Birla Temple

Birla Mandir on the Naubath Pahad is a magnificent Hindu temple of Lord Venkateshwara, entirely built in white marble. The construction of this temple took ten years and was consecrated in 1976 by Swami Ranganathananda of Ramakrishna Mission. The temple does not have traditional bells, as Swamiji wished that the temple atmosphere should be conducive for meditation. Though the chief deity is Lord Venkateshwara, the temple has pan-Hindu character with deities of Shiva, Shakti, Ganesh, Hanuman, Brahma, Saraswati, Lakshmi and Saibaba.

Adarsh Nagar
Hyderabad, Andhra pradesh 500083
Tel No: 040 23233259

Location: Heart of Hyderabad city
How to Reach: Hyderabad is well connected with the rest of the country by air, railways and roads. Once in Hyderabad, the local transport like auto-rickshaws and taxis should get you to Charminar.
Main Attractions: The architecture of Charminar and the Bangle Bazaar flanking the monument on either side

Chow Mohalla Palace

Chow Mohalla was built in several phases in the rule of different Nizams. The pavilion where the rulers held court was known as Khilwat, built in the regime of the second Nizam. Some consider its style extremely baroque. The four palaces comprising the Chow Mohalla complex are Afzal Mahal, Mahtab Mahal, Tahriyat Mahal and Aftab Mahal. Afzal Mahal is the most imposing of them all.

Attractions: The complex includes Jilu Khana facing Lad bazaar and Daulat Khana-e-Ali, both built by the first Nizam.

Falaknuma Palace

Situated on a hillock 2000 ft above the ground level, Falaknuma palace is one among the most opulent palaces in Hyderabad. It was built in the year 1872 by  Nawab Vikarul-Umra Bahadur, a baron of Paigah and the Prime Minister of Hyderabad. A huge amount of money was spent for the interior decoration, with tooled leather ceilings created by Florentine craftsman, furniture brought from France and marble imported from Italy.

Location: The palace is just 4 km south of Charminar
Main Attraction: The palace offers a panoramic view of the city and boasts a well laid garden in front of it.

Golconda Fort

Golconda Fort in Hyderabad is a majestic monument, which lies on the western outskirts of the city. It speaks of a great cultural heritage of 400 years and is considered as a place that is worth visiting. Golconda was famous for its diamond mines in olden days. The world-renowned 'Kohinoor' diamond is believed to have come from here.

Location: 11 kilometers west of Hyderabad
How to Reach: Local transport within Hyderabad is easily available and will take you there
Main attractions: Touring the fort, spectacular light and sound show every evening
Built by: Qutb Shahi Rulers

Mecca Masjid

Mecca Masjid is one of the oldest masjids in the city and easily the biggest. Muhammed Quli Qutub Shah began building it in 1617 under the supervision of Mir Faizullah Baig and Rangiah Choudhary. Mughal emperor Aurangzeb completed the construction in 1694. It took 77 years to come up as the magnificent edifice we see today.  It is believed that Muhammed Quli commissioned bricks to be made from earth brought from Mecca and inducted them into the construction of the central arch of the mosque, which explains the name of the mosque.

Location: Mecca masjid is just a hundred yards southwest of the historic Charminar
Main Attraction: The mosque is a granite giant with awe-inspiring innards. The main hall of the mosque is 75 feet high, 220 feet wide and 180 feet long, big enough to accommodate ten thousand worshippers at a time.

Paigah Tombs

The Paigah Tombs in Hyderabad, India are the tombs of the several generations of the Paigah nobles. The Paigah nobles were very close to the Nizams and so they enjoyed a significant social status. They were given the responsibility of looking after the security and defense of the state. Some of the Paigah nobles who have been laid to rest here are Asman Jah, Viqar-ul-Umara and Shams-ul-Umara.

Location: Santoshnagar, 10 kilometers from Hyderabad city centre
How to reach:  Local Transport within Hyderabad city
Main Attractions:  One of its kind architectural wonder, carvings of marble

Qutub Shahi Tombs

Qutub Shahi Tombs are located in the heart of the Hyderabad city. The Qutub Shahi Tombs are quite close to the Golconda Fort, which is a famous landmark of Hyderabad. The Qutub Shahi Tombs are a perfect blend of Indian and Persian architectural forms, constructed in gray granite decorated with exquisite ornamentation. The tombs are domed structures, which are built on an elevated square base surrounded by pointed arches.

Location: 2 Kilometers from the Golconda Fort
How to reach:  Local transport which is easily available in Hyderabad
Main Attractions:  Numerous tombs at one place, Deccan Festival

Raymond Tomb

Raymond's Tomb was built in the memory of the brave French General Michel Joachim Marie Raymond (1755 - 1798 AD). He joined as an ordinary soldier in the service of the ruling Nizam of Hyderabad. He rapidly worked his way up and soon commanded the position of an army General. Not only was he respected in the army, he was also popular among the ordinary public. He was fondly known as Musa Ram among the Hindus and Musa Rahim among the Muslims.

Location:  Saroor nagar, 10 kilometers from Hyderabad city
Main Attraction:  The French Garden in vicinity