Hyderabad Parks

Filed under Sights

As a city that has found itself to be one of India’s most progressive, both in terms of technology and metropolitan growth, Hyderabad is not without its places of relaxation and amusement. Aside from the usual areas people hang out such as the Old Markets or the various historical city sights, one of the more popular places to go to to relax are the various parks and gardens found all over Hyderabad. For most people, these places are an ideal gateway from the normal buzz of everyday living. For a people whose culture spawned the philosophy of yoga, rejuvenation and serenity is a natural part of Indian living.

The more popular parks and gardens in Hyderabad–and those that any visiting tourist should not miss–include the following.

Indira Park. Located in the lower Tank Bund of Hyderabad, by the Hussain Sagar lake, Indira Park’s main attractions are its rare beautiful trees, the musical fountains, and the katta Maisama Temple. It got its name from the former prime minister of India, Indira Gandhi. Construction for the park formally started in 1975, when then President of India, Late Faqruddin Ahmed, laid the foundation stone. It was finally opened to the public in 1978.

The characteristic that sets Indira Park apart from other parks is the way it was designed, namely, in a novel manner that does not disturb the natural elements already present in the park such as the sandalwood trees, the wild date palms and the keuvda plantations. It is also a good place for a picnic. There are several stalls that serve food and drinks for anyone who’s hungry.

Lumbini Park. Constructed in 1994 and opened in the same year, Lumbini Park is a 7.5 acre public park located 3 kilometers from Hyderabad, just adjacent to Hussain Sagar Lake. It attracts many visitors a year, owing in part to its close proximity to other tourist attractions such as the Birla Mandir, and its geographical location; it is located in the center of the city. Some of its attractions include a Floral Clock, man-made waterfalls, and the musical dancing fountains. There’s a show of the fountains organized daily at 6:30 PM where the fountains dance to the tune of several Bollywood films, accompanied by light shows.

Public Gardens. The Public Gardens is one of the oldest and finest gardens in all of Hyderabad. Located right smack in the center of the city, it is famous not only for the well-maintained greenery, lawns, and attractions but also because it contains several important and famous buildings. The list includes:

  • the State Legislative Assembly
  • the Jubilee Hall
  • the Telangana State Archaeological Museum
  • the Health Museum
  • the Jawahar Bal Bhavan

Recently, the state government has added a grand statue of Mahatma Gandhi in the garden. Sitting in a praying posture, the statue is a great addition to the beauty of the whole place.

Nehru Zoological Park. The Nehru Zoological Park (also known as Nehru Zoo) is a wildlife sanctuary situated 16 kilometers from Hyderabad, in the Bahadurpur area. It has an area of about 300 acres and it houses about 1,500 species of birds, animals, and reptiles. There is also the option of going to a jeep safari for the more adventurous tourist. The park also has a Natural History museum that educates the young kids about the importance or the animals to the world.

Sanjeevaiah Park. Named after the former President of India, Dr. Neelam Sanjeev Reddy, Sanjeevaiah Park is located near Hussain Sagar Lake. It was neglected for some time but has since been given a much-needed face-lift. Due to its popularity with the young couples who come for long walks there, it has gained the nickname “Lovers Park”. Exclusive, multi-colored breeds of roses are also found, as well as a Rock Garden that has many different shapes and sizes of rocks.

KBR National Park

KBR National Park Established in 1994 in order to protect the biodiversity and richness of the area it is on, the Kasu Brhamananda Reddy National Park covers about 156 hectares of land right smack in Hyderabad’s Jubilee Hills. The park is named after Telangana’s former prime minister Kasu Brahmananda Reddy, and it is a rather unique park in its own way. Aside from being picturesque and teeming with flora and fauna life like most national parks, it also has the magnificent Chitan Palace by the former Nizam of Hyderabad as well as other historic structures. Find out more.

Mrugavani National Park

Mrugavani National Park Mrugavani National Park in Hyderabad is an example of a national park turned prime tourist attraction and, in a land steeped with exotic and great natural resources such as India, that is a great achievement. Located at Chilkur in Moinabad, some 25 kilometers from Hyderabad, Mruvagani National Park is sprawled over 3.5 square kilometers of pure, untamed land. It was made a wildlife sanctuary by the Indian government in 1994 and has been home to about 600 species of plant and animal life since. Like most national parks, human intervention and interaction is strongly monitored in order to ensure that all the creatures remain undisturbed in their natural habitat. Find out more.

Mahavir Harina Vanasthali

Mahavir Harina Vanasthali The Mahavir Harina Vanasthali National Park in Hyderabad is one such attraction. Named after the holy Jain saint Lord Mahavir, the park is located in Vanasthalipuram, a residential suburb 15 kilometers from Hyderabad. It is particularly well-known for being the home of the endangered Black Buck deer. The deer, also known as Krishna Jinka in Telugu language, is Telangana’s state animal and was the most hunted animal in all of India during the 18th, 19th, and the first half od the 20th century. Fortunately, the declaration of the Mahavir Harina Vanasthali as a national park helped in saving it from certain extinction. Find out more.

The parks in Hyderabad can easily be reached via local transportation. They are perfect places to enjoy the beauty of Hyderabad and see that there can be something soft beyond the sprawling, technological side of it.

Comments

Comments are closed.