Id

With Id happening today, the streets of Charminar -- Hyderabad's Muslim area -- were packed last night, and lively with sellers hawking goods.  From padded bras to glittering burqas to displays dripping with fake gold jewelry, stalls offered up anything anyone might want to sparkle to celebrate the end of Ramadan.  With the target audience fasting and resting during the day for Ramadan, sellers were out in full force last night and would be out until 2am, whistling and shouting about the low price of their wares.  Although sellers spilled out onto the streets leading up to the 4 formal gates that demarcate the boundaries of Charminar (and the towering minarets which mark the center), the crush of people and motorcycles inching their way towards their desired pearl seller or bangle cart only got thicker as the night went on.

Luckily, was fortified by a dinner of haleem -- a tradition Muslim dish of mutton-y stew garnished with mint, onion, lime, and (for the "special") fried goat's tongue -- and bolstered afterwards by drinking a gallon of water and trying my first paan -- betel and a sweet syrupy rose reduction (meetha paan) wrapped in a betel leaf and chewed to release a peppery taste and mild stimulant which wikipedia* claims is on par with coffee.

Some photos:

Corner of the center Charminar in the Muslim district. Flags, festive decor, sellers, street kids, autos, etc. abound around.

Better but blurry view of the Charminar from right below, while waiting for Ashwin to purchase a spinning stencil.

Autos (autorickshaws) and motorcycles cramming to get into the thick of things.  Rode on the back of a motorcycle for the first time!  Hands down most fun way to see a city ever, and wish could have gotten a picture while driving by the big lake in the center of the city.  Giant lit-up Buddha statue in the middle with a city skyline all around.  You'll just have to imagine it.

View from the center Charminar out onto the sellers.  That palatial-looking building in the background is a hospital.

 

Couldn't get a good picture of this, but power lines are crazy here.  Tons of cables just slung haphazardly over each other as neighboring buildings vie to access power.

Vishnu checking out saris.

*Unfortunately, it also cites that paan a known carcinogen which increases the risk of mouth cancer by 8-9x.