Hyderabad – Art, culture, and tourism
Hyderabad the city of Nizams, India’s fourth-biggest city, is fast becoming one of the most exciting visitor destinations in the country. Hyderabad is full of hidden gems. Hyderabad has recently been announced as the best city to work in and to live in India. The culture of Hyderabad is a diverse one. Not only does it have an amalgamation of different cultures, but Hyderabad boasts of a rich cultural heritage too. The contemporary world sees this city as a blend of unique cultures with a touch of modern lifestyle. Hyderabad has a rich tradition of literature and fine arts, with many museums, art galleries, and exhibitions dedicated to the display of Hyderabadi heritage.
The Hyderabadi Urdu is more like the city’s vernacular of the Hindi language. The city culture is a mixture of old Islamic culture and the Hindi tradition of the people. The principal language of Hyderabad is Telugu and Urdu. It prospered in a world of its own. Like the Mumbai ‘tapori’ language, Hyderabadi lingo too has its dissimilar resonance and flavor. The mixing of religions has also resulted in many festivals being celebrated in Hyderabad such as Ganesh Chaturthi, Diwali, and Bonalu of Hindu tradition and Eid ul-Fitr and Eid al-Adha by Muslims.
Traditional Hyderabadi garb also reveals a mix of Muslim and South Asian influences with men wearing sherwani and kurta paijama and women wearing Khara dupatta and Salwar kameez, Muslim women also commonly wear burqas and hijabs in public. Kathak is the popular dance form of Hyderabad followed by Kuchipudi, Bharatanatyam and Odissi. Besides western and Indian popular music genres such as film music, the residents of Hyderabad play city-based Marfa music, dholak ke geet (household songs based on local Folklore), and qawwali, especially at weddings, festivals and other celebratory events.
The city has also hosted international film festivals such as the International Children’s Film Festival and the Hyderabad International Film Festival In 2005, Guinness World Records declared Ramoji Film City to be the world’s largest film studio.
Hyderabadi biryani and Hyderabadi haleem, with their blend of Mughlai and Arab cuisines, have become iconic dishes of India. Other popular native dishes include nihari, chakna, baghara baingan and the desserts Qurbani ka meetha, double ka meetha and kaddu ki kheer. The following important cultural sites of Hyderabad are Golconda fort, Chowmahalla Palace, Charminar, purani haveli, mecca masjid, Paigah tomb, Warangal fort and many more tourism places are just astonishing to see.
Today, Hyderabad accounts for the highest production of Birdriware in India. It is the engraving of silver on metal. Hyderabad is also known for silver filigree handicrafts, which involves precise jewellery metalwork. Today Hyderabad is one of the most developed cities of India but no matter how modern the city has become, the culture of Hyderabad still preserves its Nizami authenticity, flavors of its biryani, and a gift of making entertaining movies.
