Sights of Hyderabad

This weekend we really stepped up the pace of our sight-seeing.   Yesterday, we went to Lumbini Park on Hussain Sagar Lake, known for its big Buddha statue.  The park itself isn't much.  You can take a ferry over to the big Buddha from there, but we didn't do that.  It was a mostly sunny day, and we noticed lots of young couples spending time together.  It rained for a little while and we took shelter under a big banyan tree.  As always, any time we stop to rest is a great photo opportunity for everyone else.  I use these opportunities to get my own shots of everyday people.

From the park, we could see Birla Mandir up on a hill.  It's a Hindu temple made of white Rajasthani marble. We were surprised to find out that it's only 40 or so years old.    This is the first place we've been where we were required to remove our shoes, and we also had to check the camera.  It was definitely the most serene place we've been.  There were individual shrines dedicated to different Hindu deities -- Ganesh, Shiva, and others I can't name.  Interestingly, there were also carved panels about Confucius, Moses, and Jesus.  We climbed up and up to the top and were rewarded with cool breezes and expansive views of the city. 

We finished up our day by going to Shilparamam, an Indian crafts village that was built by the government to preserve the traditional ways, or so they say.   Maybe the government just wanted a piece of the action.  Steve befriended a stray dog while I shopped for a few more souvenirs and textiles.  I would have bought a lot more fabric there, but we had already used up most our energy and needed to head back to the hotel.

Today we went to Ramoji Film City, Hyderabad's version of the MGM Studio theme park at Disney World.  First we had to travel by car for about 90 minutes through the city, finally emerging into green and hilly countryside.  Once inside the gates of the park, it was about a 15-minute bus ride to the attractions.  Along the way we passsed various statuary (a painted Venus-on-the half-shell, for example), whimsical landscaping, and fountains (usually not working, for reasons I can't explain).  We went on a little ride that was very much like It's a Small World, only cheesier.  Then we went to the Movie Magic show, where they picked some people out of the audience to be in a little movie, do sound effects with Foley equipment, and the like.  After that, it was a Tower of Terror ride where we got sprayed with water and tickled by "rat's tails."   If you'be been to Disney World, this will all sound a bit too familiar.  Can you say trademark infringement?