My City: “Secunderabad” – Part II.

Please watch an interesting video on my city at the top of this article, if you have not yet done so. It is a video produced in June 2006 to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the naming of Secunderabad. The video has many titles, “Celebrating 200 years of Secunderabad”, “200 years of Timeless Splendour” and “Secunderabad: A Journey of Immense Glory and Progress”.

From my earlier article on Secunderabad (Part I) and the above video, you would know that the area North of Hussain Sagar Lake was named Secunderabad on 3rd June 1806. Secunderabad has an older name “Lashkar”. Lashkar means Military Camp / Cantonment. In 1798 the “Treaty of Subsidiary Alliance” was signed by the Nizam, the King of Hyderabad and the British East India Company and then the British Army stationed its troops at several places in this area. And this area began to be called Lashkar. Many old-timers still refer to Secunderabad as Lashkar (pronounced mostly as “Laskar”), including my mother. And true to its older name Secunderabad is still a Military area, it is India’s largest Cantonment. It has several vital and prominent facilities of the Army and Air Force including prestigious colleges like “College of Defence Management”, “College of Air warfare”, “Military College of Electronics and Mechanical Engineering” and establishments like the “Army Ordnance Corps Centre”.

The most prominent place in Secunderabad is the Railway Station; it is larger and busier than the other two Railway Stations of the Twin Cities, Nampally and Kachiguda. Secunderabad is also the Zonal Head Quarters of South Central Railway with many of its offices and workshops located all over the city. Another prominent place here is the Parade Grounds, where I go for my morning walks. The Independence Day and Republic day celebrations of the State are held here in a grand manner where the Chief Minister and the Governor of the State hoist the National Flag. Secunderabad is popular for Silk Sarees, and most people of the Twin Cities come here for shopping during weddings.  The main shopping areas are along Mahatma Gandhi Road (James Street), Rashtrapati Road (Kingsway), General Bazar, Monda Market and Trimulgherry.  Some very popular restaurants of the Twin Cities like Paradise, Nan King, Alpha and Garden Restaurant are located here. Sanjeevaiah Park the largest green space (92 acres) located in the heart of Twin Cities is located along Hussain Sagar on Necklace Road that leads to Hyderabad. And coming to festivities, Mahakali Jatara also called Lashkar/Laskar Bonalu, Ashada Jatara and Bonala Panduga is a major two days local festival.

Mentioning about some differences between the Twin Cities and the influence of English society on Secunderabad, I wrote in my previous article that the names of most Roads, Lanes and areas in Secunderabad are of British origin. Let me explain this point with reference to my address in Secunderabad City. I live on Prenderghast Road which joins two very important roads called James Street and Sir Ronald Ross Road. The lanes adjacent to my house are Mandalay Lane, McLeod Lane and McIntyre Road. And not far from my house are Park Lane, Oxford Street, Hill Street, Kingsway, Alexander Road, Sebastian Road, Wellington Road and areas like Regimental Bazar, Walker Town, Queen Victoria Grain Market (Rani Gunj) and George Town.

In conclusion of this article, I am listing all the important localities of Secunderabad by their current names: Alwal, Balanagar, Bandimet, Begumpet, Bolarum, Bolarum Bazar, Bowenpally, Chilkalguda, Defence Colony, Karkhana, Kavadiguda, Kompally, Lalapet, Lallaguda, Lothukunta, Malkajgiri, Marredpally, Nallagutta, Neredmet, Deen Dayal Nagar, Padmarao Nagar, Parsigutta, Rani Gunj, Ramakrishna Puram, Risala Bazar, Safilguda, Sainikpuri, Sikh Village, Sitaphalmandi, Tarnaka, Uppal, Trimulgherry, Kummarguda, Kamala Nagar, Ferozeguda, Shivaji Nagar, Pan Bazar, Avulamandha, Old Bhoiguda, Kalsiguda, Warasiguda, Chilkalguda, Rasoolpura, Sindhi Colony and Paradise.