World Tour - 2008: 03/06/08

My new friend - Sanjay Singh

If I never see another site in India my trip has been worth it. My company contracts with with local firms to host visitors in the various countries were it has operations. After completing our work for today my associate and I decided to vist a couple of the historical sites of Hyderabad. The most famous of course is Charminar. A man named Sanjay Singh was assigned the task of tour guide. I didn't know what to expect. But later I was personally touched to know he was the one who was assigned to show us around the city.

After climbing up the tower and viewing the sites Sanjay shared with us that he was born in the hospital next to the Charminar. His mother, a doctor, held her practice there. He grew up in this area. As a child, he caught a bus to school at the foot of the Charminar. A bus stop that is no longer there - replaced by markets. Once he finished school he never returned to this part of the city. Until...

Today was the 1st day for him in more than 30 years to set foot in the Charminar. We stood for a long time at the top. Me enjoying the cool breeze, and he enjoying his memories. The hospital where he was born, and where his mother held her practice is seen in the background (blue building). Before we decended the winding staircase he said "It was written in my book of life that I was to be here with you, this very day." The implication is that he was written into my book as well. I am still pondering the power behind that statement. The similarity between us all, to understand all things are connected.
Please meet my friend Sanjay.

Charminar

Char = means 4 in Hindi. Minar = Minaret. This is the only building with 4 Minarets. It is a remarkable site surrounded by everything anything thinks of when they think of a crowded city in India.

This building was built without stone block. Rather it was handmade with mortar mixed as seen in this picture (repair work).

Each of the four roads that lead away from the Charminar cater to different specialities. There is a road for fruits and vegetables, a road hand-crafts etc. All around the Charminar is a crowd that staggers the imagination. The 3-wheeled vehicles seen in the picture are called "Auto" in India. As you will read later, similar vehicles are called "Tuk-Tuk" in Thailand.

On each side of the Charminar is a clock that reportedly each has kept perfect time for 400 years without any adjustment. It is run by natural means, no electricity, no weights. It was 'on time' when I was there.

Buddha on the Hussain Sagan Lake

Made from one solid rock. India is the home of Hinduism. Buddha was Hindu but found a different path. Now India, expecially Hyderabad is a mixture of Hindu, Buddhist and Muslim. There are Christians and surprizingly there are Jews who claim to be from the Tribe of Dan. They live in the southwest portion of India. Still this statue of The Buddha remains in Hyderabad which is known as a Muslim Indian city.

I never expected to see this

Indian Food

Hyderabad is located in the mid-south of India, but our host found this restaurant that specializes in Indian food of the North West, towards Pakistan. This was a vegetarian meal, but neither I nor the other American with me (seen in the lower left) missed the taste of beef. The presentation with a large plate and small bowls is called 'Thali". "Thali" refers to the plate and each bowl is called a "Katori" Each small bowl had its own food item of exquisite flavor. Each bowl complimented the other creating a culinary tapestry beyond anything I had tasted before. All of this served with a variety of Indian breads. If vegetarian meals could be found like this in my home town in the USA, I would become vegetarian.

We raved about the food so much that the Chef (seen with the biggest smile) invited us into the kitchen to see how it is all put together. Later I was told he did this to show us that his restaurant was hygienic. I will now set out to master the art of North Western Indian Food!