Anupam- The Dreamer

The experience of Hyderabad and its signature monument Char Minar

What comes first to your mind when you hear about Paris? The Eiffel Tower!

What comes first to your mind when you hear about New York? The Statue of Liberty!

What comes first to your mind when you hear about Agra? The Taj Mahal!

I hope you got the same answers! It is like these monuments over time have come to become a symbol or a signature of that city in which they were constructed. This is not to say that the city doesn’t have any other remarkable characteristics or monuments or history of its own or its unique culture, but it would be prudent to say that a visit to these cities is certainly not complete without paying a visit to these landmark monuments! It is because these monuments have shaped the culture and life of many of the people in the city. Some people find means of sustenance from them like becoming tourist guides, tour company operators, small vendors, logistics providers for transport, employment to local people like souvenir-sellers etc. Some people start making songs, music, poetry, concerts around these venues. Some find solace in the vicinity of these monuments by doing activities like morning walk, jogging, roaming around etc. Some find interest in its history and cultural significance. So, in a way lives of many people revolve around the central point of the signature monument of that city.

Yesterday, I visited Char Minar in Hyderabad. This is also the first thing that comes to mind when anybody talks about the places to visit in Hyderabad. Before, visiting the place I had some idea about the place and surrounding market. But, when I visited the place, the perception that I had in my mind went for a complete toss because it had a lot more to offer! The entrance to the Char Minar area is lined by the bustling lanes of Laad Bazaar with overflowing public and the traffic moving at the snail’s pace, maybe because the place seems like that it is the congregation and centre point of the city of Hyderabad. The long history of Qutb Shahi dynasty and the Nizam rule’s influence could be easy seen everywhere as you walk down to the Char Minar, whether in the perfume shops, the pearls market, the street vendors, the biryani sellers, names written in Urdu, clothes being sold etc. etc. The monument per se was not that tall as I imagined it to be, yet it was a marvellous one, standing for more than 400 years at 184 feet height with 4 minarets at the 4 corners. If you look it as such, then it is just an old building. But, if you analyse the significance, you find that it has a mosque at 2^nd floor and the minarets which served as a raised platform for the call to prayer in Islam religion. The influence of Indo-Islamic architecture could also be seen vividly.

Just near the surroundings of the Char Minar, you would find a lot of vendors selling millions of items– it is like a huge flea market, where you can find anything and everything for daily use. As a person who doesn’t know much of Telugu, barring a few words, you wouldn’t have any problem in conversing with the local people there- because almost everyone speaks Hindi, or I should say Hyderabadi Hindi. After sometime, you can also pick the slang like saying “Ji hao”, “ye isse kam nahi hoinga” etc. I found the people very polite and friendly. I was eating a totapari raw mango smeared with salt and chilli powder and simultaneously conversing with the vendor about the history of the Char Minar. Meanwhile, some vendors who overheared the conversation thought that he is the “new bakra” and started following me to sell the “pearls” and other local stuff. Running short of time, I bought some stuff hurriedly before heading to the Makka Masjid nearby and then to Chowmahalla palace, which was unfortunately closed at night. After tracing my steps back towards the Char Minar, I was checking out some stuff in the flea market when suddenly it started raining. The bustling market suddenly became deserted with people running around for shelters and vendors covering their stuff with plastic sheets. I also took shelter in a nearby makeshift shop and started conversing with a 13-year old innocent, cheerful and skinny kid who was selling bags with Char Minar printed on them. I would have bought a bag from him had I met him 5 minutes earlier, because I had already bought one. He became a little wet as he couldn’t escape the early showers. Nevertheless, he had sparkle in his eyes when he spoke and asked me where I came from, and then went on to tell that he had come to Delhi once. He also told me that I should not miss the Irani chai at the Nimrah Café & Bakery located at stone’s throw from Char Minar. So, I asked him if he could buy me an umbrella from a nearby vendor whom he had known. The boy unmindful of the light rains, went to the vendor and got me an umbrella! I insisted him a lot to have Irani chai with me, but he smiled and declined. Maybe he didn’t like that too much. So, I went to buy the Irani chai from the legendary café and it tasted even more amazing in the rainy weather that drenched the place. It was nothing short of poetic sort of thing. When I came back to search for the boy, alas! he was gone.

After loitering around the place for some more time, I wanted to taste the Hyderabadi biryani. Some guys around told me to go to Anand Bhawan, some suggested Sai Kiran restaurant. One person insisted me to go to the latter as the Veg Biryani there was amazing. So, off I went to relish the Handi Biryani at the Sai Kiran restaurant and I must tell you that it was delicious. People say that – “Hyderabad me aake biryani nahi khaya to kya khaya”, and by biryani they mean chicken/mutton biryani by default. But, as a vegetarian, I wasn’t guilty of not getting to taste the “original” biryani and I was satisfied with a mellowed down version of the same. After walking around so much and expending a lot of energy, the biryani tasted even better 😀

This time for a short visit, Hyderabad for me was Char Minar and its surrounding bazaar. I hope that every city has a lot more to offer than just one part of it. Yet, if that small part is a significant one, then you could feel content that you atleast witnessed the microcosm of the macrocosm. Char Minar gives the flavour of Hyderabad in every which way. Atleast, I felt it that way!

Till next time……