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Photo: Department of Language and Culture, Government of Telangana, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The secretariat housing the Government of Telangana in Hyderabad. Built in Indo-Saracenic style, the building also blends the Indo-Islamic architectural features generally with domes. It was built in 2021-2023 to replace the earlier secretariat housing the Government of Andhra Pradesh till 2020.
Telangana Secretariat, officially known as Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Telangana Secretariat situated at Hyderabad, is the administrative office of the employees of the Government of Telangana in India. The Telangana government on 15 September 2022 has decided to name the new Secretariat complex as Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Telangana Secretariat. Designed by Chennai-based Architects Ponni Concessao and Oscar Concessao, the complex has been built by Shapoorji Pallonji and Company Pvt Limited with all Green Building Council norms. There is a 125-ft tall statue of Ambedkar beside the Telangana Secretariat.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
See water cascades, go on guided car rides. Go on a boat ride and see the Buddha statue at the centre of the lake. It also offers nice Laser Shows in the evening which is first in India.
Built by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu in memory of N.T. Rama Rao, his father-in-law and ex-Chief Minister, this is an amusement park which houses some nice attractions like a mini-train, a haunted house, a boat ride, etc. There is a cafe where the seating is in the shape of vintage cars. You can either spend money on the rides or generally stroll around and gape at the fountains and the giant insects. For rides, the ₹ 45 combo you can buy at the entrance is a good deal.
The industrial house of the Birlas have the tradition of building magnificent marble temples in cities of India, all of which are known as Birla Mandir. This one is one of the best. The temple manifests a blend of South Indian, Rajasthani and Utkala temple architectures. It is made of 2,000 tonnes of Rajasthani white marble. The granite of the presiding deity is about 3.4 m tall and a carved lotus forms an umbrella on the roof. The consorts of Lord Venkateswara, Padmavati and Andal are housed in separate shrines. There is a brass flagpole in the temple premises which rises to a height of 13 m on top of Naubat Pahad (mountain). This clean, sparkling white temple dedicated to Venkateswara has viewing areas that afford a great view of the city. Sadly, no electronics are allowed, including cameras and phones; your bags are checked at the entrance. Shoes are not allowed, so come early in the morning so the ground will not be too hot. There is a free cloakroom available for both electronics and shoes.
The Khairatabad Mosque was completed in 1626 CE by Khairunisa Begum, also known as Ma Saheba, daughter of VI Sultan Muhammad Qutb Shah. She built the mosque for her tutor, Akhund Mulla Abul Malik. Adjacent to the mosque is an empty domed tomb. The mosque features a three-arch opening in front, accompanied by decorative slender minarets.
The show at the Planetarium lasts 35 min and is moderately interesting. The Science Museum, on the other hand, is poorly maintained. The Dinosaurium at the upper level is interesting. It contains a complete skeleton of a dinosaur Kotasaurus yamanpalliensis discovered in the village of Yemanapalli in 1988. Modern Art Gallery is near the Dinosaurium (ignore the signboard near parking directing to lower level). It's the personal collection of Nirmala Birla; also quite interesting.