Charminar To Purana Pul Walk Via Mehboob Chowk

This Hyderabad city walking tour is an almost two-kilometer stretch. That begins at Charminar and goes through Laad Bazaar, Mehbook, Chowk, and Hussaini Alam till you finally reach the Purana Pul. One Saturday morning I met my favorite photographer Madhumita for the first time at Charminar. An appropriate place to meet someone whose love for the city speaks through her pictures.

We walked this stretch. The story that we discovered can be best described as the story of closed shutters. As most of the bazaars were yet to open, these closed doors have a story to tell about the times they have seen and the people they meet every day.

Hyderabad City Walking Tour – Charminar to Purana Pul

Laad Bazaar, Hyderabad

We started at Laad bazaar and there was precisely one shop open. We actually asked the owner why is he open so early in the day. And figured out that it was a day he decided to clean the shop. As we moved out of this famous bazaar crossing the gate that used to fence the parade grounds of Chowmahalla Palace once to reach Mehboob chowk. We read boards of bookshops with names like Hindustan Kitab Ghar, a Kalaighar that polishes brass utensils, and Unani medicine shops that promise relief from all kinds of ailments. A Karchobwala i.e. all kinds of accessories for garments, a milk shop called Doodh Ghar, a pearl shop called Moti Mahal, and flower shops called Gul Mahal.

Bazaar early morning

There was a dry cleaner shop called This Evening and a Patang House where you could get kites around the year. An old man was selling a sweet made from ginger that he claimed can take care of any disease related to the stomach. And went on to tell why he gets out of the home in the morning to sell those small medicinal cakes while his kids earn well. Shining chariots used for marriages along with brass bands were lying low as if taking a rest after long working hours. There were a few gorgeous houses that have been very well maintained but they also spoke through their closed windows that morning. Shop shutters, old wooden doors, gateways, arches, and some closed doors were the highlight of this walk.

Mehboob Chowk, Hyderabad

At Mehboob Chowk, the clock tower stands tall still giving the right time if someone cared to look at it for that. Around Mehboob Chowk exists the wet market selling all kinds of meat though it is called the Beef market. Both of us being vegetarians, we skipped this as soon as we could. We found a key replicator machine at a lock and key shop that displayed locks and numerous keys like pieces of art.

Naan Shop

The most interesting interaction was with men at the Naan shop who were making the famous fluffy Naans of Hyderabad. A tandoor or oven in the front was being manned by two men. One was putting the Naan-shaped dough in the tandoor and the other was taking it out, with a long iron road, and keeping them in a basket. Behind them were a few men putting the kneaded dough in the shape of Naans and passing them to the tandoor team. They told us that each Naan sells for Rs 8/-. And is mostly picked from the shop by other restaurant owners or directly by consumers.

After breaking the ice with this chit chat they fondly told us about the genesis of this Naan. How this is the first thing that Nizam used to have in the morning and how much he loved it. Almost feel nostalgic about it, though I wonder if they ever saw Nizam having it or if they just heard it from their elders.

Hindu Math’s

There were 2-3 Hindu Maths with brightly painted doors. They were probably open but did not expect visitors at an early hour. The first Math that we went inside was called Alakh ka math. A lady showed us around the temple inside while she was still brushing her teeth. I was surprised to read the Kabir Sakhis painted all over the math. Another math we entered was the curiously named Udaasin Math. Here we could not go inside and the people were still not awake. But we discovered a Peepal tree planted in an old colonial-era bathtub that had been painted bright orange. I thought it was a great way to reuse broken bathtubs for planting trees indoors. There was a small Hanuman temple at the base of an old tree standing in the middle of the road.

Dargah Of Moosa Qadri at Purana Pul

Towards the end, we discovered the dargah of Moosa Quadri that appeared freshly painted and well maintained. Though I could not gather much about the man who lies here. As women, we were not allowed to go inside, but they allowed us to click pictures from outside. Combining the Rajasthani and Mughal architecture there were many Chhatris with graves below them. Very similar to the ones you find at Paigah tombs. In pale yellow and green with pink outlines and delicate paintings, the dargah stood out from the rest of the surroundings.

By the time we finished walking Purana Pul, daily wage workers had started gathering in hope of work. Iron boxes were being heated for the day’s job. Idli-Wada shops were selling them fresh out of the steamer and the frying pan. We ate hot Wadas while the cook kept adjusting himself and his equipment for the best pose. We ended the walk at Goodwill Café which looked straight out of the 1970s when these kinds of cafes were favorite meeting joints.