I firmly believe the best way to explore a city is on
foot.It’s cheap, easy, and gives opportunity to see and experience the city all
along the way.As a traveler, you can’t
experience these things from behind the windows of a bus or a car.
GOKUL CHAt
While roaming in Koti, you can’t miss the tempting spicy Rajasthani Chats. This age-old eatery is the go-to place for the most mouth-watering chaat in the city of Hyderabad. Few years ago, Gokul chat shop faced a terrorist attack and since then entry is allowed after a security check. They have removed the sitting arrangements, eat standing.
What’s the best way to
do all that? Lace up your best walking shoes and explore on your own two feet. Exploring a new city on foot is a great way to get
a feel for a new place, discover great restaurants and hidden gems,
architecture, culture, road side foods, how the locals behave, and more over
you get the opportunity to interact with the locals’
.In this way you will be soaked in the
atmosphere of the place to your full
enjoyment.
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| Moazzam Jahi Market-Hyderabad |
So one fine
morning, I decided to explore Hyderabad on foot.This travelling covered from
Koti to Moazzam jahi Market.I left city bus (public transport) at Koti stop.It
is special to mention that one can get public transport for any part of
Hyderabad city from Koti bus stop.
Koti Market
So be ready to walk with me from Koti. One of the oldest shopping
regions in Hyderabad-with an existential pedigree of about 200 years, Koti
Sultan Bazaar is the one-stop heaven for the latest trends in women’s fashion,
though that’s not the only thing that you’d find here.
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| Koti Market-Hyderabad |
The area's name comes from the word Koti
Residency, kothi meaning a mansion. This was later converted (1805) to house the British
resident James Achilles Kirkpatrick and
which was, in 1949, converted into the campus of the Osmania
University College for Women.
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| Women Fruit vendor at Koti Market-Hyderabad |
Here I found many big
book shops.Book vendors were selling books lining along the road. Soon realized
that since educational institutes surround the area only textbooks are sold
here. One point, Koti used to be the go-to place for
textbooks, and the weekends would be packed with, medical and engineering
students in search for second-hand versions of their expensive reference books.
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| Building of Zonal Andhara Bank at x-sing of Koti Chauraha -Hyderabad |
A huge and grand building of Zonal office of Andhara Bank is on
a prime location of koti sultan Bazaar. Fruit vendors, most of them are women,
sell fresh fruits sitting in a line along road facing Andhra Bank.
Koti
Osmania
University Women’s College
At a stone’s throw away
from the crowded Koti Bus stop there is situated The Osmania University College for Women which is a prestigious
educational institution of Hyderabad.
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| Koti--University College of Women--Hyderabad |
The building of Koti Womens College was at once the embassy of
the East India Company to
the court of the Nizam of Hyderabad,
and the residence of James Kirkpatrick, the British Resident. Within its
compound there were several quarters, including a zenana (women's
quarters) where Khair-un-Nissa lived the love and wife of James Kirkpatrick. Khair un-Nissa was great
niece of the Prime Minister of Hyderabad.After independence, this Residency building
was converted into a women's college in Osmania
University College for Women in 1949.
Koti Sultan Bazar
Koti
Sultan Bazaar lies between the commercial areas of Abids and Koti. During the British rule in India, Koti Sultan Bazar was
called Residency Market. This market has a long 200 years of history. Koti Sultan Bazar is famous for the latest fashion when it
comes to women’s clothing.
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| Koti- Sultan Bazar-Hyderabad |
From silver junk jewelry to rare
pieces, this market is a one-stop-shop for shopping in Hyderabad for all you
ladies out there. From stylish Indian salwar kameez sets to churidars and
dazzling footwear.
The variety on
offer is mind boggling and the amazing deals you can get here will surely
confuse you. Street shopping in Hyderabad at its best!
Osmania Medical College is one of the oldest medical colleges in India (1847 A.D.)Seventh and the
last Nizam of Hyderabad Nawab Mir Osman Ali Khan established Osmania University
in 1919 A.D. and in the following year the Hyderabad Medical College.
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| Osmania Medical College-Hyderabad |
The story behind the opening of the Hyderabad Medical
School
The Fourth Nizam of Hyderabad Nawab
Nasirud-Dauwlah fell ill (Probably he was suffering with Diabetes) in 1842/43
A.D. and he did not recover for quite sometime under the treatment of Unani
Hakeems, as all the people in Hyderabad had belief in Unani Medicine and no one
practiced Allopathic Medicine here before 1846 A.D.
Mr. Fraser the then British Resident
in Hyderabad recommended treatment of the ailing Nizam by the Residency surgeon
Dr. William Campbell Maclean He treated the Nizam by adjustment in his daily
diet, without any medicine, as the Nizam wanted that, he must be cured without
having to eat or drink any Allopathic Drug.
The King followed the diet schedule
as prescribed by Dr. Maclean and recovered within a period of three months. The
western system of medicine thus appears to have gone high in his estimate and
so, he ordered for the establishment of the medical school in Hyderabad. But,
for one year no student came forward.
While roaming in Koti, you can’t miss the tempting spicy Rajasthani Chats. This age-old eatery is the go-to place for the most mouth-watering chaat in the city of Hyderabad. Few years ago, Gokul chat shop faced a terrorist attack and since then entry is allowed after a security check. They have removed the sitting arrangements, eat standing.
 |
| Gokul Chat Shop in Koti--Hyderbad |
Here I charged my energy enough to walk on foot
by dahi puri, hot mirchi bajji, pav bhaji, and ended with a cooling sweet
Kulfi.
Abids, a
shopper’s paradise
One of the oldest markets in Hyderabad is
ABIDS,which may be called as “Abids, a shopper’s paradise”.Both sides of
the Abids road is dotted with hawkers selling a variety of merchandise at a
price most find reasonable and light on wallets. What also appeals to shoppers
is indulging in the artful haggling over prices that is a common sight all the
day.From books to knives, this market has almost anything on sale at a
reasonable price.
One of the oldest markets in Hyderabad is
ABIDS,which may be called as “Abids, a shopper’s paradise”.Both sides of
the Abids road is dotted with hawkers selling a variety of merchandise at a
price most find reasonable and light on wallets. What also appeals to shoppers
is indulging in the artful haggling over prices that is a common sight all the
day.From books to knives, this market has almost anything on sale at a
reasonable price.
 |
| pav BHAJI AND DAHI PURI AT GOKUL CHAT SHOP IN KOTI-HYDERABAD |
PIGEON PARk
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| pigeon house -KOTI-HYDERABAD |
There is small PIGEON park behind the gokul
chat that is a marked place for pigeons and belongs to pigeon welfare
association with a colorful pigeon house towering in the middle. there were thousand
of pigeons in this small park.i entered in the park and fed the pigeons and clicked
them. this was a beautiful part and experience of this walk.
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| Pigeons at pigeon Park in Koti-hyderabad |
Behind this PIGEON park was another market full of chaos,
with vendors all around and customers pushing around. In this street there was a
Shvetambar Jain temple, a typical structure in white marble. Hyderabad Metro
work was on progress, this construction turned this market over crowded. Sometimes
it was difficult to breath Fresh air.Flower vendors were selling Flowers on road
for devotees of this temple.
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| Shawetanber jain temple behind pigeon park koti-hyderabad |
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| FLOWER SELLER OUT SIDE shawetamber jain temple in koti-HYDERABAD |
Abids, a
shopper’s paradise
One of the oldest markets in Hyderabad is
ABIDS,which may be called as “Abids, a shopper’s paradise”.Both sides of
the Abids road is dotted with hawkers selling a variety of merchandise at a
price most find reasonable and light on wallets. What also appeals to shoppers
is indulging in the artful haggling over prices that is a common sight all the
day.From books to knives, this market has almost anything on sale at a
reasonable price.
 |
| abids main market (with thanks to wikipedia) |
One of the oldest markets in Hyderabad is
ABIDS,which may be called as “Abids, a shopper’s paradise”.Both sides of
the Abids road is dotted with hawkers selling a variety of merchandise at a
price most find reasonable and light on wallets. What also appeals to shoppers
is indulging in the artful haggling over prices that is a common sight all the
day.From books to knives, this market has almost anything on sale at a
reasonable price.
The origin of this Abids street name is quite interesting.
Abid was the name of the owner of
the first shop, Albert Abid, Valet and Steward, a Jewish merchant in the area.
He was also a incharge to Nizam IV. Hence the place is so called.
 |
| Abids Sunday Market shopping |
According to another version,
Abids derives its name from the first departmental store of Hyderabad, owned by
Abid Evans. Such was the popularity of this shop that the whole place
comprising business CENTERS got this name.
Abids, a paradise of Book Lovers
Come
Sunday and the roads of Abids spring to life with shoppers searching for literary
efforts of popular authors. When one talks about book bazaars in Hyderabad, the first
name that comes to mind is the Sunday Abids book market.
 |
| Abids road side book shops |
This is a treasure
trove for book lovers.Every Sunday morning, the
book vendors are lined up on the footpath and staircases.
Moazzam Jahi Market
Moazzam Jahi market was constructed by the
last Nizam, Mir Osman
Ali Khan in 1935, and was named after his
second son Moazzam Jah Bahadur. Originally meant to be a fruit market, it
soon turned out to be a place where one could find just about anything —
fruits, vegetables, flowers, groceries, earthen pots, arms and ammunitions, paan, ice-cream, dry fruits,
hookahs and ittar — and buy them at wholesale prices. Open space inside the market is feeding ground
for pigeons.
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| Inside view of Moazzam Jahi Market Hyderabad |
Moazzam Jahi Market was constructed
in a planned way, with covered corridors and open spaces. The material used for construction of
this structure is the granite stone, and the roofing is done in the jack arches
method. The market has a flat terrace accessed by spiral staircases; its
interior courtyard forms an integral part of the building and was designed with
the city's climate in mind.
Even today, the market boasts of the busiest streets in
the city with hordes of visitors. This Moazzam Jahi Market is a connecting
point between the old and the new city.
Hand Made Famous ice creams of Moazzam Jahi
Market
The famous ice-cream Shops in the
market are the visitor's delight and serve a variety of handmade ice cream to
patrons in all seasons.
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| Hand made Ice cream Shop of Ghafoor Bhai in Moazaam Jahi Market |
I would ensure that my friends coming to Hyderabad would
also visit the place and taste something that they cannot find anywhere else in the world.
The market is noted for ice cream that every one craves for it. This
place is a house for different flavors of mouth watering ice creams such as
sitafal, anjeer, mango,Papaya and many more.
Karachi Bakery
It was started by Sri Khanchand
Ramnani ji, a Sindhi migrant from
Karachi to Hyderabad in 1947 during Partition of India. In
1953 Ramnani opened the first Karachi bakery of Hyderabad next to Seena
Bakery Moazzam Jahi Market.
Today it is the most famous bakery of not only Hyderabad
but the whole region, located on Moazzam Jahi Market. Karachi
Baker is popular for its fruit
biscuits, dil kush ,fruit
bisciuts and plum cake. Experience the
aroma this bakery dispenses as you walk across it.
I was ecstatic in reurning
back with enamored experiences of
this small foot walk on road of Hyderabad , from
Koti and ended at heritage Moazzam Jahi Market.Where I ending my sweet carving
by mouth melting handmade ice cream bowl of Ghafoor Bhais icecream parlour and
purchasing a pack of fruit biscuits from Karachi Bakery.
Written posted and photograph by Engr Maqbool Akram