Needless to say that the Charminar is one of the most popular tourist attractions of Hyderabad India! This historical monument is the first thing to see in the City of Pearls. Why the Charminar was built by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah in 1591 is one of the interesting facts of Hyderabad. The global icon of Hyderabad holding on to the stories of the bygone eras stands tall in the Old City of Nawabs. Though it stands silent, its eloquence is felt in the buzz of life all around. The life around the Charminar never ceases to throb as there are many things to see and do. Shopping for bangles, binging on biryani, sipping Irani Chai, grabbing bites of Osmania biscuits, visiting the Chowmahalla Palace, and clicking photographs are some of the things to do around the Charminar. Those who are scheduled to travel to Hyderabad from USA and other countries can take a cue from this infographic on how to make the most of a day trip to the Charminar this Ramadan. 

About Indian Eagle

Indian Eagle is a leading international travel organization encouraging tourists to visit India and booking their cheap flights to India from USA throughout the year. 

The post Infographic: How to Spend a Day around Charminar for the Best Experience appeared first on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

The holy month of Ramadan is in full swing. The Eid festival is being awaited with bated breath. Preparations for the celebration, including shopping, are going on at a fast pace across India. Of the Indian capital cities, Hyderabad is overwhelmed with festive fervor right from the beginning of Ramadan.

The festive mood of the city is distinctly felt in the area around Charminar in Old City, the hub of shoppers and foodies during Ramzan. This part of the city has late nights because of a special night bazaar (market) that continues to throb till the wee hours of the morning. The bazaar comes alive with the glitters of bangles, the smell of Haleem, the flavor of Irani chai, the sheen of mehendi, the calls of vendors and the frenzy of shoppers.

Lets have a walk through the night bazaar around Charminar and explore its Ramzan special attractions. Lets start from Charminar to Madina Building.

Lad Bazaar famous for bangles is a favorite haunt of women shoppers during Ramzan. The bangle sellers sit with their merchandise in a row. The glitters of bangles of different colors and designs steal the show with each pair of eyes. If you move a little ahead in Lad Bazaar, the shops selling imitation jewellery will greet you. When Eid is around the corner, Hyderabadis hit the market in the evenings to buy bangles and imitation jewellery for gifting.

Glitters of bangles in Lad Bazaar near Charminar

In a corner of the market, you will be welcomed by mehendiwalis. It is a tradition to beautify the hands with mehendi designs on festive days in India. With Muslim women, the tradition is customary on the occasion of Eid. If you happen to visit Charminar during Ramzan, make sure to get your hands beautified with henna, another name of mehendi.

Besides bangles, jewellery and mehendi, there are many other things on sale that vendors will be inviting you to have a look at. Most of the items are suitable for women’s beauty kits.

Hands beautified with mehendi during Ramzan

Now, lets move closer to Madina Building in Patthar Gatti. Patther Gatti is a shopper’s paradise where you will get apparels for the newborn, children and adults. All sorts of apparels – ethnic, casual, regular and party wear – are available here. Shopping for beautiful crockeries is a pleasure here. Many locales buy new sets of crockeries to serve dishes to guests on festive days.

A festive delicacy to taste on Ramzan nights near Charminar

Hours of walking and shopping from Lad Bazaar to Patther Gatti will surely leave you hungry. With Charminar being cornerstone of Ramzan food culture in the city of Nizams, you will feel spoilt for choice over availability of varied delicacies. A single glimpse of Haleem and Dahi Wada (commonly known as Dahi Bade) – Hyderabad’s most popular Ramzan special delicacies – will make your tongue crave for bites. I am sure; one plateful of delicacies may not satisfy your taste buds.

READ MORE Life around Charminar on Ramzan Days

Ramzan shopping is incomplete without a purchase of Attar. Your olfactory sense will surely catch the fragrance of Attar (perfume) in the air. Popular attars like Jannat-ul-Firdous, Kashish, and Anam etc. are the most sought after perfumes. Attars with genuine essence can be found only in this part of the city.

Genuine attars on sale near Charminar

Hey, the walk around Charminar has not come to a circle yet. From Lad Bazaar to Patther Gatti, and from Patther Gatti to Chatta Bazaar, you have seen bangles, jewelry, clothes, crockery, attar and tasted Haleem as well as Dahi Wada. What is left on the list? Seewaiyyan…

ALSO CHECK Things to Do around Charminar

Let’s step farther from Chatta Bazaar, people sitting with baskets full of Seewaiyyan will be seen. Seewaiyyan is used in cooking the most delicious dessert, Sheer-Qorma, a must taste during Ramzan. Guests are served platefuls of Sheer-Qorma in Muslim households, on the occasion of Eid.

Sheer-Qorma, a delicious dessert to taste during Ramzan

Hope, you enjoyed this exploration drive with Indian Eagle. If you visit Hyderabad at other times of the year, the ambiance of Ramzan nights will be missing from the area around Charminar. However, you will surely feel the typical Hyderabadi essence there. So, when are you booking your flight to Hyderabad?

The post A Walk around Charminar on Ramzan Nights in Hyderabad can be a Lifetime Experience appeared first on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

India is a rolling stone that never gathers moss! To say precisely, India is on the wheels of development in all spheres including travel & tourism. Since the discovery of the first sea route to India by Vasco da Gama in 1498, India had been a prime target of the colonists including the Portuguese, the French and the British mainly for its abundant wealth till the end of the Second World War. In the post-independence era, the heritage of India has been a pull to the world. Since independence, India has come a long way in travel and tourism, which is a thriving industry with lots of untapped potential and employment opportunity, today. Though the annual number of foreign tourist arrivals to India is much lower in comparison with other Asian countries, India’s inbound tourism is on a roll. Being a good player in international politics, India has witnessed consistent development in tourism over 68 years of independence. Today, the 69^th Independence Day of India, we at Indian Eagle take a sneak peek at the colossal picture of ongoing and upcoming developments in India travel & tourism.

India’s first Wax Museum in Kolkata

Kolkata is the first Indian city to have got a wax museum like Madame Tussauds in London. The museum has been named after Mother Teresa. Located in the city’s IT hub, the museum exhibits lively statues of eminent leaders, celebrities and freedom fighters of India. Kolkata is about to get a Ferris Wheel on the Ganges like the London Eye on the Thames.

Indian Railways on a ride for the better

Train travel in India is an altogether different experience these days. Thanks to the evolution of locomotive engineering and technology for Gatimaan Express, Indian’s fastest train from Delhi to Agra! Running at a speed of 160km/hr, it is faster than Shatabdi Express by 5 minutes. Ac double-decker train between New Delhi and Lucknow is another new feather in the cap of Indian Railways. India has eagerly been awaiting its first high-speed bullet train between Mumbai and Ahmedabad, which is under construction.

Easier Ways of pilgrimage in India

Pilgrimage is no exception to developments in India on the travel and tourism front. The newly laid Katra-Udhampur railway track has made pilgrimage to the hilltop Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu & Kashmir easier than before. Being a democratic country, India is keen on developing Buddhist tourism. The state government of Maharashtra has shown interest in the ambitious project, which is currently limited to identifying the Buddhist spots to be developed across the country.

India offers e-tourist visa to 75 countries

With e-tourist visa to India available for the nationals of the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and China, the inbound tourism of India has taken a great leap for the better. Currently, tourists from 75 countries across the world are eligible for e-tourist on arrival in India. Recently, seven tier-II Indian airports including Jaipur, Amritsar, Gaya, Lucknow, Trichy, and Varanasi have been added to the e-tourist visa on arrival scheme.

Domestic air connectivity on a high

India has seen developments in aviation too. In 2014, the Airport Authority of India announced a plan to develop 200 low-cost, energy-efficient airports in tier II and tier III cities across the country over the next 20 years. A few days back, Indian aviation gave approval to a project for developing 5 regional airports including two in Karnataka, one in Rajasthan, one in Arunachal Pradesh and one in Odisha in order to leverage the tourism potential of remote regions through extension of domestic air connectivity.

Wi-Fi and online ticketing for heritage monuments

Image Credit: TheQuint.com

Tourism development in India has taken to heritage properties as well. Online ticketing has been implemented to facilitate hassle-free visit to India’s most popular heritage monuments including the Taj Mahal, the Agra Fort, the Qutb Minar Complex and likes. Besides, visitors can access Wi-Fi connection and upload their selfies to social media instantly at those heritage sites. This tourist-friendly facility has gained huge response. The Khajuraho Temple Complex and Varanasi are among the latest among the Wi-Fi tourist spots in India.

Indian railway stations under Wi-Fi coverage

Wi-Fi at public places is a new cool in India. More and more travelers’ reach to Wi-Fi Internet facility is being extended across Indian railway stations. Bangalore City Railway Station is the first to have been equipped with Wi-Fi connection in India. Recently, New Delhi Railway Station has brought under the purview of this project. Use of Wi-Fi is free for the first 30 minutes. Commuters can buy scratch cards at i-Fi help desks at those stations.

Airport-like hospitality at railway stations

16 Indian railway stations are to get premium lounges with airport lounge-like facilities at affordable rates. Hospitality at these railway stations is about to reach the next level. Jaipur, Sealdah, Howrah, Patna, Bhubaneswar, Secunderabad, Vishakhapatnam, Nagpur, Puri, Ahmedabad, Bilaspur, Dhanbad, Vijayawada and Ajmer are the stations to get executive lounges at the first phase of hospitality development by Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation.

Security developments for female tourists

Developments in India are taking place to ensure security of women travellers. Women-only cab service for women is one of the developments that Goa and Kerala have witnessed to in last few months. The female drivers of the cabs under this initiative in interest of female tourists’ safety are trained in self-defense techniques soft skills, customer relations and first aid. Kerala and Goa’s women-only cab service is equipped with GPS system and panic alert system.

Incredible India Helplines for women travelers

The launch of “Incredible India Helplines” for domestic and international women tourists is one of the remarkable developments in India travel & tourism niche. 1800111363 and 1363 are the helplines for domestic and international female tourists respectively. Currently available in two languages: English and Hindi, the “Incredible India Helplines” will be rolled out in 12 international languages soon.

Innovations in India travel and tourism

The state tourism of Tamil Nadu has planned to introduce helicopter services for foreign tourists in the state. Madurai will be the primary hub of operations for helicopter tours to Kanyakumari, Mandapam and Kodaikanal. Tamil Nadu is globally famous as a state of temples of the Dravidian architecture. The God’s Own Country, Kerala has launched water taxis and AC boats on backwaters in a bid to fetch more luxury tourists. Kerala has teamed up with UNESCO to restore the faded glory of the ancient Spice Route, which connected 31 countries in the bygone eras. Odisha, a coastal state of India on the Bay of Bengal, is supposed to get India’s second Rock Garden. The sculptural exhibits in the garden will be made of rock and stone. Odisha’ Rock Garden will have amusement facilities too.

New tourist attractions across India

Tourism developments in India include innovations being implemented across the country. Gwalior, a historical city in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, is to set up a museum on Rani Laxmibai, whose name is remembered for her bravery in the Revolt of 1857. Udaipur, a heritage city in the Rajput region of Rajasthan, has got a new tourist attraction and that is India’s biggest telescope – the Multi Appplication Solar Telescope. An environment-friendly plan to build ropeway for tourists in Shimla and Rohtang Pass has recently been proposed. Mumbai is the first Indian city to be proposed for a floating hotel. Goa has proposed to transform the 85-m tall lighthouse on the Aguada Plateau into a tourist attraction like Dolphin Nose in Andhra Pradesh and False Point in Odisha.

Upcoming museums for literature lovers

Indian government has decided to convert the houses of George Orwell and Rudyard Kipling, two eminent authors in English literature, into museums for literature lovers. George Orwell, A British novelist who is famous for “Animal Firm” and “1984”, was born in the Indian state of Bihar. Rudyard Kipling, a Nobel Prize awardee in Literature who is famous for “The Jungle Book,” was born in Mumbai (then Bombay).

India travel on wings of global popularity

The growing recognition of Indian heritage and the increasing number of foreign tourist arrivals (though much lower compared to the numbers of FTPs to other countries) are among the leading reasons of ongoing and upcoming developments in India travel and tourism. In the end of 2014, the National Geographic listed Hyderabad as the world’s second best place to see in 2015 and incorporated Goa as the 6^th best nightlife destination to its guide for the year 2015. The Victoria Memorial Hall, which is often referred to Kolkata’s Taj Mahal, has recently entered TripAdvisor’s Hall of Fame, which is an international recognition. According to a report based on the analysis of Google search trends in the beginning of 2015, the Charminar of Hyderabad is the most searched Indian monument. It is followed by the Golconda Fort and the Salar Jung Museum.

Indian Eagle, a Texas-based leading travel organization, is a trusted partner of Indian Americans and Americans in booking their best flights to India at the lowest prices. The best service is guaranteed!

BOOK the Cheapest Flight to India

The post A Sneak Peek at Tourism Developments in India on 69th Independence Day appeared first on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

Hyderabad is the second best place to see in the world in 2015, according to the annual guide of the Traveler Magazine of National Geographic. The Presidio of San Francisco in the United States tops the list of the best 20 places to see in 2015. The prestigious second ranking of Hyderabad in the world, given by National Geographic, has already created waves of curiosity about this 400-year old city’s culture, heritage and history among travelers across the globe. Hyderabad’s past and present coexist in harmony with each other. The city, though on the wheels of urbanization, has not lost its old world charm. Despite being a thriving hub of information technology, the Telangana Capital is popularly known as the City of the Charminar. On this occasion, we have rounded some interesting facts of Hyderabad to share with you.         

Chowmahalla Palace defines the luxury of the Nizams 

The Chowmahalla Palace, a few steps away from the Charminar in Old City Hyderabad, bears testimony to the lavish luxury of the Nizams in the bygone era. One of the finest royal palaces in India, the Chowmahalla Palace was the majestic seat of hospitality, where the Nizams of Hyderabad used to hold grand receptions in honor of their guests including imperial emissaries and British Viceroys, during the Asaf Jha dynasty. This Heritage of India has striking resemblance to Shah of Iran’s Palace in architecture. Such is the grandeur of the Chowmahalla Palace that historians compare it to that of a “Palace of Arabian Nights”.

Falaknuma Palace is Hyderbad’s Buckingham Palace  

Hyderabad’s Falaknuma Palace is the best answer to the best Rajput palaces in Rajasthan. ‘Falaknuma’ means “mirror of the sky”, which justifies the unsurpassable height of elegance and magnificence that the palace boasts of. The palace has 22 spacious halls and 220 exquisitely decorated rooms with the largest collection of Venetian chandeliers. The Falaknuma Palace has resemblance to London’s Buckingham Palace in terms of sophistication and beauty.  The tableware, which was used to serve delicacies to the royal guests in the famed dining hall of the palace, was made of gold and studded with crystals. The décor of the palace retains the Nizami style, the French charm and the art-deco sensibility in harmony.

Charminar was built for a cause 

Most of the historic monuments in India were built by the kings, sultans, rulers and emperors as mementos of their victory in battles. The Charminar in Hyderabad is an exception to it. Plague broke out as an epidemic right after Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah transferred his capital from Golkunda to Hyderabad. He promised to consecrate a monument while offering prayers to the Almighty (Allah) in order to save his new capital from the plague. He kept the promise by having commissioned the construction of the Charminar in 1591, in honor of the Almighty.

The Life around Charminar

The flavor of Hyderabadi Biryani 

Hyderabad borrowed Biryani from the Mughal cuisine when Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb was in the Deccan for a long period. Hyderabad mixed its own flavor with the Mughal Biryani before introducing the delicacy to the kitchens of the Nizams. Thus the Hyderabad Biryani came to exist in as many as 149 varieties, which used to be cooked in the era of the Nizams.

The birthplace of Koh-i-Noor Diamond   

Hyderabad State in British India was the origin of the world famous Koh-i-Noor diamond, which traveled from India to England via Lahore. The diamond adorned the crowns of many kings in India and queens in England. It dazzled Shah Jahan’s Peacock Throne, Queen Victoria’s brooch and Queen Alexandria’s crown. Koh-i-Noor was in the treasure of the Golkonda Fort during the Kakatiya Dynasty in the 13^th century before it was embezzled and possessed by the rulers of the next dynasties and empires.

Necklace Road is Hyderabad’s Marine Drive 

Hyderabad’s Necklace Road around the Hussain Sagar Lake with the 18-meter high statue of Lord Buddha on a small island in the middle of waters is the best answer to Mumbai’s Marine Drive. If Mumbai is proud of the Marine Drive, Hyderabad boasts of the Necklace Road. It is said that a team of 200 sculptors carved the statute out of a single piece of white granite rock in two years. A popular hangout and a major tourist attraction in Hyderabad City, the Necklace Road is named so for its resemblance to the shape of a necklace.

Varieties of dosa in Hyderabad 

Hyderabad is of the few Indian cities where multiple different varieties of Dosa are served. Dosa used to be a typical Hyderabadi dish for breakfast before it was borrowed by other Indian communities. But 10 different varieties of Dosa, available in Hyderabad City, are still unknown to the rest of India.

Hyderabad’s Irani Café culture 

Hyderabad’s Irani café culture dates centuries back. Introduced by a group of settlers from Persia, Irani Chai (tea) became one with the taste of Hyderabad. The people in Old City start their day with cups of Irani Chai in the morning. The variants of Irani Chai including Khade Chammach ki Chai and Burkhe Wali Chai are unique to Hyderabad.

The Stories of Hyderabad

Flights to Hyerabad from USA have become cheaper with cheap airline tickets to Hyderabad International Airport from Indian Eagle. Check the best flights available on IndianEagle.com according to your travel dates.

The post Hyderabad is the World’s Second Best Place to See in 2015 appeared first on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

No matter how cosmopolitan Hyderabad has become, the Old City area retains its age-old charm that is unique. The Charminar is the heart of the Old City. Though the monument holds attraction of the place throughout the year, it is the Ramzan bazaar sprawling around the Mughal architecture Charminar that draws thousands of visitors in the holy month (Ramadan) of the year. The market beats with footfalls, buzzes with cacophony of hawkers, teems with makeshift shops, crawls with two wheelers, and gasps for air during Ramzan. All these create a thing of beauty just as seven different colors are blended into one color that is white. The Ramzan bazaar remains full of hustles and bustles till Eid. Indian Eagle presents a photo story of the life around the Charminar during Ramadan in Old City Hyderabad.

The gathering of visitors, buyers & sellers around the base of the Charminar .

A view of the Ramzan special fruit bazaar on ground (from the gallery-like corridor on the first floor of the Charminar)

One of the tens of temporary stalls making and selling delicacies in the Ramzan bazaar near the Charminar.

Food stalls serving Hyderabadi snacks to people in the Ramzan bazaar.

One of the makeshift stalls selling things for kids and women in the Ramzan bazaar, the Old City

A crowd of burqa-clad women busy bargaining with the sellers and hawkers in the Ramzan bazaar behind the Charminar.

A Hyderabadi biscuit seller waiting for buyers amidst the crowds around him in the Ramzan bazaar.

Pure attar to buy in the market near the Charminar in the Old City.

READ MORE A Walk around Charminar during Ramzan

Indian Eagle, a leading international travel organization, connects you with your root in India and offers Cheap Airfares to Hyderabad and other Indian cities.

The post Life around Charminar during Ramadan in Old City Hyderabad appeared first on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.