The city of Hyderabad is located at the banks of river Musi in the state of Andhra Pradesh. A whole lot of tourists visit this city every year to enjoy its museums, monuments and food. One of the major tourist attraction of Hyderabad is the Hussain Sagar Lake which is also known as Tankbund. This lake is close to Begumpet and seperates Hyderabad from its twin city, Secundrabad. The lake was constructed under the meticulous supervision of Hussain Shah, son –in-law of Ibrahim Quli Qutub Shah and today attracts a whole lot of visitors who come here to see the Statue of Lord Buddha which is placed on the Rock of Gibraltar in the middle of the lake.

The Statue of the Buddha, with a height of 17.5 m, is counted amongst the world’s largest monoliths. It weighs around 350 tonnes and was sculpted out of white granite rock. Close to 200 sculptors were involved for 2 years in the creation of this statue. The statue was carved as a part of the Buddha Purnima project in 1985 but few years later, it met with misfortune while being transported to the lake. The statue laid on the bed of the lake till the time it was finally brought out and erected on the pedastal on 12th April 1992. Along with it, Lumbini Park was also inaugurated with musical fountains. You can take a boat ride from Lumbini Park to reach the Buddha Statue.

The Hussain Sagar Lake has a broad road which is lined up with lawns and statues of 33 famous personalities. The lake is also famous amongst the tourists for the scope it offers to enjoy watersports.


Other Atttractions

• Charminar : Constructed in 1591 by the founder of Hyderabad city, Mohammad Quli Qutub Shah to get rid of the sinister epidemic that was a menace at that point of time, the Charminar, today is the prime attraction for tourists to Hyderabad. The structure comprises four tapering minaret that rise up to 20m above the roof and are joined by charkaman or arches that have the royal piazza. This piazza house a number of shops.The structure is decorated with stucco which was typically Qutub Shahi style. Spiral staircases in the four minarets lead up to the madrassa on the first floor and mosque on the second floor. Every evening, the monument is lighted and appears beautiful.
  
  
• Golconda Fort : Rated one of the best forts of India, the Golconda fort stands 11 km west of the city centre. The fort was originally constructed by the Kakatiyas of Warangal and was a then a mud structure. Later, the Qutub Shah dynasty made significant additions to it. The fort fell into the hand of Aurangzeb in the 17th century and suffered massive destruction. However, what remains today is still capabale of taking you back into the era when this imposing fort was constructed. You can also find your way back into the time by watching the beautiful Sound and Light Show which is presented daily. The timings of the show differ in winters (6.30-7.30 pm) and summers (7-8 pm). The fort is open from 10 am to 5 pm daily.
  
  
• Qutub Shahi Tombs : The tombs of Qutub Shahi kings and their consort lie at the foot of the Golconda fort to the northwest. The tombs with onion shaped domes are considered one of the oldest historical monuments in the city of Hyderabad. The architecture of these tombs does not follow one style, but is a mix of Persian, Pathan and Hindu architectural styles. The place is the only one in the world where an entire dynasty is buried.
  
  
• Mecca Masjid : The construction of this mosque was initiated by the Qutub Shahis who brought bricks all the way from Mecca for the purpose. However, they could not finis it and the work was done by Aurangzeb in 1694. The mosque has a hall which measures 67 m and rises to a height of 54 m. The roof of the hall stands on the support of 15 arches.
  
  
• Birla Mandir : Located on the Kala Pahad, the Birla temple is dedicated to Lord Venkateswara. The idol of the deity here was inspired by the one at Tirupati.
  
  
• Salar Jung Museum : Located in the old city of Hyderabad, the Salar Jung Museum displays the collection of antiques gathered by a single person, the Mir Yousuf Ali Khan or Salar Jung III. Displays include Persian carpets, Moghal miniatures, Chinese porcelain, Japanese lacquerware, jades, daggers (belonging to Queen Noor Jahan and the Emperors Jahangir and Shah Jahan), Aurangzeb’s sword and many other wonderful items.
  
  
• Andhra Pradesh State Archaeological Museum : This museum is treasury of antiques and art objects in India. It was contructed in 1920 by the Nizam VII and has a Buddhist gallery, Brahmanical & Jain gallery, Bronze gallery, Arms & Armour gallery, Numismatics gallery, Ajanta gallery. The museum building itself is a delight for architecture lovers as it presents for them one of the most elegant Indo-Saracenic architectural style.
  
  
• The Nizam‘s Silver Jubilee Museum : This museum is located in the Purani haveli which was owned by the second Nizam. Highlight of the museum are the gifts and mementos given to the last Nizam on the silver jubilee celebrations of 1937. Apart from this, other attractions of the museum include a 1930 Rolls Royce, Packard and a Mark V Jaguar, a collection of silver models of all the important structures of the city, gold tiffin box inlaid with diamonds, and a gold model of Jubilee Pavilion.
  
  

Other Attractions
Legislative Assembly, Osmania University, Birla Planetarium/Birla Science Museum, Chow Mohalla Complex, Nehru Zoological Park, Shilparamam - The Arts & Crafts village, Public Gardens, Ramoji Film City, Hitec City, Lumbini Park, Hyderabad Botanical Gardens, Osmansagar Lake, Shamirpet, Mir Alam Tank, Secret Lake (Durgam Cheruvu), KBR National Park, Mrugavani National Park (Chilkur) and Mahavir Harina Vanasthali National Park.