Hussain Sagar Lake - The Jewel of Hyderabad
Are you planning to visit Hyderabad? Don't miss out the Hussain Sagar Lake. Take a look at this article to learn more.
Hi guys! Have you been to Hussain Sagar Lake? Ok! Let's start with Hyderabad. Hyderabad needs no introduction. It is one of the biggest metropolitan cities in India. Every city has its own landmarks. But there are a few cities whose landmarks are recognized the world over. And these landmarks become the identity of that city. Hyderabad has many of its own. The world famous Charminar is one. But the most beautiful landmark of Hyderabad is Hussain Sagar Lake.
Hussain Sagar lake is the largest artificial lake in Asia and it is a heritage site of India. And on top of that, it has also been declared the 'Heart of the World' by UNWTO(United Nations World Tourism Organization), for being the largest heart-shaped mark on earth among 78 such other marks in the shape of lakes and 9 in the shape of islands.
Another equally beautiful and historical lake is Renuka Lake.
With an area of 5.7 sq. km and a maximum depth of 32 ft, Hussainsagar lake is a gem in itself. Situated in the heart of the city, just two km from the city center, this lake has a 3 km long dam wall which connects the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secundrabad. Ibrahim Quli Qutub Shah built the Hussain Sagar lake in the year 1562/63. He named it after Hussain Shah Wali, who played a major part in designing the lake. The lake is fed from the river Musi.
The beauty of Hussain Sagar lake is unmatched. It gets enhanced further with a 16 ft high statue of Buddha, which is located right in the center of the lake, on the rock of Gibraltar. The Buddha statue was established in the lake in the year 1992 and has been a major attraction ever since. This statue has been carved out of granite and has many lights around it. These lights display many hues after the dark and is a sight to behold.
Budda Statue in Hussain Sagar Lake
At night, the road around Hussain Sagar lake comes alive with bright lights. If you look around from the middle of the lake, you will get an impression of a necklace having surrounded the lake. Precisely for this reason, the road around Hussain Sagar lake has come to be known as the Necklace road.
There are quite a few beautiful parks around Hussain Sagar lake.These parks are named Indira park in the east, Sanjeeviah park on the northern end and Lumbini park on the southern side. It is rare to see such beautiful and peaceful place in the center of any other metropolitan city.
There are many activities to be enjoyed in and around Hussain Sagar lake. Sailing is a popular sport here. Besides, you can go around the lake in a boat or a yacht. Take a round of Hussain Sagar lake to get an unforgettable experience with serene surroundings and Buddha statue to provide calmness. The brightness of the Necklace road around the lake gives you the feeling of being in the middle of a royal odyssy.
There is an option of going around the Hussain Sagar lake in a 48 seater launch. The ride itself is a thrilling experience. You will have goosebumps with launch moving slowly along the periphery of the lake. Stand near the railing and feel the cool breeze on your face along with the magnificent view of the entire lake and its periphery. As the launch nears the Buddha statue, you are eager to catch all the hues displayed by different colored lights around the statue. There is an added incentive of the launch ride which is the song and dance presentation by the local artists.
Artists performing inside the Launch
They dance to the music of hit Bollywood numbers and their energy is infectious. You will not be able to resist the urge of shaking a leg with them. These artists encourage the guests on the launch to participate with them. This ride lasts for around one hour and you have the best of the time during this period. If you want you can even organize a party on the launch. The charges for boating, sailing, yachting, and launch can be confirmed from the booking counter at the lake. There are other outdoor activities also which you can indulge in.
Apart from a breathtaking round of Hussain Sagar lake, you can head to the light and sound show in the evening. It is a little over one hour show and will leave you mesmerized. This light and sound show is held at Lumbini park and uses laser lights to create 3-D imagery to describe the history of Hyderabad.
The show starts at 7.15 pm daily. On weekends, there is an extra show at 8.30 pm. Entry fee for the show is INR 50.
If you are a food lover, there is an Eat Street on the premises of Hussain Sagar lake where you can find all your favorite fast food brands as well as other Indian delicacies including famous Hyderabadi biryani. There is a wide variety of food available at Eat Street to be enjoyed with your family and friends.
While in Hyderabad, you can also head to the extremely beautiful Araku Valley.
It is not difficult to travel to Hussain Sagar lake once you are in Hyderabad. All kinds of transport options are available for you to reach this place as it is located right in the heart of this beautiful metropolitan city.
So do visit Hussain Sagar lake at least once and enjoy and admire its beauty, soak in the serenity and simply unwind and come back with some of the fondest memories.
BON VOYAGE!!
ABOUT AUTHOR: I am Vimal Bhatia, a keen and passionate traveler and an enthusiastic travel blogger. After learning to travel, now I travel to learn. Going to new places, meeting new people and sharing experiences is something I enjoy the most.
I am an engineer by training with over 30 years of corporate experience and the travel bug bit me rather late in the day (though I reckon it was always there). But once bitten, there is no stopping now.
I have chronicled my travel experience and other stories at https://www.gowithvimal.com.
Meet me on instagram to see my travel pictures at www.instagram.com/bhatia7090.
CHEERS!!