Culture & Heritage

Food

Hyderabad are known for their unique cuisines. The city, which was once the capital for Marathis, Kannadigas, Muslims and Telugus as well, represents a unique blend of cuisines, beverages and eating habits. Dum Ka Biryani, Qubani Ka Meetha, Hyderabadi special biryani, Irani Chai, Sakinaalu, Sarva Pindi are among those specialities that others savor in Hyderabad. The hinterlands of Telangana offer a much more cuisine experience with the local flavors and spices going into the making of these dishes. The cuisine of Hyderabad is famous from a small tea stall to grand banquets in five star hotels. Hyderabadi Haleem is not just savored in the region but is also exported by some of the leading brands in the city. Made exclusively during the Ramzan season to break the fast held for more than 12 hours, people from all religions vie for this lip smacking non-vegetarian delight. These days, even vegetarian haleem is available widely. Haleem has also earned a GI ( Geographical Indicator) tag. The people of Telangana are known for mixing a variety of spices for making dishes out of jiggery, rice flour, wheat flour, maida, chillies, dal and other condiments. Brand Hyderabad towers proudly when it comes to the one-of-its-kind food items. Mughlai cuisine easily blends with Nawabi cuisine and inturn with the delicious Telangana pappu and other Andhra delicacies brought by the migrants. Truly, the capital city represents a coming together of various food habits.

Culture

Ganga Jamuna Tehzeeb, this is how one can describe a melting pot of cultures called Hyderabad. The predominantly Muslim dominated old city, the new city inhabited by Hindus, the Secunderabad and its cantonment populated by Christians, the Parsis of Boggulkunta,Telanganas, the Sikhs, Sindhis, Marwaris, Marathis, Andhras, Tamilians, Kannadigas- everyone makes Hyderabad, as it looks today. Teeming with cultural and religious diversity, the city was considered a cosmopolitan hub even during the time of Nizam’s. It is one place where one community blends into another with mutual respect and honor.

Bonalu, Bathukamma, Vinayaka Chavithi and other festivals are celebrated with fervor side-by-side where the common man enjoys the festivities without any religious discrimination. The entire city lights up not just during Diwali but also Christmas. In short, Hyderabad, located almost towards the Central part of India, on the Deccan plateau represents the culmination of Urdu dialect with Telugu. The language spoken in Hyderabad is different from rest of Telangana, which is infact again categorized into various dialects for every 100-150 km. Unity in diversity, Hyderabad is a testimony to this philosophy of brotherhood and peace between various religious and cultural groups. In short, Hyderabad is a beacon of multi-religious, multi ethnic, multi cultural and multi linguistic society at peace with itself. The food, dressing habits, life style and every other aspect varies in the city which has now acquired the tag of a global city in an increasingly globalized world, where it has seamlessly blended with new ideas and people with various nationalities!