A TIMELESS ROMANCE

FROM BEGUM BAZAAR TO BANJARA HILLS, HYDERABAD HAS A UNIQUE ROMANCE BREWING IN ITS MELTING POT. WE SAMPLE THE POTENT CONCOCTION WITH THIS MONTH’S COVER STAR, VAANI KAPOOR, IN THE STUNNING PARK HYATT HYDERABAD, WITH HERITAGE RUNS TO THE SCENTED STREETS AROUND THE CHARMINAR.

- Rashima Nagpal

“WHAT DO YOU PLAY, O MUSICIANS?

SITAR, SAR ANGI, AND DRUM.

WHAT DO YOU CHANT, O MAGICIANS?

SPELLS FOR AEONS TO COME.

WHAT DO YOU WEAVE, O YE FLOWER-GIRLS?

WITH TASSELS OF AZURE AND RED?

CROWNS FOR THE BROW OF A BRIDEGROOM,

CHAPLETS TO GARLAND HIS BED…”

The inimitable Sarojini Naidu wrote this verse on the bazaars of Hyderabad in the early 20th century. More than 100 years later, I’m walking through the same bazaars to pick up some souvenirs, and I find myself relating with Naidu’s sentiment. I see goldsmiths, fruit sellers, and merchants, like she did. I find the scent of ittar lingering in some lanes, and of spices in others; dosa batter is slathered onto hot griddles and plates of biryani are relished. My ears pick up the tolling of bells from tiny temples, and later, the evening azan from a masjid. There’s an entire ecosystem of activity in a two-kilometre radius around the Charminar, functioning like clockwork, at an unhurried pace, in understated harmony.

Back at Park Hyatt Hyderabad, our playground for this month’s cover shoot, things are no less fascinating. Featuring towering black pillars and an abstract 27-foot-tall white sculpture by John Portman in its grand lobby, the hotel makes a striking first impression. The 130-foot-long water feature on the floor of the atrium is mesmerising. Owing to its prime location in the city’s posh Banjara Hills area, the hotel is popular among locals. Its fine-dining venues—Tre-Forni and Rika—are a hit. While the expansive Tre-Forni offers home-style Italian recipes in its menu, the visually appealing Rika is one of the most famous Asian restaurants in the city. A particular spot at Rika—a mural by Bengaluru-based concept artist Sachin Samson—is enchanting enough for celebrity photographer Tarun Khiwal to frame cover girl Vaani Kapoor against it.