HYDERABAD-RICH HERITAGE CITY

HYDERABAD-RICH HERITAGE CITY

Hyderabad is rich in history with spectacular monuments to boast about. To enlighten the citizens and tourists about these monuments, the Tourism Department of Andhra Pradesh, conducts heritage walks every Sunday, on four different routes. The best way to get to know the history and culture of your city, is to take a heritage walk “A heritage walk is a delightful way to explore the history and heritage of a city. Through these walks, we are trying to spread awareness about our heritage and emphasise the need to preserve our historical monuments. Understanding the architecture and appreciating the artistic super structures of these monuments is one of the main aims of conducting these walks,” says Madhu Vottery, the Heritage Walk Coordinator of AP Tourism. Regular heritage walks were started in 2009, with the efforts of the Honorable Secretary, Jayesh Ranjan.

Recently, 150 children from Delhi Public School attended a heritage walk from Charminar to Chowmahala Palace. “The walk brought out the charm and the aura of Hyderabad's rich heritage. We went along the south western part of the walled city via the majestic palaces of the kings and nobles of the Asaf Jahi period,” says Amrita Patro of Std. IX. “The walled city was the new city of the Qutb Shahi dynasty outside the Golconda Fort. This new city was to be a replica of Heaven on Earth, unparalleled in the world,” she continues. “The guided tour around the most famous heritage sites of the city, gave us a panoramic glimpse into the times when the Nizams ruled our city,” says Aditya Roopam Arora, another Std. IX student. “It was interesting to compare the old rundown arches and palaces of the real city, with the modern, fast moving technology hub that the city has now become,” adds Aditya. “Taking children on these walks is indeed an experience by itself as they look at history and heritage very differently,” adds Ms Vottery. What one learns in the textbook is very different to what one learns on a trip around ancient monuments, where one gets to see, touch and feel things for real.

The Tourism Department has earmarked four different walking routes for these heritage walks. One route is from Charminar to Chowmahalla Palace; another from Charminar to Badshahi Ashurkhana; the third one is from Charminar to Purani Haveli and the fourth one is from the State Central Library, Afzalgunj to the City College. Trained guides accompany visitors and tourists on these walks, giving them information about all the monuments that they pass along the route. For more information on these walks contact 9849728841. One can also log onto the AP Tourism website: www.aptourism.in

                                                                                    Prof John Kurakar