Bashir Bagh Palace,located in Hyderabad, Talangana

                         

Bashir Bagh Palace

Bashir Bagh Palace

The Royal Palace located in Hyderabad, Talangana ,built in 1880, was constructed by Sir Asman Jah a Paigh noble and Prime Minister of Hyderabad state (1887–1894).

 It was once a palace with great architecture and magnificent interior. The palace was dismantled by the state government after Indian Indipendence, but the area is still known as Basheerbagh

This place has the distinction of playing host to the Hindustani Classical maestro, Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, who stayed here in his final years of his life, patronized by nawab Zahir yar Jung. He died at this palace on 25 April 1968.

Bashir Bagh Palace

Bashir Bagh Palace

Lakes of Hyderabad

Hussain Sagar

           Lakes of Hyderabad

Hussain Sagar is biggest lake in Hyderabad

Some of them are under restoration with funds provided by the National Lake Conservation Plan are listed below.

Hussain Sagar Lake

Hussain Sagar is a lake in Hyderabad , Telanagana , India., built by Hazarat Hussain Shah Wali in 1562, during the rule of Ibrahim Quli Qutub Shah.It is spread across an area of 5.7 square kilometers and is fed by River Musi. A large Monolithic statue of the Gautham Buddha, erected in 1992 stands in an island in the middle of the lake. Maximum depth of the lake is 32 feet.

Osman Sagar

Osman Sagar

Osman Sagar popularly known as Gandipet, is a Reservoir in the city of Hyderabad. The lake is around 46 km, and the Reservoir is around 29 km. 
Osman Sagar was created by damming the Musi River in 1920, to provide an additional source of drinking water for Hyderabad and to protect the city after the Great Musi Flood of 1908. It was constructed during the reign of the last Nizam of Hyderabad, Oaman Ali Khan, hence its name.
A princely guest house called Sagar Mahal, overlooking the lake and now a heritage building, was built as a summer resort of the last Nizam. Its location on the banks of the lake offers wonderful views. Telangana Tourism Department operates a resort in the building. The breeze of the lake is very pleasant and has been popular with the locals since the Nizam's time.
At present it is a popular tourist destination, especially after the rainy season when the reservoir is full. Its parks, resorts, amusement park are a major attraction. This lake had served drinking water for Hyderabad city but, due to increase in population, it is not sufficient for water supply to Hyderabad city. Now it is used for public recreation.

Himayat Sagar

Himayat Sagar

 Himayat Sagar is an artificial lake about 20 km from Hyderabad   in Telagana. It lies parallel to a larger artificial lake Osman Sagar. The storage capacity of the reservoir is about 3.0 TMC.

The construction of reservoir on Esi a tributary of Musi River was completed in 1927, for providing drinking water source for Hyderabad and saving the city from floods, which Hyderabad suffered in 1908. It was built during the reign of the last Nizam of Hyderabad, Nizam VII and so it is named after his youngest son Himayat Ali Khan.
The Himayat Sagar and Osman Sagar reservoirs provided continuous water supply to the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad until recently. Due to population growth it was not sufficient for water supply to Hyderabad city.
The engineer at the time of construction was late Khaja Mohinuddin S/O Mohammed Hussein, Madri,
The grassy area adjoining the lake is an ideal picnic and recreation spot. The road atop the bund is popular for a good drive.

Shamirpet Lake

Shamirpet Lake

A view of Shamirpet Lake in Shamirpet, Rangareddy district, Telangana,

Shamirpet Lake is an Artificial Lake near Hyderabad, about 24 kilometers north of Secunderabad. It was built during the Nizam reign.

The lake attracts many birds, making it a good Bird watching spot. A resort run by the Government of Telangana is located near the lake. The Outer Ring Road will pass close to the lake. There are many resorts and Private Dhabas around the lake. We can also visit the famous Leonia Holistic Destinations cum Resort the biggest in Asia, Celebrity Club and the 4 star Alankritha Resort not very far from the lake. The Birla Institute of Technology and Science, BITTS Pilani Hyderabad campus is also situated near the lake. And can also be seen from the lake. Today, the pond is offer boating facilities

There is a Jawahar Deer Park, which contains many deer, peacocks and different Birds, is also near to the lake. The Deer park is maintained by the Govt. Of Telangana

Shamirpet Lake

Many people come there for a picnic or a get together. Many Tollywood were shot there.

The Shamirpet Police takes care of the lake as there were many cases regarding drowning of people in this lake. There are many Warning Boards around the lake erected by the Authorities.

The Nalsar University of Law is also situated near the lake, which is one of the top Law schools of INDIA.

Mir Alam Tank

Mir Alam Tank

 Mir Alam Tank is a tank in Hyderabad, India, located to the south of Musi River. It was the primary source of drinking water to Hyderabad before Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar were built. It is connected to National Highway7 near Palm Valley.

The tank was named after Mir Alam Bahadur, then Prime Minister (1804 - 1808) of Hyderabnad State during the reign of Asaf Jah III, the third Nizam of Hyderabad state. Mir Alam laid the foundation for the tank on July 20, 1804 and it was completed in about two years on June 8, 1806.

Mir Alam Tank

Nehru Zoological Park lies adjacent to the tank and Telangana Tourism operates boats on the lake, for which one has to enter through the zoo.

Safilguda Lake 

Safilguda Lake

 Safilguda is a residential suburb in Hyderabad. It comes under the Malkajgiri Muncipality.
There is a Lake popularly known as Safilguda Lake or Nadimi Cheruvu. The boundary road around the lake is fashioned like the "tank bund" on the Hussain Sagar Lake and hence is also referred to as mini tankbund. This is a popular attraction for the localites for jogging and evening-walks.
The early Settlers of Safilguda who came around the 60s-70s had a very tough time since this area was isolated with no means of transport to reach the city and no Electricity.
In 70s people had to Cycle around 6 km to reach the city unless they were able to get the occasional bus. There were only two or three houses and barren land and rock everywhere. Land cost around Rs5/-per sq ft.
There are many shops in the area catering to all needs of the people. Outlets of major Retail chains such as Reliance, Fresh @, More. And others are available here.

Safilguda Lake

All the amenities of a suburban town — medical, educational, shopping, offices, public transportation, are available. There are medical shops and hospitals that function round the clock. Educational institutions of the D.A.V group, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan are prominent and within close proximity. Some colleges also function here like the Sri Chaitanya Malkajgiri branch, Narayana College, Malkajgiri branch etc.
Buses are run by TGSRTC connecting it to all major parts of the city making them the most preferred mode of transportation here.
Suburban trains plying between Medchal, Bolarum to Secunderabad pass via Safilguda Railway Station but they always run late. On one side of the station is Military Cantonment area and the other side is civilian area coming under Ranga reddy district..

You can also find a Golf Course next to Safilguda, but entry is restricted to military Personnel only (Now there is no Golf course but the entire open area has been fenced up by military). The whole Cantonment area provides a great relief to the Joggers and Walkers.
Safilguda is one of the most densely populated Middle/Upper class localities in the City today. While independent houses are more in this locality, much number of flats have also come up in and around Safilguda. However, one cannot say much about the design, look or aesthetics of the flats as most of them just present a boxy look.

Alwal Lake

Alwal Lake

 Alwal Lake is an Artificial Lake near Hyderabad, about 8 kilometers north of Secunderabad. It is situated in Alwal. There were many issues associated with the lake, which made a highly tensed situation for the Alwal Municipality Officials.

The lake is in the heart of Alwal town, located near the Secunderabad- Mumbai Railway track. The lake has a very good view from the railway track and also from the Alwal Railway Station. There is a road along the lake which gives the complete and close view of the lake.
The lake is used for many different purposes. During ganesh Ghaturthi, the ganesh idols are immersed in the lake. At that time, the road near the lake is facilitated with extra lights and also extra police are posted for controlling the crowd.

Alwal Lake

Many birds and animals reside near the lake, and this provides a very fine view in the evening.

Rock Formations of Hyderebad

            Rock Formations of Hyderebad

‘Bear’s Nose’, ‘Mushroom Rock’, ‘Cliff Rock’, ‘Monster Rock’, ‘Tortoise Rock’, ‘Obelisk’, etc., are names that have been given to these natural beauties. These formations can be found in various pockets of the city and beyond, like the Central University Campus, in and around Hi-Tech City and Gachibowli, Old Bombay Road, near Nandi Hills and Mahindra Hills, close to Durgama Cheruvu, Jubilee Hills and Banjara Hills. All it takes is a trip around the place with a two-wheeler in tow to rediscover the rocks, which are a part of Hyderabad’s unique topography.

Places of worship too have existed in or on the rocks. One can find innumerable shrines, from small one-stone places of worship to big temples and dargahs in and amongst many rocks. India’s hottest rocks, beyond diamonds and emeralds that belonged to its kings and queens, are these billions-of-years-old rocks. These rocks are home to many birds and smaller animals. To quote Late Siraj Taher, President Emeritus of A P Birdwatcher’s Society, here, “Rocks are not just barren and lifeless monoliths with only an aesthetic or sentimental value, but contain a plethora of life forms. Geckos and mongooses live among them, and Great Horned Owls, Spotted Owlets, vultures, mynas and swifts nest in their crevices and openings. What a wealth of wildlife, and we thought the rocks were ‘dead matter’!”

Add caption

                   List of Heritage Rocks and Sites
The Government must play an important role in the preservation of the Deccan’s stunning granite formations. The Government of Andhra Pradesh has taken the first step by including rock areas in Regulation No. 13 of the Hyderabad Urban Development Authority (HUDA) for the protection of Heritage Buildings and Precincts. Hyderabad is the only city in India where rocks are protected as a natural heritage. HMDA, the Municipal Corporation and the Tourism Department have already started to develop rock gardens in the city.

The first 9 Formations proposed by the Society in 1997 and protected under Regulation 13 of the HUDA Zoning Regulations 1981 are as follows:
1. Rocks around Durgama Cheruvu

Durugum chereuvu

2. Rock Park
3. Bear’s Nose
4. Mushroom Rock, Hyderabad University
5. Cliff Rock
6. Monster Rock

Add caption

7. Tortoise Rock
8. Toadstool Rock
9. Obelisk

The Society had again proposed a list of 20 Rock Sites to be notified under the HUDA Heritage Regulations, on 22nd May 2006. Out of these sites, 15 have been notified as Heritage Precincts by the Government of AP, G.O. 68, on 3rd February, 2009:

gachibowli

1. Sharmirpet
2. Moula Ali and 2 adjacent Hillrocks
3. Sentinel Rock, near Moula Ali Hills

 Sentinel Rock, near Moula Ali Hills

4. Pahar-e-Shareef
5. Skull Rock
6. United-we-Stand, Urdu University
7. Pathar Dil, Urdu University
8. Hamburger Rock, NITHM
9. Fakhruddingutta

Fakhruddingutta

10. Rocks behind Malkam Cheruvu
11. Ghaar-e-Mubarak, near Taramati Baradari
12. Peeran Shah Rocks, near AP Police Academy
13. Rock on which Dattatreya Temple is situated  
14. Allabanda Hill
15. Gangabowli ka Pahar

Three sites had been proposed in the Secunderabad Cantonment area, and since they are not under HMDA Jurisdiction, they have to be protected by the Cantonment administration.

            Integrating Rocks in Your Life

The need of the hour is to protect what is existing and ensure that it remains protected. And the only way to save these rocks is to integrate them into the fast-changing landscape of the ever growing city. Narendra Luther could be considered a pioneer in this regard. But he himself draws his inspiration from the late Nawab Mehdi Nawaz Jung who built himself a house with minimal disturbance to the existing rock scape.

“The STSR [society to save the rocks] has strived to canvas public and government support, but there has been more interest from foreigners in our rocks. Scientists discovered the ecological value of these rocks. And because of their position, the drainage of the Deccan region has been determined by these rocks. When it rains, it goes down and settles to the lowest level and lakes are formed. Now even lakes have been destroyed. One of the earliest lakes to be destroyed was the Picket Lake in Secunderabad which stretched from Secunderabad Club to St. John’s Church! Others like Masab Tank, Vengal Rao Lake (now a park) have also disappeared,” Many others have been encroached upon and destroyed by people. The ecological importance of these rocks has not been appreciated properly. Some rocks have been declared protected. But what steps are taken to protect them, is the question. We are not getting anything more than lip service, as of now

Luther’s house in Banjara Hills has a rock face wall in the living room and another room on the first floor. Rather than destroying the rocks, building houses around them is the best way to maintain a balance between development and environment.

Fortunately, some private developers also are now showing interest in constructing around the rocks at least for their aesthetic appeal, if not for environmental purposes. Also, more and more landscaped rock gardens are emerging near company and corporate buildings that are aware of the great asset they possess in the beautiful natural rock scapes around them. With the Tourism Department developing rock gardens in the city, many individuals too are trying to emulate them, albeit, in a much smaller way in their gardens.

The Rock Museum and Rock Heights at Shilparamam are indeed nature’s poem; where the natural formations stand un-swayed in a scenic form providing one with the needed refreshment and rejuvenation, away from the crowd. Others that have managed to be at peace with the gigantic spectators are the ITC Kakatiya (the rock is the main feature in the garden here); the Kasu Brahmananda Reddy (KBR) Park (which has an entire walkway over the rocks without disturbing the layout); the Naubat Pahar (a 100 m high hill of flowing rock shapes whose summit is said to have been used, in the Qutb Shahi and Asif Jahi times, for the beating of the naubat (drum) before royal proclamations); the Birla Planetarium (which occupies the top of the hill); Birla Mandir (this twin peak of Naubat Pahar is known as the Kala Pahar); Gibraltar rock in Hussain Sagar Lake; Falaknuma Palace (built on a steep hilltop, which now though, has not many rock formations left); and a handful of houses in Banjara Hills, Jubilee Hills and Mahendra Hills that have incorporated the rocks as part of their home.

“Rocks cannot be duplicated. Under the UNESCO law, rocks come under physical heritage and it needs protection Out of the rocks that must have existed earlier, less than 40% must be existing today These mute rocks are being done away with mercilessly. “In the name of development, rocks are getting rid of. First, in the name of globalization, colonization and then modernization. Both can co-exist;           
 Rocks can be incorporated into the houses that people build, and more has to be done to protect these nature’s beauty, as it says in the Bible that the foundations of the earth are the mountains and the rocks
We all can do our bit by spreading awareness of the Deccani rocks. We can approach property owners, architects and builders and make them aware of the treasure of rocks in their lands and educate them to use those as a part of their design without destroying them. We can become a member of STSR and help them in their initiatives like rock walks, exhibitions, concerts, film screenings and lectures in schools and colleges.

The rocks have survived a few billion years; let us hope they survive human greed too! Let’s do our bit, before it is too late!