Hyderabad, India's fourth biggest city,
is fast becoming one of the most exciting
visitor destinations in the country.
Hyderabadi's are really,
really known for their hospitality
Its booming tech scene
is attracting global attention.
It's more like wine when you start
enjoying it you, you really fall in love with it.
And transforming this ancient
city into a cosmopolitan hot-spot.
It's an amazing time to be in Hyderabad.
Once home to the richest man in the world and
the center of the global diamond trade, Hyderabad is full
of hidden gems, you just have to know where to find them.
Three passionate locals are about to take you
on a tour of their city, revealing the secret
spots where you can experience the real Hyderabad.
If you want to capture the vibrancy, color, and sounds
of Hyderabad you'll need to get up early just like
the flower merchants of Gudimalkapur flower market.
As flowers are an integral part of Indian life, this
market attracts buyers and sellers from across the region.
It's also a favorite spot for keen photographers.
My name is Saurabh Chatterjee.
I'm a travel photographer.
Since childhood I had a dream to travel and
to take pictures for the people who can't travel.
Saurabh has taken his love
of photography one step further and now shares
it with visitors by running photo walks.
I like bringing people to the flower
market because there's so much happening there.
It's all about the color of the flowers,
the textures of the flowers.
Also, looking for details and being
more aware of what is around me.
Also it's interesting to watch these people
and interact with them and then you take a picture.
By joining Saurabh it's a chance to see
this city and its people through a very different lens.
I have to capture one
particular moment, to freeze that moment.
Market stall holders here aren't
just selling flowers, they're also creating garlands
for every type of celebration in this city.
The use of garlands in weddings
is just like in the West the exchange of rings
where husband and and wife become one.
Each and every garland is made by hand,
an art form that's perfected over years.
Saurabh's photos have taken
him all over India one frame at a time.
But it's Hyderabad's people and iconic
locations that inspire him the most.
My name's Srinivas Kollipara, I'm the CEO
of T-Hub, which is India's fastest growing start up engine.
I'd love to welcome you all to Cyberabad.
So called Cyberabad is the home
to Hyderabad's flourishing Tech and Startup community.
The ambition is to create India's answer to Silicon Valley,
and it's fast attracting a young cosmopolitan crowd.
In the last few years there's been an
explosion in the number of clubs, bars, restaurants.
Because what we're seeing is Hyderabad
is really becoming a global city.
The building to our left is the building
for Google and they're currently building
their largest campus outside of their
Mountainview headquarters here in Hyderabad.
But when Srinivas has business visitors
he doesn't take them to the newest parts of town.
He takes them to the oldest.
The street markets of Charminar in the old city have
been the beating heart of Hyderabad for 400 years.
This was the center of the world's diamond
and pearl industry during the time of the Nizams
who ruled over Hyderabad from 1724 to 1948.
Near Hyderabad were the famous
Golkonda mines which produced some of the largest
diamonds in the world, in fact the Koh-i-Noor that
is in the crown jewels of the UK, the Hope Diamond,
which was one of the largest blue diamonds in the world,
all of these came from the mines near here.
What that meant was that this place was fabulously wealthy
and because of that Hyderabad became a true trading city.
The diamond industry may have moved
on but the pearl trade is still alive and well
giving the city its moniker The City of Pearls
attracting buyers from around the world.
Yes sir how can I help you
I'm looking for some pearls.
And what Srinivas really gets
a kick out of is schooling his western visitors
in the age-old art of haggling.
So how much is this set?
It's 3,250.
3,250?
Yes.
That's a little high I would say 1,500.
Because that's an original pearl
and we'll provide lifetime guarantee certificate.
Okay.
They're very nice but I'd say 1,500 rupees.
What's the discount you can give me?
1,500?
No.
I can do some concession for you.
Okay.
I will reduce 10% for you, 2,925.
I still think it's too much.
I'm sure you can do better than this though.
I'd say 2000 rupees.
No sir, 2,000 would be very low.
So I will do my best, I will do 20% for you.
So the first thing is start low.
Then stand your ground.
And be prepared to walk away if
you don't get the right price.
So this is a good price?
Yes sir that's a very good price.
Thank you very much.
But the best tip of all to grab a bargain?
Get a local to do the haggling for you.
And if haggling doesn't make you feel like
a local then a bone rattling ride in the back
streets of Begumpet might do the job.
My name is actually Jaininty Rajgopali
but most people call me Jonty, it's a nickname
I got in college and just stuck.
I think I'm a bit of a nomad, I belong to a south Indian
family but I grew up in the northern part of the country.
I found this a perfect place for me.
Since arriving in Hyderabad 13 years
ago Jonty decided to set up her own business,
taking people to the true heart of the city,
and a place where most travelers never get to visit.
Hey Usha.
Hi.
How are you?
The authentic Indian Kitchen!
Home dining is becoming very popular with travelers,
but here at Usha's they don't just come to eat, but to
learn the secrets and skills of Hyderabadi home-cooking.
And this is the chili powder?
And this is the Gundu chili powder.
Okay, and it's hot.
Himalayan salt.
Oh okay.
This is the Himalayan pink salt.
Wow, that's a lot of salt.
So the food here tends to be a little more spicy and
a little more salty compared to the rest of the country.
You understand how people cook and what they cook
with and it does give you a glimpse of their
life especially if you're going into a local home you
get to see how they live, what kind of life they lead.
It gets you under the skin of the city as well.
I have a few friends who come here looking
for curry powder and it makes it very difficult
for me to explain to them that we don't have
something like curry powder in India it's
an invention which the British did.
In fact the word curry itself doesn't really
mean what it means to most Westerners.
For example, in this part of the country
curry literally means just a vegetable.
This is no five star restaurant.
But it offers visitors an even rarer experience,
the opportunity to really see how the locals do it.
In India we prefer to eat with our fingers
because we believe that, one, it tastes better
you're closer to the food, secondly when you lick
your fingers it actually activates the digestive
juices so your food also gets digested much better
if you eat with your fingers and you really
cannot eat some of this with a fork and a knife.
Too good.
It's very nice.
Across town, Srinivas has a very
different way for people to get inside the city.
One of my favorite places to bring
people is the Taj Falaknuma Palace.
It's one of the top palace hotels in the country, and it's
just this amazingly luxurious, incredible experience.
The Falaknuma Palace Hotel used
to be the royal guest house for the richest man
in the world, Osman Ali Khan, the last Nizam ruler.
This is where I come
for high tea with a splash of history.
Welcome to Taj Falaknuma Palace.
For those in the know, tea here comes
with a personal tour with the resident historian.
This unique palace took 10 years to build
and 22 years to decorate.
The last Nizam of Hyderabad kingdom who was
the richest man in the world in 1937,
he converted this palace into a royal guest house.
The likes of King George, Queen Mary,
Edward the 8th stayed in this palace.
This is the longest dining table
in the world with 101 chairs
The Palace has played host
to many illustrious guests.
These are the comments written by Ivanka
Trump when she had dinner with the prime minister of India.
That's a really interesting signature there.
And then you have the Agha Khan.
But visitors don't need to rely
on their connections to taste the high life here,
just follow the routine of Hyderabad's former ruler,
and take high tea on the palace hotel's terrace.
It's one of my favorite places to bring people,
it's such a luxurious experience, it's a step
back in time, it makes you feel like royalty.
In a city of seven million people,
sometimes you need to find a quiet corner
for peaceful contemplation and Saurabh knows
just the spot, Moala Ali Hill.
Once I was looking for a place to go and I
found this place on top of a hill and I thought
let me come here and see how it looks like.
I was so amazed with the view that I'm getting here.
And I didn't know how I spent a couple
of hours there and after that I've been coming
again and again to reflect on myself and the whole city,
the people who live here and on my life as well.
At the top of Moula Ali Hill
is a 16th-century dargah, a muslim shrine.
The dargahs reputed healing properties turned
it into a pilgrimage site and countless
devotees climb the 500 steps to the top.
A very interesting vibe
when you go to that place.
People say that their wishes get fulfilled
when they go there, people come
from really far irrespective of their religion.
But praying in Hyderabad isn't all
about quiet contemplation, it's a chance to party too.
And with over 50 religious festivals in the calendar
year there's always an opportunity to get involved.
Every neighborhood will hold its own festivities.
And for Jonty, it's the best way to immerse
visitors in the Hyderabad street scene.
One of the ways we show our love for visitors
is wanting them to be a part of our festivals.
So there's always room for another place at the table,
there's always room for one more person at an Indian
wedding, so if you want to get in to the spirit of those
festivals you just should not hesitate and just join in,
we'd be more than happy to welcome you.
It may seem overwhelming but if you
want to properly appreciate these festivals,
there's only one thing for it, leap right in.
I think at the last count Hindus
have about 40 million gods.
The most popular festival amongst the communities would
be the Ganesh Festival or the birthday of the elephant
god and it's a time when the whole city comes to life.
Some of the most popular
festivals last for up to 11 days.
Today's celebrations culminate with
the watery immersion of the Ganesh idols.
A boisterous farewell as he's returned to his heavenly home.
It may be the end of the night for Jonty
but for Srinivas the night is just beginning
at one of the most fashionable hangouts in the city.
There's an amazing new bar
you enter your secret code, you actually have
to know someone to know where it is but then you
walk in and there's this incredibly opulent, beautiful bar
where they actually serve you Ayurvedic cocktails.
Srinivas is here to catch up with his friend
Tejaswini, owner and brains behind this pioneering bar.
I love this place
Thank you.
So, I need a drink.
Ayurveda is a form of traditional
Indian holistic medicine with ancient origins.
Ayurveda can be applied to every area of your life.
It literally is your food, the way you sleep,
what kind of exercise suits you.
So applying it to something like alcohol
which is traditionally kind of damaging.
So this is the most beautiful way to sort
of integrate it without the harmful effects.
I don't think anyone would ever think
about healthy alcohol drinks.
I know but you know what Ayurveda was one of
the first to include medicinal wines in their repertoire.
It's based on the belief that health
and wellness depend on a delicate balance between
the mind body and spirit depending on your unique body type.
I have to figure out my body type
Your body type will tell you
what kind of alcohol and what kind of mixers
to put in your drink to balance it.
And what all this does is it helps
you wake up fresh without a hangover.
That's pretty cool!
Awesome!
So it tells me I'm Kaffer dominant
So your body type can
handle hard alcohol really well.
So I think I'll order a New Fashioned.
That's a good one.
You should try that.
Can I get a new Fashioned please?
And hopefully that means tomorrow morning
I won't have a hangover.
And whatever you think about Ayurveda,
it's certainly a fun way to choose a cocktail.
It's the perfect end to a day in the city of contrasts,
where the old meets new, where tradition meets innovation.