Oops: Angrez (not Angrezy)!!!
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'Hyderabadi Bakra' in Mumbai (www.lehren.tv) BollywoodLonger version: 38 min Click to activate
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
see Golconda Fort's neighbourhood
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Taking the same thought forward, from last time--is Hyderabad ready for the big league of metropolises or is the pretence getting to it? On the one hand, there are islands of relative prosperity like Jubilee Hills, Banjara Hills, parts of Madhapur, Begumpet and other areas. We have 'service apartments' in and around Hi-tech City to cater to the inflow of MNC personnel, the hospitality industry says things are looking up like never before, all hotels are notching up high occupancy rates and real estate prices are going through the roof. On the other, a half-hour thundershower is enough to throw the city out of gear, kill a few people and disrupt thousands of lives for a few hours. And, in terms of infrastructure, the city's bursting at the seams--the roads can't take the traffic, new roads and fly-overs are a long way off from nearing completion and as for our City authorities, the MCH ducks for cover, when it is needed the most.
No one spares a thought for large swathes of the city's population living in sprawling slums from Uppal to Rajendranagar and Kukatpally to areas beyond Vanasthalipuram, sans government facilities in terms of civic amenities, not to speak of two of the most critical areas--health and school education. Don't mention government facilities like the Osmania Hospital, Gandhi or Niloufer Hospital, which were known to be the best in town at one time (when we were growing up in the sixties and seventies). Many schools run by the government do not have roofs, boards, desks and benches, leave alone enough teachers.
And yet, we claim Hyderabad is the most happening place. We need to shake ourselves out of this delusional state and get real.
Well, well....it does seem true--a blogroll of Hyderabadiz is something of a contradiction in terms--we're too laidback as a community to blog as much as we might want to. And if we choose to, our attempts are no different than our desperate efforts to negotiate Hyderabadi traffic--in tune with the chaos that adds up to life in this undefinably insane, 'paradise on earth'.
see also: 5 Reasons to Update Your Blog
Strong winds wreak havoc; two killed The Hindu, Apr 15, 2007
Shopping, food are good in Hyderabad :
Vishaka Singh, IndiaGlitz.com, April 22, 2007
All it takes is a cloudburst or a determined shower, so to say, to throw city life completely out of gear. If the wind-god decides to puff and blow, Hyderabad has had it. Hoardings go flying, trees get uprooted, power lines snap, and life, in short, gets totally dislocated. If two tall trees sway this way and that, our electricity folks feel they've had enough.We who belong to this third world city that nurses delusions of leapfrogging into an elite club of metropolises know how to sift the grain of reality from the chaff of hype and illusion...
It's a bit difficult to swallow the bitter pill that a city that lays claims to competing with Shanghai or Singapore, has infrastructure so flimsy and frayed at the seams, that a downpour can paralyze it and a deluge all but destroy it. But that's the plain ole truth--Hyderabad is an overgrown village and if you need further evidence--after all the polluted lakes, overcrowded localities, ill-equipped hospitals, pathetic schools, choked drains, land grabbing cases and insane traffic--you need help!
On this rather sober note we look at our beloved city this week--preferring NOT to look at its hoariness, heritage, history, aristocracy, culture and legacy, for the moment. Remember Faiz--"Aur bhi dukh haiN zamaane meiN mohabbat ke siwa..."
Folks,
Ugadi Greetings to all our bloggers....may the Ugadi 'pachhadi' symbolize loads of sweet happenings in your lives, and may the faint traces of bitterness be nothing more than gentle reminders of the infinite variety of life.
While thanking all our Hyderabadi mates who have come on board and allowed us to post the links to their blogs here, the hyderabadiz team wants all our other cybermates from Hyderabad to join the party.
This is a one-stop rendezvous for all hyderabadiz, no matter what they do in the blogosphere. The more the merrier.....
Let's welcome the Telugu New Year on this note of togetherness......
What other Hyderabadi Bloggers are saying on the eve of Ugadi:
Bloggers of Hyderbad unite!
Here's the blogging carnival of carnivals. Ugadi marks the Telugu New Year and is therefore, a good time to make a beginning or turn a new leaf, if you will.To be honest, we are no Hyderabadi Vikings--in other words, Hyderabadi bloggers have been very active long before we got here. This is a time to doff our hat to all of them. All ye who have put Hyderabad on the web, blogged away and continue to do so--take a bow!
We, the all-inclusive team of Hyderabadiz, thank all our fellow-bloggers, who have generously provided a link to our site in their blogs.Thanks to their generosity, traffic to our blog has risen considerably--check the sitemeter our for results! If we could bring scores of like-minded friends on board, it's because of their enthusiasm for anything Hyderabadi, which translates into anything for Hyderabad.
Come Ugadi, and we'll launch Hyderabad's Carnival of Blogging Carnivals. The countdown has begun....ten, nine, eight........
Team of Hyderabadiz
[NB. The Panchangam is calculated using Ugadi or the Spring season as the first month; "Spring is just around the corner!!!" quote & image courtesy]
Hyderabad 's 400-year-old culinary history, like its culture, is unmatched by any other state in India . In fact Hyderabad was known for the spectacular way its aristocracy entertained. Of all the Muslim cuisine, Hyderabadi is the only cuisine the sub-continent that can boast of a major vegetarian element. This has much to do with the local influences. Considering that the elite of the erstwhile Hyderabad state came from the north of India and was almost entirely Muslim, this is a little surprising. The nation's vegetarians, of course, stand to gain by it.
Some of the salient features of Hyderabadi food are the key flavours of coconut, tamarind, peanuts and sesame seeds. The key spice is chilli, which is used in abundance and is the reason for the sobriquet "Dynamite Food".
There's just one word to describe Hyderabadi cuisine - FIERY!
All Andhraites love spices, especially red chillies, and use it so generously that your tongue, ears, eyes and everything else will burn days later. The cuisine draws its flavour from two rich legacies - the Deccani cuisine of Nizams with its delectable biryanis (rice flavoured with meat and vegetables), haleem (pounded wheat and mutton dish) and kebabs, and the spicy Andhra style of food, laced with mustard, garlic and chillies and eaten with doles of chutney and pickle. Eating Out:The history of Hyderabadi cuisine has stood high like it's culture and for the spectacular way its aristocracy entertained. For a gastronomical treat the hotels, restaurants and cafes in the city provide a variety of exotic food for all kinds of gourmets. Some of the most traditional Hyderabadi dishes which were probably served 400 years ago, and still served today are Biryani, Moghlai dishes, Chicken korma, Sheer korma, Double-ka-meetha, Gajar-ka-halwa . Be it the North Indian Peshawri delights, the traditional spicy South Indian or Continental & Mexican to the Chinese food or the best of Fast Food Centres, Pizzerias, Snack Outlets bakeries and sweet shops, Hyderabad caters to all pockets and tastebuds.
Hyderabad has a typical cuisine which combines the tastiest recipes of the south with the northern Mughlai. The most popular is the birani or pulao. It is the aromatic long grained basmati rice cooked with mutton or chicken pieces. These meat pieces add a flavor of their own to the preparation. The kababs are barbecued meat, hot and succulent, they are irresistible in taste.
Hyderabadi food has also taken many influences, slowly displacing the standard flavours by more improvised ones. This is best demonstrated by the advent of chicken, which if mentioned alongside mutton, is considered nothing short of sacrilege by the gosht-eating population. Mutton being the revered meat, chicken never really stood a chance till the broiler came along. This was clean meat and the North Indian love for Tandoori Murg took over. The point to be noted here is that in Hyderabad , it is the hen that is considered a delicacy while in the rest of the country, it is the Murgha or the rooster.
There are several dishes in this repertoire that have their origins elsewhere but have been in and around the place long enough to be called natives. This is the quality of Hyderabadi, foreigners can walk in as anybody, but after tasting the waters of Hyderabad , they are forever Hyderabadis.
The 400 years of Hyderabadi culture also has its origin in Art, Music & Dance, Poetry, and last but not least, the Cuisine. Hyderabad is never complete without the mention of the "Shahi Dastarkhan". The Dastarkhan is the Dining place where the food is served and eaten. It is normally a low chowki for the dining table and cotton mattresses for squatting and bolsters for the back rest. The Dastarkhan holds a place of reverence in every household. The Cuisine of Hyderabad has been influenced by various regional and religious cuisines, both Indian and Foreign, despite which it has been able to create an identity of its own. It has also been able to contribute towards making Indian cuisine popular world wide. The "Biryani" from this cuisine is one such example. What makes the Hyderabadi Cuisine special is the use of special ingredients, carefully chosen and cooked to the right degree. The addition of a certain Herb, Spice, Condiment, or an Amalgam of these add an unique taste and texture to the dish. The herbs and spices used and the method of preparation gives the dish its name. "Murgh do pyaza" gets its name from the onions that are added twice to the dish in two variations. The Masalas or the rich blend of herbs, spices and condiments give the dishes a base, or what is popularly known as "Gravy". Some of these blends are a well-kept secret that pass only down the family line or from the Ustad(Teacher) to his Shagird(Pupil). The head cooks or the "Khansas" were an asset to the house hold, and were treated with due respect. The word "Nawabi" is as synonymous with the Hyderabadi cuisine as "Shahi" is with Luknowi. These terms conjure delicacies that are rich in taste and texture with mouth-watering aromas. The "Kebabs" in Hyderabad need a special mention, the "ShammiKebab" is one such popular dish. The Kebabs are originally from Greece !! The Hyderabadi meal is never complete without the bread from the kilns of the local bakers. The breads from this cuisine are equally popular, be it rich "Sheermal" or "lukmi" (bread stuffed with savory mince meat). Bread is not only an accompaniment to the meal but also forms a base for a popular sweet dish "Double Ka Meetha".
Yummy!! Mouth-watering Shahi Cuisine of Hyderabad . There is a saying among the younger generation of Hyderabadis these days. They say " Let us starve ourselves for hours before its arrival on our tables". This saying is actually a tribute to the Hyderabadi Biryani. Even, we, the Staff of Reachout, feel the same way. Whenever we plan to go out for Biryani, we make sure that our appetite is super strong and our stomachs completely empty so that we can indulge in a pure, unadulterated, sumptuous taste of Hyderabadi Biryani.
Hyderabad 's strong Mughalai influence is perhaps the reason why the Hyderabadi Biryani has become so popular all over India . This famous dish has been experimented time and again to a perfection. Infact the Biryani has influenced a Hyderabadi's tongue so strongly that usually other famous dishes of Hyderabad takes a back seat. It takes an extra ordinary taste for other dishes to beat the competition of Biryani.
For vegetarians, we have dahi vadas (lentil dumplings in Yogurt), mirch-ka-sabu (chilies in a cream gravy), and the more common Bagaara Baingan.
On the dessert menu, Hyderabad is famous for double-ka-meetha (a bread and cashew nut pudding), Badam-ki-Jhab (marzipan), and Dil-e-Firdaus (a rich milk based sweet).
Thank the stars the cable culture cannot alter the yearnings of the palate! And of course the any-time favorite with all Hyderabadis - Irani-chai cannot be ignored! This purely Irani tradition of drinking chai is a spillover from Irani trade in the 1600s. Street-side 'Irani Cafes are most popular for it's typical refreshing Irani Chai that one would love to have at the first opportunity given.
Well, we have carried you from a simple appetite to the most heaviest of platters of Culinary Hyderabad. You will be excused if are tempted to lash your tongue a few times on your lips or if you involuntarily happen to get some water in your mouth.
Above info Courtesy:
Calling out to all Hyderabadi bloggers - Update
folks,
While 'Shivaratri' is being celebrated all over Hyderabad and elsewhere, with the usual fervour and piety, a word of gratitude to all the virtual Hyderabadis who have responded to our idea.
Hold your breath until Ugadi--at the risk of repetition let me admit that our 'blogroll' idea has been quite a hit, as you can see from the response it has generated.
Hyderabadis a la Torontoians/Torontoers will have another virtual rendezvous soon.
Meanwhile, our team's preparing a lip-smacking variety of Hyderabadi cuisine for virtual sharing!
u, because our team has a brilliant idea. We intend to pool all the Hyderabadi bloggers and 'link' them on to a page--with thumbnail images of your blog, if the copyright / permissions are cleared by those who create the thumshots.
Well, unfortunately, real life in Hyderabad can't keep pace with the frenetic pace of bloggers in virtual space. The city's languid lifestyle was once a major attraction. Today, it is a happening place with all the attendant problems on infrastructure and civic life. For old timers, the Arts College and the High Court are monuments that mirror the city's grandeur (of yore). 
Youngsters prefer to talk of Hi-tech City, the pubs in town and multiplexes. For some, there are distinctive traits that go with Hyderabadi culture; for others it's the new melting pot--accepting and open enough, culture be damned. For yet others, with one foot planted here and the other 'there', 'two-timing' is simply not easy.
If you're looking for a good book--there are many on our city--Ms. Noopur Kumar's 'Portrait of a City' has some excellent photographs (by Mr. D. Ravinder Reddy) on the many facets of Hyderabad, over the last few decades. It's an excellent coffee-table work and certainly worth a read.
Saty
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***image source: D.K. Agencies]
See also
Catch the City Happenings - Daily life in Hyderabad***
"Auto strike called off, panel formed", says The Deccan Chronicle 
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