Hyderabad
- a cosmopolitan city, with a mélange of culture,
A
modern- ancient charm, with Charminar its signature.
With
loving and lively hospitality, wealth and grace,
It
offers bonhomie and warmth to people of every race.
A
temple and a mosque standing side by side
Speak
of peace, with the unique Indian pride.
Ladbazaar’s
colorful music, those bangles’ “chhan chhan!”
Steals
the heart of every lady and her gentleman!
In
the winding lanes, the craftsmen of jewels
Of
stones and pearls sell exquisite ornaments
From
lacquer ware of vases to Ikat weaving,
Or
gods and goddesses in fine wood carving
From
bidriware, bangles to Hyderabadi biriyani
From
Banjara women’s mirror work to chai Irani
It
offers delightful places, to curious sight-seeing firangis
And
also to those fun-loving shop-addict Hindustanis
If
you want to taste the modern IT glitterati,
You
must frequent our fashionable HiTech city!
With
roads posh and wide and jaw-dropping malls,
World-class
buildings with unending wherewithal!
Metro
is soon to whistle on the streets…
Commuting
fast in style will also be at ease!
The
lingo of Hyderabad has a very special touch,
Dakkani is a mix of many a beautiful tongue!
Mushairas
and Mehfils that sing in the heart
Of
Hyderabadi culture are an essential part
The
poetic words of Wali, Makhdoom and Areeb
Are
pillars that strengthen the Deccani Tehzeeb!
And
Sarojini, whom Nehru called the nightingale
Mesmerized
even the Brits with her poetic trail.
Bhagamati
became Hyder Mahal in Qutub Shah’s palace,
Bhagyanagar
became Hyderabad in a loving embrace,
Andhra
and Telangana as twins have taken a rebirth
United,
they’ll make Hyderabad a heaven on earth!
This
poem was read on Monday 21 March 2016 at the multilingual poetic meet at
Rabindra Bharati on the occasion of World Poetry Day organised by the
Department of Language and Culture, Telengana on the theme of Hyderabad
Vishwanagaram.
My
heartfelt thanks goes to the Department of Language and Culture Telengana for
inviting me and for promoting poetry on the occasion of World Poetry Day. While
their unparalleled hospitality goes to prove the bonhomie of Hyderabad, the
efficiency with which they had organized the multilingual poetry meet is laudable
in every sense.
My special thanks goes to Elizabeth Kurian Mona for having helped me with the re-structuring of the poem. Without her effort, the poem wouldn't have had the look of a string of couplets. Thank you Mona.
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