Hyderabad by Walk - Wall Street Walk

This one sounded interesting and I was all game - in fact anything to do with the old city interests me. Vasu was game too so we caught up and headed to Darul Shifa, the 16th century Qutb Shahi times hospital (House of Health), when we were told by Safwan that the walk would start closer to 830. Vasu and I stopped at Cafe Nayaab and found the place packed to the gills - not a place to sit - not on the ground floor, not on the first floor, not in the a/c section - finally found one. Even as we sat down to order stuff Safwan called and said the wal would start in 10. So we headed down, got ourselves a lukmi and an egg bun, and downed some chai and went to join the walk.

Darul Shifa Mosque and football ground

Darul Shifa Ashurkhana

The walk started at the Ashurkhana right next to the Darul Shifa structure. In the buildings behind the Ashurkhana is a school. I had been here on the Ashurkhana walks during Muharram so interested myself in other things. Ajay and Anirudh were there as well.

Interesting

Chatta Bazaar Gate

We walked down Chatta Bazaar road and stopped at the Chatta Bazaar over bridge which looks magnificent. It primarily led from the residence of Prime Minister Salar Jung to his famous Lakkad Kot which was a wooden house next to the Musi, a casualty of the 1908 floods.

Mahboob Radio Service

Diwan Devdi Gate

Right there was also the interesting Mahboob Radio House which was apparently where the radio announcements of the Nizam's time would happen from - the Nizam had his own railway, airways, Mint, bank, currency, radio. Now the store sells old gramophone players and stuff. A little further down I saw one of the gates to Diwan Devdi, now fully occupied by all kinds of mechanics, and stores and stuff. 

Badshahi Ashurkhana

Dilapidated Naqqar Khan

Ornate Ashurkhana

Next stop was at the Badshahi Ashurkhana, a Qutb Shahi Ashurkhana where the royals would come to mourn, next to Shadab where we were joined by Ms. Anuradha Reddy and she regaled everyone with her tales. 

Madina Hotel - Wahaj and Mrs Anuradha Reddy

The HFL mark in the background - to the right

From there we headed down the road, stopping once to see a High Flood Level mark of the 1908 Musi Flood (September 28, 1908).

The High Court

Muralidhar Mandir

The Musallam Jung Bridge - the old granite one

The High Court of Telangana

Onwards to the High Court and then the City College. We stopped at the Musallam Jung Bridge which is adjacent to the City College and crosses the Musi. Being a rather longish walk we ended it there - a little further and we would have been at the Purana Pul bridge.

The Osmania General Hospital

OGH - Scale

A nice long walk back along the Musi right to the Darul Shifa and we bid our byes and headed back. Good work Wahaj and Safwan - and like Vasu said - as always.