India is a country that receives perhaps the most controversial reviews of travelers. Someone focuses on the fact that this is the birthplace of ancient spiritual practices and cradle of cultures. Others focus on mud and backwardness.
Our author Olga Milyuchikhina managed to see another India – modern, technological, but very colorful and distinctive.
In the Indian metropolis of Haidrabad, which is often called the local Silicon Valley, Olga was at an international conference that gathered participants from more than one hundred countries of the world. And now she shares her impressions with us.
How to get
Aircraft with a transplant in Delhi. Prices start from 28,000 rubles* for a ticket in both directions.
Where to stop
- Apartments 10 Guests-for Families-Afffordable Price (score 9.1 out of 10)-from 2,100 rubles* per night.
- Hotel Deccan Serai (rating 7.7 out of 10) from 7,500 rubles* per night.
- NOVOTEL HYDERABAD Convention Center (rating 7.8 out of 10) – from 14,000 rubles* per night.
We advise you to look for housing in the area of Hitec City.
About the city
Heidrabad is a large metropolis, the capital of Telengan, where the Muslim population prevails. This affects the appearance of cities and the life of the inhabitants. The city was built by the Mongol rulers, and there are still many palaces, fortresses, tombs and mosques.
Heidrabad was the residence of Nizamov (rulers of the city) and was famous for the fact that the largest pearl market in the whole southern India was located there. Currently, the city competes with Bangalor for the status of the capital of high technology. There are offices of large international technological companies.
The combination of antiquity and modernity makes Haidarabad truly unique and very interesting.
What surprises travelers
Official languages
Residents speak English and Telugu. In English-with a characteristic accent, to understand which at first is quite difficult. It is necessary for a certain time to get used to the pronunciation of the locals. But on Hindi, about which many have heard as about the state language of India, few speak in Telengan the staff of Telengan.
Culture and life
Muslim state, this is evident from the clothes of the inhabitants. Along with Sari, women in hijabs are often found. Hindu culture is often invisible. But there are a lot of mosques, in the appearance of which the national Indian flavor is still visible.
Around the large international hotels and in the HITECH City area, the “islands” of international life with restaurants, discos, in which visitors and local youth have rested. In such places, you can often find Indian girls in jeans and European clothes.
And I also noticed that in the evenings there was little light for the metropolis in the city. It is customary to save electricity in India, so street lighting and illumination of architectural monuments are unusually dull.
The attitude of the locals
The city is non -tourist, so there are few people of European appearance. Foreigners mainly work in the offices of international companies in Hitech City and live or stay in hotels in the same area. When making a trip to local attractions, you need to be prepared for the fact that Europeans among visitors may not be there at all, so you may have increased attention.
Locals are very friendly, but can be intrusive: they ask to take a picture or even without permission make a selfie against the background of foreigners. This causes discomfort.
There are a lot of poor in the central areas, including children of different ages, including infants, and people with disabilities who live for alms. However, they are dressed very elegant and bright, with a large number of jewelry. The beggars are not particularly obsessive. Usually, if a tourist does not pay attention to them, they quickly lose interest in him.
Road movement
This is a complete chaos. There are no sidewalks and pedestrian crossings. Drivers are not inferior to pedestrians, and the roadway has to cross the road in the stream of cars, buzzing carts, mopeds and motiks. Mopeds scurry between cars, and a whole family with children can go on one moped. No one cares about safety rules. All this is accompanied by the noise of constantly used sound signals.
In road traffic jams, conflict situations often arise. I witnessed how a taxi and a moped driver quarreled in a traffic jam. They even tried to fight, while continuing to steer. However, accidents on the roads are not often noticeable. A mystery, how they succeed.
I also drew attention to the quality of the road surface. It is very good, the highway is often multi -lane. If not for the absence of sidewalks and traffic lights, one could call them modern.
Logistics
The distances in the multimillion -dollar metropolis are huge. There is a system of public transport, but its network is not very dense. The main species are buses and a railway passing directly through the city. In 2017, the metro was also opened in Hyderabad.
Tourists are faster and safer to use a taxi or motor ricks. To call a taxi, use the Uber application. Prices are quite democratic, payment is working with cards (though only by foreign banks issued). And you can catch a motor -routine right on the street. Their parking is in many places. In this transport, taximeters (meters) are installed, which show the price of the trip. The cost depends on the area and distance. However, with a high degree of probability, the driver will try to take a large amount from the tourist than indicated on the counter.
Garbage on the streets
Many places are very dirty. Especially littered are places near the markets and, oddly enough, cult structures. On the streets of the city, cows and goats graze. Water from the laundries is drained directly into small rivers, which turned into waste ditches.
However, do not think that it is dirty everywhere. The city has many absolutely pure public spaces. Parks and squares are very well -groomed. Tennis courts, golf fields, as well as territories around hotels and premium residential complexes look neat.
Technologies
Haidrabad is nevertheless not like some Middle Ages, with which India is often associated. Global services are quite developed here. Residents use the Internet, from messengers prefer WhatsApp and have accounts in other social networks popular in the whole world. WhatsApp replaces the locals with many usual services, for example, it can be used as a dating site, and in special groups you can rent housing and sell things.
There are large shopping centers in the city, which represent both world brands and local, as well as restaurants of European cuisine. In Heidrabad, international companies, a large IT claster, have world hotel networks like Marriott and Hyatt.
Food and alcohol
For my taste, everything is acute, strongly digested and generally the same because of seasonings in which Curry dominates. Therefore, we chose more European options. Such a kitchen can be found in restaurants with international hotels, but even there it is an adapted option with an Indian taste. The check in such institutions is much higher than in national ones, however, the quality of food and drinks is also distinguished. In any case, they seemed safer from a hygienic point of view.
Most restaurants have alcohol. It can also be bought in special stores that are located next to large shopping centers. It is not customary to drink on the streets. But local residents buy a lot of alcohol. Packing it necessarily in a black opaque package. The local rum and beer deserve attention.
For a visit, I can recommend such a cafe in Haidrabad:
Mehfil is a cafe-dining room of national cuisine with a good choice of panir and Curry. A lot of dishes for vegans. It is worth trying Curry with chicken and pepper. The prices are affordable.
Restaurant of European cuisine at the Trident Hotel. I recommend ordering meat under berry sauce. Designed for foreigners, prices are high.
Mustang Terrace Lounge Gachibowli – bar and terrace on the top floor of the shopping center. A good selection of international cocktails with the addition of fresh fruits, as well as beer and strong drinks. Try a milk cocktail with mangoes. Prices from medium to high.
What to see
The Golkonda fortress is a rather large -scale complex on the hill, preserved from the moment of the founding of Haydrabad. The majestic fortress is well preserved, and if you go upstairs, a panoramic view of the metropolis opens from it. Inside you can find interesting cult structures, most likely related to Hindu culture. There are few of them in Haidrabad.
The perfect time to visit the Golkonda is the afternoon, closer to sunset. It must be borne in mind that you will have to go up the steps, so it is better to wait out the heat. In the evening, you can also see a spectacular light show.
In general, the place is quite ennobled, quite calm and safe.
Charminar is the triumphal arch of the East, or the mosque of four minarets. This magnificent building in the traditional Islamic style can be considered the hallmark of Heidrabad. An unusual mosque is a monumental complex with four towers (miners). You can climb to the observation deck with which the market view opens. This chaotic oriental bazaar should be considered as a separate attraction. There is a huge selection of national fabrics, clothes, jewelry. In the market, as is customary in the east, you need to bargain. It is from here that you can bring the most authentic souvenirs and gifts.
However, keep in mind that this area is considered quite dysfunctional. Locals recommend tourists to visit it exclusively in daylight and leave until dark. There are many beggars and beggars in the district, pickpockets are operating.
The Mausoleums of the Kutb-Shah dynasty is a complex of burials of the Kutb dynasty, in which the city reached its heyday. A memorial of 40 Mausoleums, 23 mosques and 5 Baoli (wells). Magnificent oriental architecture with a time of time. Not all structures of the complex have passed restoration, there are both updated and rather abandoned architectural objects, but this even gives them a special charm.
The Ramoji Film City film studio – entered in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest film studio in the world. Belongs to one of the three largest film industries of India – Tollivuda. In Russia, it has not gained popularity, as films in Tollivud are shot in the language of Telugu (the official language of the state of Telengan). However, it is this film industry that releases the largest number of paintings, ahead of Hollywood and Bollywood.
We can say that this is such a very authentic and colorful analogue of Disneyland. Filling pavilions, workshops, where decorations, large fake quarters used in the shooting, a park of butterflies and birds are available, are available for visiting. In the evening you can see a bright show. In a separate pavilion, artists with traditional songs and dances perform. And it ends with a small parade of moving carnival platforms.
HITEC CITY – the location of technological companies. It is not like Silicon Valley in California. There is no single concept, basically these are just offices of international companies and infrastructure necessary for their employees. But the place is precisely noteworthy, because it allows you to make sure that India can be both modern and technological. And it is precisely this area that is most convenient for the accommodation of tourists.
*Photo on the cover © Saisnaps/Shutterstock
