Tank Bund Trip

For those of you that do not know this: Hyderabad has a twin city Secunderabad. People say they are separate cities but really it is all one big city part of "the greater Hyderabad." Honestly, if you counted all that is part of "the greater Hyderabad" that is one HUGE area. Click here for a map of this crazy place...  So Hyderabad is approximately the southern 60% of the map and Secunderabad is the northern 40% or less.The greater Hyderabad shares one government / mayor etc.

Last Tuesday I went to visit my Vani akka (older sister / older cousin) and her family in Sainikpuri. Sainikpuri is a suburb of Secunderabad and I really love that place because I feel like I am actually away from city life in a nice and comfy suburb. (Reminds me of home actually). After eating a lunch there made by my aama (aunt), my akka and I decided to head back to the main city and do something exciting, like visiting Tank Bund.


The Hussain Sagar (or Tank Bund as it is commonly called) is the only water relief for the land locked city of Hyderabad. It is a decent sized lake that sits right in the middle of the city. Though often the water from it smells due to large amounts of trash / god knows what dumped into it, it is definitely a beautiful part of the city to see.  (Can any Hyderabadi please tell me why it is called Tank Bund and what that name means?)

So on a lovely Tuesday afternoon, Vani akka and I set out to make a trip to Tank Bund. There is a park called Lumbini which rests right on the banks of the Hussain Sagar. Going to Lumbini park was a common outing for me and my family back when we lived in India, when I was just a kid. And yes, it is here where there is an indoor light show in which terrorists planted a fatal bomb blast a couple years ago. =(

The park is small and adorable. Palm trees line the waterfront and there is plenty of room to play on lawns on in sand (if you are a kid or a Teja). There is also a boating deck for those who want to go out on the lake.

The most significant aspect of the Hussain Sagar is the large statue of Buddha that sits in the middle of the lake. From a distance, one would say it looks like the Statue of Liberty; if only it was green :-p

Anyway, if you choose to hop on a boat ride, many stop at the Buddha statue so you can get a closer look. The excellent weather (hot but breezy) tempted us to take the boat ride, so akka and I set out. After arriving at the statue we could see that the base was stone carved with images from Buddha's life.

Finally, we ended the day by taking rides around the park on a kid's train. I naturally sat in an orange cart cause it matched the orange flower in my hair. And during the ride I took a cool picture I thought I would share. =)

 Haha...  I know I took a simple trip around Hyderabad and elaborated it. But really for you guys to understand this city things should be told in such a detailed fashion. ( Though I think most of my readers have lived in or been to Hyderabad before :-p )

On a side note, I wanted to say, one of my New Year's resolutions was to update this blog more often, which I am definitely doing. Be proud of me people!!! It is rare that New Year's resolutions actually happen for anyone (and especially me). I do however fail in my other resolution, which was to sleep earlier (it is already 2 am here), so that means I need to sign off for the night. Enjoy.