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Deccan

Deccan: The Serene Jewel Of the Deccan

TS Eliot wrote in Four Quartets : "The only wisdom one can hope to acquire is the wisdom of humility...humility is endless..." I mulled over these words as I strolled through the bazaars of Hyderabad; its unique multicultural and multilingual tehzeeb 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.

(See also: Deccan , Indian Festivals, Spiritual Guidance, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

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Deccan: The Serene Jewel Of the Deccan

By Pranav Khullar

Deccan: The Serene Jewel Of the Deccan

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 Qutub 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 M L Nigam, former director of the Salarjung Museum, contend that this Hyderabadi tehzeeb 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 Musi 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 Gunfoundry in Hyderabad, and whose spirit of generosity left an indelible imprint on the psyche of Hyderabadis, who in turn virtually conferred 'sainthood' on him.

See also: Deccan , Indian Festivals, Spiritual Guidance, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul

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