Heart of Hyderabad (Travelogue)

By Nusrath Yar Khan
July 12, 2017: Whenever I used to visit Hyderabad for a couple of months and lived amid the noise, traffic and the rush of humans and returned to Muscat, I felt like I was on a different planet altogether. What? No noise not much traffic, no humans rushing around on the streets, or jam packed theaters, restaurants , people celebrating, like it was the Eid, Holi, Diwali, Christmas, all rolled into one? While in Muscat,Cycles and Motor Cycles can be counted on fingers.
I have got so used to hearing the commotion of different kinds of vehicles that I found the silence around our neighborhood in Muscat, a little unsettling.
In my previous glimpses of Hyderabad I said that every thing had changed so much but this was before I had a chance to go into the heart of Hyderabad which is THE actual Hyderabad .
Going from Nampally towards purana shaher nothing much has changed specially around Turoop[ Troupe]Bazaar, Mauzam Jahi market Charminar and basically the old shaher. Members who have been naming all the old haunts of Hyderabad will still find them intact with very little change except for the crowds and crowds of people commuting. One day it took us almost an hour to get out of the Turoop Bazaar ki galli to get to Mauzam Jahi market.
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The early morning hours and the afternoons are suitable timings to be on the road if you are only going out shopping or for an outing, or visiting relatives. Late evenings are almost a no, no if you want to save time travelling.
We needed to buy some sanitary ware and electrical fittings for a flat we were doing up. Upon enquiring where I could get all this in one place the name that came up on every ones lips was ‘Turoop Bazaar.’ [The right spelling being Troupe Bazaar.]
This was my first visit to ‘Turoop’ Bazaar. Having been brought up on the Secunderabad side of the Twin Cities I am not too familiar with the old shaher, except for the well known popular places.
So I had my first glimpse of a narrow lane with shops lined up on both sides with all sorts of sanitary/electrical fittings. A lane that becomes jam packed by the time we are done with our purchases and got stuck in bumper to bumper traffic.
Pather Ghatti shimmered with the latest sarees and dress material shops; a contrast to the ambiance of the old stone arched shopping arcade. Laad bazaar is still the same, enticing women into its fold with the sparkle of multicoloured stone bangles, the mild fragrance of haldi, chiksa, mehndi shops; ingredients a must for every bride at her wedding. Remember missy, a darkish powder, which was dabbed just a wee bit on to the lips of a bride to give her that sensuous look. We don’t see much of that these days but personally I found it attractive. I wonder what it was made of. [Can anyone enlighten me please?]
Nampally is where the feet can be adorned with the chakmak type of sandals and slippers. Not too expensive compared to the high- fi shops but not too long lasting either.
Going towards Punch Mohalla near Charminar sounds of keeping a beat– thakthak thakthak-thak thakthak. makes you wonder what actually is going on then you realize that the Warak walay are at work. Pounding a tiny piece of silver into a thinner than wafer silver foil, about 4inch x 4 inch that goes to decorate the sweets meats and paan. Thanks to the price of precious metals going up, it does not find a market as it used to. I have even heard that sometimes it is not pure silver but Tin that has been battered into “Warak”
The old well-known jewelers who become rich on the Nizam’s money selling over prized jewelry and some times fake too, have moved out of the old settings to air conditioned, posh showrooms.
Jewelry shops which used to be mainly in the old city in the narrow unimpressive lanes of Gulzar House and round about that area have now spread out all over Basheer Baug, Somajiguda and Panjagutta. And some even to Secunderabad.
Secunderabad ,which has not seen much change as part of Hyderabad has done. But the old theaters have all gone, except for a few which are hanging on for dear life.
Minarva, Manohar,Ajanta, Natraj, Dreamland, Tivoli , Plaza, Sangeet, [Yes Sangeet too the first 70mm theater of Secunderabad to show the best English movies] to name a few.
I remember in Minarva the ticket for the ladies section used to be Bara Anna. 12 Annas.
Though Ameerpet, Banjarah Hills, Somajiguda, Panjagutta, Jubilee Hills areas have developed into a ‘modern city’ with malls, theaters and restaurants. The old world charm still lingers on in the Heart of Hyderabad and will do so for years to come.
This is my guess. And I hope I am right.
Nusrath.
Hyderabad
(Contributed by Nusrath Yar Khan aapki_kidmat_mein @ yahoo.com [CharminarConnection] <CharminarConnection@ yahoogroups.com> )