The Serene Jewel Of the Deccan
Hyderabad: T S Eliot wrote in Four Quartets: "The only wisdom one can hope to acquire is the wisdom of humility...humility is end- less..." I mulled over these words as I strolled through the bazaars of Hyderabad: its unique multicultural and multilingual thebe an eloquent testimony of the richness of life itself, a flavour one couldn't possibly acquire from books alone. Spiritually, Hyderabad stands out as a wonderful link-bridge between the north and south, imbibing the best of both in its culture, cuisine and character. The Deccan festival, conducted every year in March, celebrates the city's composite and secular character. Standing atop the Charminar, I couldn't help but marvel at the remarkable transition of this city from a small settlement called Bhagyanagar after Queen Bhagyamati, wife of Quli Qu tub Shah, founder of Hyderabad 400-odd years ago to a hi-tech 'Cyberabad'. Yet, the place continues to be a quaint blend of the ancient and modern, where people and traditions are not at loggerheads. They seem to find their own space beautifully within the larger umbrella of Hyderabadi culture. Old-timers like MUL Nigam, former director of the Salarjung Museum, contend that this Hyderabadi these is only a manifestation of a dignified way of life, and has nothing to do with religious denominations. "When we talk of Hyderabadi culture, it is not exclusive to either Muslims or Hindus....", he says. Y Mallikarjun tells the story of the sixth Nizam, Mahbub Ali Khan, who worshipped the river Mus and offered a sari when the river flooded the city in 1908. "The greatest merit of our culture is that it integrated people, irrespective of their caste or creed". Such has been the extent of cross-cultural interaction that one of the Nizams instituted an annual Urs or fair in honour and as a mark of remembrance to the well-known French general Michele Raymond, who set up the Gun foundry in Hyderabad, and whose spirit of generosity left an indelible imprint on the psyche of Hyderabadis, who in turn virtually conferred 'sainthood' on him William Dalrymple's novel White Mughals details this cultural interaction. This assimilation of cultures and pluralism has given Hyderabad a unique identity as the "Kohinoor" of secular India. Why, Muhammad Quli Qutub Shah wooed and married Bhagmati. Tagore reportedly said that the architecture of Osmania University represents the "harmonious blending of Hindu and Muslim coexistence...." Vivekananda had this dream-vision of the coming together of a Vedantic brain Islamic body which would provide the ideal setup in modern India Hyderabad in many ways is THE SPEAKING TREE a reflection of that vision. Nehru called Hyderabad the "microcosm of Indian culture". Urdu poet Faiz Ahmad Faiz romanticised it as "the Garden of Eden". Sarojini Naidu wrote of the wonderful bonhomie-spirit of Hyderabad. Quli Qutub Shah saw only the religion of love as the central theme of the city when he founded it, writing that "...Islamic and non-Islamic are the same..." To a Hyderabadi, life is a celebration. The spirit of bonding and affection (khuloos) which characterises the city needs to be cherished and emulated by other cities and towns. Melting point or salad bowl? It matters not, as long as Hyderabad retains its eclectic charm by fusing the contemporary and the archaic. The point is, an average Hyderabadi will broker peace at any cost- preferably over a mouth-watering biryani. (The Deccan Festival is being celebrated today.)
DISCLAIMER:
The views expressed in the Article above are Pranav Khullar r’s personal views and kashmiribhatta.in is not in any way responsible for the opinions expressed in the above article. The article belongs to its respective owner or owners and this site does not claim any right over it.
Courtesy: Pranav Khullar and Speaking Tree,Times of India
The Serene Jewel Of the Deccan
Hyderabad: T S Eliot wrote in Four Quartets: "The only wisdom one can hope to acquire is the wisdom of humility...humility is end- less..." I mulled over these words as I strolled through the bazaars of Hyderabad: its unique multicultural and multilingual thebe an eloquent testimony of the richness of life itself, a flavour one couldn't possibly acquire from books alone. Spiritually, Hyderabad stands out as a wonderful link-bridge between the north and south, imbibing the best of both in its culture, cuisine and character. The Deccan festival, conducted every year in March, celebrates the city's composite and secular character. Standing atop the Charminar, I couldn't help but marvel at the remarkable transition of this city from a small settlement called Bhagyanagar after Queen Bhagyamati, wife of Quli Qu tub Shah, founder of Hyderabad 400-odd years ago to a hi-tech 'Cyberabad'. Yet, the place continues to be a quaint blend of the ancient and modern, where people and traditions are not at loggerheads. They seem to find their own space beautifully within the larger umbrella of Hyderabadi culture. Old-timers like MUL Nigam, former director of the Salarjung Museum, contend that this Hyderabadi these is only a manifestation of a dignified way of life, and has nothing to do with religious denominations. "When we talk of Hyderabadi culture, it is not exclusive to either Muslims or Hindus....", he says. Y Mallikarjun tells the story of the sixth Nizam, Mahbub Ali Khan, who worshipped the river Mus and offered a sari when the river flooded the city in 1908. "The greatest merit of our culture is that it integrated people, irrespective of their caste or creed". Such has been the extent of cross-cultural interaction that one of the Nizams instituted an annual Urs or fair in honour and as a mark of remembrance to the well-known French general Michele Raymond, who set up the Gun foundry in Hyderabad, and whose spirit of generosity left an indelible imprint on the psyche of Hyderabadis, who in turn virtually conferred 'sainthood' on him William Dalrymple's novel White Mughals details this cultural interaction. This assimilation of cultures and pluralism has given Hyderabad a unique identity as the "Kohinoor" of secular India. Why, Muhammad Quli Qutub Shah wooed and married Bhagmati. Tagore reportedly said that the architecture of Osmania University represents the "harmonious blending of Hindu and Muslim coexistence...." Vivekananda had this dream-vision of the coming together of a Vedantic brain Islamic body which would provide the ideal setup in modern India Hyderabad in many ways is THE SPEAKING TREE a reflection of that vision. Nehru called Hyderabad the "microcosm of Indian culture". Urdu poet Faiz Ahmad Faiz romanticised it as "the Garden of Eden". Sarojini Naidu wrote of the wonderful bonhomie-spirit of Hyderabad. Quli Qutub Shah saw only the religion of love as the central theme of the city when he founded it, writing that "...Islamic and non-Islamic are the same..." To a Hyderabadi, life is a celebration. The spirit of bonding and affection (khuloos) which characterises the city needs to be cherished and emulated by other cities and towns. Melting point or salad bowl? It matters not, as long as Hyderabad retains its eclectic charm by fusing the contemporary and the archaic. The point is, an average Hyderabadi will broker peace at any cost- preferably over a mouth-watering biryani. (The Deccan Festival is being celebrated today.)
DISCLAIMER:
The views expressed in the Article above are Pranav Khullar r’s personal views and kashmiribhatta.in is not in any way responsible for the opinions expressed in the above article. The article belongs to its respective owner or owners and this site does not claim any right over it.
Courtesy: Pranav Khullar and Speaking Tree,Times of India