This is going to be a guest post by the very talented Madhu Gopalan of Aadab Hyderabad fame. I have been closely following her photo album of the same name on her facebook and it struck me how much I wanted to feature her work on Hyderabad on this blog. Then followed another thought that whatever decriptor I might write below her pictures, it will never be quite like what she sees her city as. When I see her blog Aadab Hyderabad (which you must read if you have a feeling for history) I am always touched by how much love she has for where she comes from. So here in the 1st ever guest blog on artnlight, Madhu Gopalan & her Hyderabad.
If ever a city was a paradox, it has to be Hyderabad. A hip, happening IT destination with a bright future, swanky malls, never-ending expressways and a colourful nightlife in one avtar, and in another, a quaint, exotic little town steeped in history, with reminders galore of its glorious heritage everywhere you look.
The history of Hyderabad is replete with stories out of a fairy tale - kings, queens, forts, battles, treachery and of course, love. Each building, each wall and each stone has its own story to tell. While I for one, am stuck happily in the past, inevitably, times have changed and slowly but surely, the old is giving way to the new. Here are some images from my attempt, to capture what is left of the old, before the new completely takes over.
The Golconda Fort, the seat of the Qutb Shahi dynasty, till the city of Hyderabad was created:
The history of Hyderabad is replete with stories out of a fairy tale - kings, queens, forts, battles, treachery and of course, love. Each building, each wall and each stone has its own story to tell. While I for one, am stuck happily in the past, inevitably, times have changed and slowly but surely, the old is giving way to the new. Here are some images from my attempt, to capture what is left of the old, before the new completely takes over.
The Golconda Fort, the seat of the Qutb Shahi dynasty, till the city of Hyderabad was created:
The piece de resistance, the Charminar - with its construction by Sultan Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, the brand new city of Hyderabad was born:
The Chowmahalla Palace, that epitomizes the opulence, splendour and elegance of the Nizams of Hyderabad:
Remnants from the life and times of Hyderabad's nawabs:
Like Shakespeare said, what is the city but the people?
The colourful bazaars of the old city:
Priceless heritage monuments that have seen lives lived and lost, and empires risen and fallen:
And how could I leave out Irani chai - my...cup of tea :)
That was Madhu Gopalan and her photographic Hyderabad. Do write in with your views and comments :) And see you soon with new exciting posts!
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