You can start feeling the warmth and the power of Charminar even before you reach it. The burkha clad women, the tiny tottering children, the small 'bundis' full of assorted stuff from pens to hair clips to cups, the sights of this place leave you craning your neck to fill your hungry eyes. Every nook and corner of this amazing place is abuzz with activity 24*7.The reason Charminar is so famous is because it is the heart of Hyderabad city, every tourist who comes to Hyderabad visits this place at least once. Once you step into this amazing place you feel like you have stepped right into a carnival.
Built in 1591 by Mohammed Quli Qutub shah to mark the end of a plague in Hyderabad the charminar is a massive impressive structure with four minarets, it’s a beautiful thing to look at. My first visit to Charminar was when I was just about 9 years old and I can’t remember anything about it apart from a crowd of people swarming the place. Yesterday was my third visit there and it felt like being sucked into a whirlpool of people jostling one way or other going about their business, clicking pictures or shopping. I first entered charminar by getting down at Laad bazaar which is street famous for all your Indian accessories, bangles, necklaces, semi precious stones, saris, brocades, khada dupattas and what not. A delicate stone encrusted kada along with a beautiful necklace landed in my shopping bag. Bargaining is a regular feature in Hyderabad so don’t lose hope if the prices are too high you just need to bargain a little and in the end you get what you want. The best way to experience this place is on foot as the bazaar is located on a narrow street bursting with people and the shops are small, cramped but comfortable.
From here we moved to the Afzal Gunj market for some fruit shopping. It was so hot that we could not stay for more than half an hour. Welcome to 40 degrees, that’s Hyderabad. Hunger and heat forced us to a hotel for some lunch, the yummy naan, biryani and qubani ka meetha sated our appetite. Charminar as every hyderabadi will know is a food lover’s paradise with every nook and cranny of it holding at least one hotel or food joint. No one can leave charminar without tasting one of the many delicacies its so famous for, even if you are not too hungry the aromas are sure to lure you.
Fully fed and satisfied we continued with the shopping spree, much to my delight the footwear at charminar was a big catch. Though you can’t expect much quality here the range of footwear for all genders and ages was a vast one, the prices again being subjected to your bargaining skills, nonetheless it’s worth the haggling. A breezy calmness began to set in by the time we finished with our shopping and dusk was welcomed by the charminar with open arms.
I had momentarily forgotten that unlike the other markets Charminar is filled with life even at night, so I was surprised as the number of shoppers increased with the decreasing light. The majestic Charminar was brought to life with an array of lights and it looked mysteriously beautiful and serene, my mind began to drift to the times long gone when the Charminar might have hosted the Kings and Queens, might have been draped with rich cloth, but now stood witnessing the population of its beloved city resting in its shadows.
I began my homeward journey, happy to have stood in the shadow of a great monument and sad that a beautiful day had ended. My experience at the Charminar left me humbled and spellbound. Truly a magical experience.
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