everyday life, Hyderabad is far from a happening place. Somebody needs to remind our city's denizens and authorities that ' a few MNCs do not a metropolis make', no matter what the real estate prices may say.

One recalls the tree planting campaign taken up by the MCH (in Mr. Narendra Luther's time) during the Emergency years in the mid-seventies, when it was widely being perceived that the city's rising temperatures could be ascribed to the widespread of denudation of trees. Those saplings had grown into sturdy trees only to be chopped down mercilessly by the same civic body, over the last few years. Who says we evolve with time?