Hyderabad: Hot, Crowded, and Kind of Great
i'm exhausted after wandering around hyderabad for three days straight, but i have to tell you about this city. it's something else. i just checked and it's...27.19°c there right now, feels like 27.06, hope you like that kind of thing. it's not exactly freezing, that's for sure.
hyderabad sits on this hilly, rocky terrain on the telangana plateau, with natural contour falling from west to east toward the musi river. it's got this grey and pink granite dotted with small hills, the highest being banjara hills at 672 meters. the city covers an area of about 650 km² for the core urban area, extending to 2,500 km² in the metropolitan region.
founded in the late 16th century, hyderabad served as the capital of the nizams of hyderabad until 1948 and was the capital of andhra pradesh from 1956 to 2014. in 2014, with telangana's formation, it became the joint capital of telangana and andhra pradesh; by 2024, andhra pradesh shifted to amaravati, leaving hyderabad solely as telangana's capital.
the summers here are brutal. they reach highs of 40-42°c, winters drop to 12-13.8°c, and annual rainfall is about 89 cm, mostly june-september. if you're thinking of visiting, the best time is october-february for moderate weather.
the city is full of iconic sites like the golconda fort built on balaghat range hills, charminar (a 16th-century mosque-monument), and hussain sagar lake (an artificial lake predating the city). other landmarks are the chowmahalla palace, salar jung museum, and banjara hills for panoramic views.
hyderabad is renowned for hyderabadi cuisine, blending mughlai, telugu, and deccani flavors. signature items include hyderabadi biryani, haleem, mirchi ka salan, baghara baingan, and sweets like irani chai and double ka meetha. someone told me that the biryani here is the best they've ever had, but then again, people say that about every city's biryani, don't they?
if you get bored, hyderabad is approximately 1,566 km south of delhi, 699 km southeast of mumbai, and 570 km north of bangalore by road. its twin city is secunderabad, forming a contiguous urban area.
someone told me that the traffic here is insane, and they weren't kidding. expect hot summers and monsoon flooding. traffic congestion and air pollution are high in the metro area. water scarcity occurs in dry seasons, and petty crime/theft rises in crowded markets-use caution with valuables.
hyderabad stands out as india's it and pharma hub, earning the nickname "cyberabad," alongside its pearl trade and historic qutb shahi architecture contrasting modern skyscrapers. unique twin-city structure with secunderabad, gravity-fed water from hilly terrain, and a semi-arid climate ideal for year-round warmth make it a blend of heritage and high-tech innovation.
i don't know, it's a lot to take in. but i kind of like it here, despite the heat and chaos. there's something about the blend of old and new, of tradition and modernity that keeps you interested. just don't expect a relaxing vacation, that's all i'm saying.
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