Hyderabad Diary

 Even with designer abayas and hypermod cyber symbolism, the Pearl comes wrapped in the spirit of its purana sheher, like a warm cup of one-by-two chai with Osmania biscuits

Easy Like A Hyderabadi

Think of Hyderabad and what comes to mind is biriyani, sherwani and pareshani. While the first one continues to be a rage, the other one still marks sartorial excellence, although its use is on the wane. The third attribute sticks out like a sore thumb. However, Hyderabadis, as is their wont, take it in their stride. “Light ley le yaar”, is the spirit in which they try to blow away the worries.

Much water has flown down the Musi, now reduced to an open sewer dry most of the year. Today the city of domes and minarets boasts of structural and spatial expansion. A city of contrasts. The Orient and the Occident meet here. Historic and modern structures commingle while palatial buildings and slums exist cheek-by-jowl. But the buzzword of late is—raze the old and raise new edifices.

Nonetheless, the socio-cultural ethos survives. The Jhas and Jungs have yielded place to Raos and Reddys, yet the quintessential Hyderabadi remains the same—simple, accommodative and outgoing. Despite growing self-centeredness—a result of living in a global world—the human bond survives. The divide on religious lines is of recent origin. The Hyderabad of yore presented a successful example of pluralistic society with everyone taking part in the dominant public culture. Muharram is observed by Hindus as ‘Peerla panduga’ in Telangana, while Muslims join them in the Diwali festivities.

Rhythm Of Change

Hyderabad is in a flux today with its beat, tenor and character undergoing a shift. The pace of life has become fast thanks to the cluster of software giants and technological strides. And yet  I find life leisurely and laidback in parts of the city, particularly the purana sheher. Drop into any Irani hotel here and you can find people ordering one-by-two chai with Osmania biscuits, something hard to find elsewhere. Don’t be surprised if you are greeted with the usual honorific ‘hello boss’. For the office boss they use demag kharab—an euphemism for ‘idiot’. Where else can you find people getting annoyed for disturbing them at ‘subah subah’ when you call at 11 in the morning? And they haggle on prices, even after seeing a ‘fixed price’ board.

Deccani Diction

The two oddities Hyderabad is known for still remain—hau (yes) and nakko (no). The most popular joke is how once a person from Delhi asked a Deccani scholar the meaning of these words. The latter informed that  hau and nakko are used by illiterate persons. Upon this the other guy remarked, “Nawab sahib you surely are a highly educated man.” “Hau,” came the reply. If you think this is strange you are wrong. The cosmopolitan city throws up funny linguistic styles, a result of Telugu, Urdu and English words impacting each other. “Nuvvu gadi bhagainchukunta pote we will end up in hospital”. Howzzat?

Some things never change in Hyderabad. And that includes the incorrigible autowalas. Though taxi aggregators are giving them a run for their money, their fleecing ways have not gone. The kiraak autowalas remain a law unto themselves. Time was when hapless commuters could at least take comfort from the amusing verses painted on the back of the autos. But the mobile shayeri is on the wane now.  Most autos carry the line phir milenge—raising fears of a rerun.

Modishly Traditional

Of late, Hyderabad is witnessing a revolution in manners and morals. While the generation next tries to be flippant, turning their noses up at conventions, the oldies stick to the time-tested values religiously. Though westernwear and fashion have stolen a march over traditional apparel, the good old ‘burqa’ survives. On the contrary, it has reinvented itself. Young college girls can be seen making a fashion statement with designer abayas.

Even as it embraces modernity, Hyderabad retains its old world charm. Its cultural calendar is hectic. For the pop generation there is the upmarket HITEX  and Shilpa Kala Vedika to catch up with music and dance performances. For middle-aged Hyderabadis there are mushairas and kavi sammelans to regale in other parts of the city. A melting pot of art and culture for sure. Charminar at one end and the 10-storyed cylindrical cyber tower at the other. That sums up the exponential growth of the pearl city. If one exudes vintage charm, the other sports a chic, energetic and upscale look. It’s lovable, and liveable too. I wish Hyderabad was less chaotic and noisy.

J.S.Ifthekhar,

Hyderabad based journalist.

Article published in Outlook Magazine

Dated December 21,2020