Why visit Hussain Sagar?
- The Hussain Sagar is one of the largest artificial lake in Hyderabad, built much before the city of Hyderabad was born.
- The Hussain Sagar is also home to the world’s tallest monolithic statue, the Buddha Statue, which stands at a height of 58 feet.
- The lake is a popular spot for picnics and sunset walks and is a great place to relax and enjoy the natural beauty of Hyderabad city.
- It can be a great experience to drive around the lake which is surrounded by parks, temples, statues, and other monuments.
History of Hussain Sagar Lake:
Hussain Sagar, the artificial man-made lake between Hyderabad and Secunderabad, was built even before the city of Hyderabad was founded. This lake was built in 1578 during Ibrahim Qtub Shah’s reign and was supervised by Khaja Hussain Shah Wali, his son-in-law.
But Hussain Sagar lake continued to be dry for 4 years after it was built. Then the Sultan requested a nobleman of his court to make a channel from the Musi river to the Hussain Sagar so that the lake could get filled. The nobleman, Nam Khan, did so and succeeded in bringing water to the lake.
Today, the lake has a long bund (Tank Bund) that connects the cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. The lake is heart-shaped, and there are a lot of parks alongside it. The lake has an area of about 6 square kilometers and a large monolithic statue of Lord Buddha, stands in the middle of the lake on the Gibraltor Rock.
It is quite a popular place for locals and tourists alike. Boating facilities and water sports are available on this lake, which can be accessed at Lumbini Park. This park has musical fountains and a laser show too.
The place is lit up at night, and a drive around the lake on Tank Bund Road and Necklace Road can be quite an experience. You will find a lot of entertainment along this road and a lot of food stalls too.
Check out the lake as the sun sets. It’s quite a sight.
To add brilliance to the city’s tourist attractions and weekend festivities a spectacular musical floating fountain was launched on Hussain Sagar Lake. This fountain measures 180 meters in length and 90 meters in height.
The musical floating fountain boasts an array of unique features, including three sets of lasers for various displays, a mist fairy fog for a cloud effect with music, and 800 jet nozzles, and 880 underwater LED lights to make a dynamic show. All of these components are programmed through a DMX controller to sync with the music.
The HMDA will hold three 20-minute performances on weekdays and four on weekends, all in the evening between 7 pm and 10 pm.
Must-see places and Must-do things in and around Hussain Sagar:
- The Statues of Tank Bund Road – 34 bronze statues of eminent personalities who played an important role in the development of Hyderabad and Telugu culture.
- The Tomb of Saidani Maa, is a tomb located at the entrance of Tank Bund from Secunderabad’s side. This is the tomb built by Nawab Abdul Haq Diler Jung for his mother Hazrath Saidani Ma Saheba. The tomb has been built in Mughal and Qutb Shahi style with elaborate stucco decorations and jali screens
- Visit the Lumbini Park – A 7-acre park on Hussain Sagar with boating facilities and musical fountains
- An M47 Patton Tank opposite Marriot Hotel which was captured from Pakistan during the 1971 war between India and Pakistan and donated to the city of Hyderabad by the 54th Infantry Division
- Sanjeevaiah Park – This 92-acre beautiful park is adjacent to the lake and is a must-visit for its well-manicured lawns and trees.
- Boating – Take a boat at Lumbini Park and go around the Buddha Statue and have a look at it.
- Watch the show of the country’s musical floating fountain. The show is held in the night between 7 pm and 10 pm
Trivia:
Though this lake was built by Ibrahim Qtub Shah, the lake was named after Hussain Shah Wali, the engineer who built it. This was because Khaja Hussain Sha Wali who was also the son-in-law of King Ibrahim Qutb Shah was quite popular with the locals.
The Emperor was peeved by this and then got another lake built at Ibrahimpatnam and ensured that the lake there got his name – Ibrahimpatnam Lake.
Tip:
Remember to carry a mask with you. The lake is quite polluted and can smell at times.
What to do next?
Check out my article on 41 amazing places to visit in Hyderabad
