Sunday, November 29, 2009

Charminar

Charminar

">FACTS & FIGURES

Built in : 1591 AD
Built by : Mohammad Quli Qutub Shah
Location : Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh)

JEWEL OF HYDERABAD

charminar,charminar hyderabad,hyderabad charminar,pictures of charminar,history of charminar,charminar india Hyderabad, the capital city of the south Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, is famous all over the world for its magnificent Charminar (four minarets). Often called "The Arc de triomphe of the East", Charminar was built by Mohammad Quli Qutub Shah, the erstwhile Qutub Shahi Sultan of Golconda, in 1591. It was the centre of attraction of the magnificent capital city of Mohammad Quli Qutub Shah. In spite of it being dwarfed by present day buildings, the Charminar has not lost its erstwhile majesty and continues to attract travellers. Presently, Charminar stands with pride, at the centre of the old city.

"> INDO-ISLAMIC STYLE OF ARCHITECTURE

Indo-Islamic style of architecture is neither a local variant of Islamic architecture that reached India in the middle ages, nor a modification of Hindu art, but it is an assimilation of both the styles, though not always in an equal degree. It is so because each region in India has its own form of Indo-Islamic architecture, which varies from place to place and there is no standardization. On the other hand Islamic art itself was a composite style, which had various Muslims influences like Turkish, Persian and Arabic.

Rulers from different parts of the Muslim world, who came and settled in India, brought with them the artistic traditions of their regions. The intermingling of such traditions with local Indian practices resulted in different forms of Indo-Islamic art. In Delhi, Islamic influences dominated while in the Deccan, local styles were more prominent in the buildings. In Bengal, the indigenous practice of using bricks for building was adopted and the monuments were richly decorated with chiselled and moulded decorations typical of Hindu temples.

Though both the Indian and Islamic styles have their own distinctive features, there are some common characteristics, which made fusion and adaptation easy. Both the styles favour ornamentation, and buildings belonging to both these styles are marked by the presence of an open court encompassed by chambers or colonnades.

The Charminar is an excellent example of the Indo-Islamic style of architecture. The four arched gates and the four towering minarets of this building reflect its Islamic lineage but the overall rendering of the building reflects a strong local influence. The decorations on the main structure and the minarets are ample evidence of local architectural traditions.

"> CHARMINAR

The Charminar is an imposing monument, which reflects the glory of the Qutub Shahi dynasty. It is a massive square structure, 56 m (183.72 ft) high and 30 m (98.42 ft) wide. This monument is built entirely of granite and lime mortar. It has 4 minarets one on each of its corners. These fluted minarets are attached to the main building and rise towards the sky to a height of 56 m (183.72 ft). Each minaret of the Charminar has a double balcony. A small bulbous cupola crowns each of these beautiful minarets, which is decorated with petal like formations. A short pointed spire crowns all the minarets.

The four grand arches of the Charminar face the four cardinal directions. Once upon a time each of these arches led to four royal roads. Each of the four arches is decorated on its sides with a row of small arched niches. The Charminar is a two-storied building with the first floor being covered. The elegant balconies on this floor provide excellent vantage point for viewing the surrounding areas. There is a small mosque on the top floor of the building, which can be reached by climbing a total of 149 steps. The mosque is situated on the western side facing the Muslim holy city of Mecca. There are as many as 45 prayer spaces on this floor, which does not have a roof on top of it. It is said that people thronged this mosque to offer Friday prayers, during the reign of the Qutub Shahi dynasty in Hyderabad. This mosque is the oldest surviving mosque in the city of Hyderabad. The panoramic view of the city from the top is simply breathtaking.

The Charminar is a unique blend of the Indo-Islamic style of architecture that flourished in India during the medieval period. The beauty of this enchanting monument is accentuated every evening when it is illuminated.

">HOW TO REACH

Hyderabad and Secunderabad are twin cities, and share the same airport - Begumpet airport that is well connected by air with important Indian cities. It is located at a distance of six kilometres from Secunderabad and is 15 km from Old City (Old City of Hyderabad), where Charminar is situated. Taxis are easily available from the airport for the twin cities.

Hyderabad is also well connected by train and road with important destinations in India. To travel to the Charminar, you can make use of local buses (that ply on fixed routes within the city), taxis or auto-rickshaws. Rented cars available in Hyderabad are ideally suited for exploring the city and places around it.

Makkah Masjid


Hyderabad and one of the biggest in India. Mecca Masjid is a listed heritage building located close to the historic landmarks of Charminar, Chowmahalla Palace and Laad Bazaar. Muhammed Quli Qutub Shah commissioned bricks to be made from earth brought from Mecca and inducted them into the construction of the central arch of the masjid, which explains its name.

The Masjid has Imam of Sunni Barelwi Movement from the beginning.Mecca Masjid was built during the reign of Sultan Muhammad Qutub Shah, the 6th Qutub Shahi Sultan of Hyderabad. The work began in 1617 and continued during the reigns of Abdullah Qutub Shah and Abul Hassan Tana Shah and was finally completed in 1694 by the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. It took 77 years to come up as the magnificent edifice we see today.

Like many other ancient buildings in the city, the masjid is an awe-inspiring granite giant. The main hall of the masjid is 75 feet high, 220 feet wide and 180 feet long, big enough to accommodate ten thousand worshippers at a time. Fifteen graceful arches support the roof of the main hall, five on each of the three sides. A sheer wall rises on the fourth side to provide mehrab. The three arched facades have been carved from a single piece of granite, which took five years to quarry. More than 8,000 workers were employed to build this grand masjid. Muhammed Qutub Shah himself laid the foundation stone of the masjid. “It is about 50 years since they began to build a splendid pagoda in the town which will be the grandest in all India when it is completed. The size of the stone is the subject of special accomplishment, and that of a niche, which is its place for prayer, is an entire rock of such enormous size that they spent five years in quarrying it, and 500 to 600 men were employed continually on its work. It required still more time to roll it up on to conveyance by which they brought it to the pagoda; and they took 1400 oxen to draw it”, said Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, the French explorer, in his travelogue.

As the tourist gets past the main gateway and enters a huge plaza, a large man-made pond of bluish waters greets him. On the edge of the pond are two stone and slab benches and whoever sits on them, according to legend, returns to sit on them again. A room in the courtyard is believed to house the hair of the Islamic prophet Muhammed. At the peak of the minarets flanking the masjid is an arched gallery and above that a smallish dome and a spire. Inscriptions from the Quran adorn many of the arches and doors. The main structure of the masjid is sandwiched between two massive octagonal columns hewn out of a single piece of granite. The cornices running around the entire mosque structure and the floral motifs and friezes over the arches remind the tourist of the great attention paid to detail in Qutub Shahi architecture. They have a close resemblance to the ones the tourist sees on the arches at Charminar and Golkonda fort.

Though an overview of the masjid yields a picture of a massive rectangular granite monolith, closer scrutiny discloses the sculptural excellence of this axis of Muslim faith and of the parts that constitute its sum. If the tourist can deflect his gaze from the sheerness of the façade, everything from the cornices, the alcoves, the balconies to the parapets and the sundry, reveals an unparalleled aesthetic brilliance. Look at the cornice running on the four sides of the masjid, you will find 25 windows which have awnings positioned between the consoles.

On the four sides of the roof of the main masjid are ramparts made up of granite planks in the shape of inverted conches perched on pedestals. From the cornice of the masjid, its minarets are not as high as the minarets on the mazaar (Nizams tombs) haven from their cornice. The octagonal columns have arched balconies on level with the roof of the masjid with an awning for a canopy above which the column continues upwards till it is crowned by a dome and spire.

As the tourist enters the great courtyard of the masjid, to his left he will find an exquisitely graceful, rectangular, arched and canopied building housing the marble graves of Asaf Jahi rulers. This structure came up during the rule of the Asaf Jah rulers. It contains the tombs of the Nizams and their family. At both ends of this resting place for the Asaf Jahs and very much a part of it, are two rectangular blocks with four minarets each. These minarets have elegant and circular balconies with low ornamental walls and arches. Above them is an octagonal inverted platter from which the rest of the minaret soars till it is arrested by a dome and a spire. This mazaar sanctuary is in reality a far greater specimen of architectural sophistication than the principal masjid and proclaims the artistic penchant of the Asaf Jahi

ST. MARY'S CHURCH IN SECUNDERABAD


St. Mary's Church is dedicated to the blessed Virgin Mary. It is specially built to honour her as the Queen of Heaven and Earth. This church is one among the many magnificent mansions of Mother Mary in India. It has a remarkably beautiful statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This statue of the blessed Mother has a solemn, yet a very tranquil appearance. It embodies a divine serenity and an aura of love around it.

Located in the heart of Secunderabad, this church draws hundreds of devotees towards our Blessed Mother. An imposing Gothic structure with exquisite architecture, St. Mary's Church has an arresting facade with its domineering tall tower crested by a crucifix. Enshrined in the central niche of the tower is the statue of OUR LADY OF IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, serene with her eyes looking towards heaven, her hands joint in prayer, her appearance gentle and divine.

At one time, St Mary's Church was a cathedral. There is a strange foreshadowing of India's independence in the history of St. Mary's Church. Its foundation was laid by the saintly Irish Bishop Daniel Murphy on 15th of August 1847. This Church was the venue of Bishop Murphy's victory over the then Viceroy Lord Dalhousie. The Bishop got the Viceroy's order expelling him reversed.

This Church was also the principle venue of the stormy celebration at the time of the visit of the pilgrim statue of Our Lady of Fatima in 1950, when some miracles took place. Besides all these, St Mary's Church has always been and will always be transcendent, unique, spiritual center stage for the spiritual upliftment of the people. People flock here for the Sunday masses from different places.

People of different faiths call her 'Mother" who is given to us from the cross by her Son, Jesus Christ.

Secunderabad History


Secunderabad has a rich history that is almost akin to that of Hyderabad. The origin of Secunderabad goes back to the time when Hyderabad was formed. The history of Secunderabad runs parallel to that of the Hyderabad. The cities have grown together and developed into major commercial centres of the present century. Secunderabad is separated from Hyderabad by a manmade lake called Hussain Sagar. The place served as a British military base during their rule in the nineteenth century. Hyderabad and Secunderabad both share a single airport that is located within its boundaries.

Secunderabad is popularly known as the twin city of Hyderabad. It is located to the north of Hyderabad. Secunderabad has many places to visit of tourists' interest. The town is provided with all the basic arrangements for tourists. The place comes at par with the capital city of Hyderabad as it is provided with the latest amenities and facilities to cater to its tourists. Visitors to this region usually visit famous towns situated in the district that include Begumpet, Bolarum, Marredpalli, Trimulgherry, and Sanathnagar. Secunderabad, like Hyderabad boasts of a number of upcoming business and suburban places in Andhra Pradesh state that are in high demand.

HYD HISTORY



Hyderabad the capital of Andhra Pradesh, founded in the year 1591 by Mohammed Quli Qutub Shah, the fifth sultan of Qutb Shahi dynasty, offers a fascinating panorama of the past, with richly mixed cultural and historical tradition spanning over 400 years. It is one of the fastest growing cities of India and has emerged as a strong industrial, commercial, technology center, gives a picture of glimpses of past splenders and the legacy of its old history.The history of Hyderabad begins with the establishment of the Qutb Shahi dynasty. Quli Qutb Shah seized the reins of power from the Bahamani kingdom in 1512 and established the fortress city of Golconda. Inadequacy of water, and frequent epidemics of plague and cholera persuaded Mohammed Quli Qutub Shah to venture outward to establish new city with the Charminar at its centre and with four great roads fanning out four cardinal directions. Hyderabad's fame, strategic location and Golconda's legendary wealth attracted Aurangazeb who captured Golconda after a long seize in 1687.

After this defeat the importance of Hyderabad declined and the city fell into partial ruins. As the Moghul empire decayed and began to disintegrate, the viceroy, Asaf Jah I proclaimed himself the Nizam and established independence rule of the Deccan. Hyderabad once again became a major capital city, ruled by successive Nizams of the Asaf Jahi dynasty until the state was merged into Indian Union in 1948.


SECUNDERABAD: In 1798, a subsidiary alliance for military and political cooperation was signed between the Nizam and the British East India company.

There after an area north of what is now the Hussain Sagar was established as a cantonment. The area was named Secunderabad after the then Nizam, Sikander Jah.

From nawabs and pearls to the world's hi-tech happening point, the city's journey is fascinating. The sprawling metropolis is coming to terms with itself at the start of the new millenium. The Qutb Shahi dynasty founded the Kingdom of Golconda, one of the five kingdoms that emerged after the break up of the Bahamani Kingdom. The Qutb Shahis ruled the Deccan for almost 171 years.All the seven rulers were patrons of learning and were great builders. They contributed to the growth and development of Indo-Persian and Indo-Islamic literature and culture in Hyderabad. During the Qutb Shahi reign Golconda became one of the leading markets in the world of diamonds, pearls, steel for arms, and also printed fabric. The glory of the Golconda kingdom ended in 1687, after a valiant struggle. Aurangzeb, the last great Mughal ruler, captured Golconda after a siege that lasted eight months.

Abul Hasan Tana Shah, the last king of Golconda, was imprisoned at Daulatabad, where he died after twelve years in captivity. With the conquest of the Deccan and the South, Aurangzeb succeeded in expanding the Mughal Empire to cover the entire sub-continent. However, after his death in 1707, the Empire rapidly declined. At that time , the Deccan was administered by a Subedar or viceroy of the Mughal Emperor. Mir Quamaruddin, the Governor of the Deccan, who bore the title of Nizam-ul-Mulk Feroze Jung Asif Jah, declared his independence from Mughal rule in 1724.

He thus became the first Nizam and the founder of the Asif Jahi dynasty. Asif Jah I continued to maintain Aruangabad, which had been founded by the Mughal rulers as the capital of his new state. In 1769, Nizam Ali Khan Asif Jah II, shifted the capital to Hyderabad. The seven Nizam's of the Asif Jahi dynasty ruled the Deccan for nearly 224 years, right up to 1948. During the Asif Jahi period, Persian, Urdu, Telugu and Marathi developed simultaneously. The highest official positions were given to deserving persons irrespective of their religion.

Persian was the official language up to 1893 and then Urdu up to 1948. When the British and the French spread their hold over the country, the Nizam soon won their friendship without bequeathing his power. The title "Faithful. Ally of the British Government" was bestowed on Nizam VII. The British stationed a Resident at Hyderabad, but the state continued to be ruled by the Nizam.

The rule of the seven Nizam's saw the growth of Hyderabad both culturally and economically. Huge reservoirs, like the Nizam Sagar, Tungabadra, Osman Sagar, Himayath Sagar, and others were built. Survey work on Nagarjuna Sagar had also begun during this time. Hyderabad, under the Nizam's, was the largest princely state in India. Area wise it was as big as England and Scotland put together. The State had its own currency, mint, railways, and postal system. There was no income tax. Soon after India gained independence, Hyderabad State merged with the Union of India. On November 1, 1956 the map of India was redrawn into linguistic states, and Hyderabad became the capital of Andhra Pradesh.