Charminar – A Charming Icon Of Hyderabad

Having spent a memorable childhood in the golden city of Hyderabad, I have visited Charminar countless times till date, but never went upstairs. The colorful bangles bazaar near by, the serene Mecca masjid, the bright and always busy streets on all sides, not to forget the mouth-watering street food,… all these things around it make the global icon of Hyderabad all the more endearing to me.

My recent Charminar trip

Recently, I planned another trip to Charminar with family and had a great time as usual. This time, I climbed up into the structure’s first floor. As it was a Sunday, traffic was more than usual near Charminar. Traffic police were guiding the traffic all through. Parking was available near the structure itself. We reached at 1 PM, still found a long queue waiting to enter the monument. But the line moved fast and we were inside in 10 minutes.

Handy Info

Timings: 9 AM to 5:30 PM

Entry Fee: Rs. 5/- per adult (Indians)

Foreigner’s entry fee is Rs. 100 per head. And for children below 15 years, the entry is free.

Still Camera and video Camera fees are separate.

Travel tips

Best Time to Visit:

All through the year. Evenings are the best, because the monument is lighted both inside and out. It is a magnificent sight at night.

How to get there:

Hyderabad has an international airport and is well connected with other major cities in India.

Things to do in Hyderabad:

Charminar, Birla mandir, Necklace road, Salar jung museum, Ramoji film city, Saanghi temple, Lumbini park, Hussain Sagar

While awaiting our turn to enter the staircase, we looked around the various plaques put up in place  explaining the history of Charminar. It was built by Quli Qutub Shah in 1591. The structure is built with limestone and mortar. There is a temple attached to the structure itself showcasing the cultural harmony of the city.

The stairs were dark, a narrow spiral staircase, made of stone led us to the first level of Charminar. This floor had passages on all four sides to look down  onto the lively street scene. It also showcased pictures and history of other national monuments and was a mini museum inside. Also, it has praying areas. The second level of Charminar is not accessible to visitors and houses a mosque facing Mecca.

Amazing architecture

From the bottom of the monument, if you gaze up, you would find an amazing dome shaped ceiling beautifully crafted. The two storeys in the square shaped structure look like rings from inside and are matted with beautiful floral patterns. You can catch a few pigeons in their hidey-holes too. There is a clock on all four sides of this architectural marvel.

It is a fact that Charminar is wonderful to look at from the outside, with its majestic arches, graceful minarets, and art on the structure itself. Then you should know that the four arches between the minarets are very beautiful to look up from inside too.

You have to be there to experience the awe of Charminar. It is indeed a marvel displaying Islamic style of architecture. One of the minarets was under renovation when we visited the monument. The marvel is renovated, maintained and kept beautiful for us by the Archaeological Survey of India.

The first floor of Charminar offers a colorful view of the surrounding buildings which were also beautiful. The Mecca masjid deserves a special mention as it had a peaceful aura around it and was absolutely wonderful to gaze upon.

The flocks of pigeons flying around in groups adorned the masjid with even more beauty. After coming out of Charminar, you can make a quick stop at the masjid too. Entry is allowed for everyone to the courtyard.

Then comes the shopping at Laad Bazaar and yummy food. Rest is history 😉

Have a great trip to Charminar!