Hyderabad Happenings

Between Hyderabad and its sister city Secunderabad lies the man-made Hussain Sagar lake (or “God’s gift to Hyderabad” as the signage proclaims). In the center of the lake is an island containing a gigantic Buddha Statue, which is illuminated once darkness approaches. When the statue was initially being ferried to the island it sunk. A few years later it was rescued from the depths, perfectly intact. I took a pleasant boat ride to visit this monument.

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The Ganesh Chaturthi festival is celebrated with much aplomb in Hyderabad, with the bulk of the celebration centering on the lake where thousands of Ganesh idols are immersed. A substantial portion of the general population attends the event. After some strenuous, shouting, dancing, singing, powder spraying, and exploding of firecrackers, 3 or 4 men load the large idols onto a platform, which is then dropped into the water with the assistance a crane.

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I feasted on a plethora of intriguing creatures such as rabbit, pigeon, and quail. These had to be ordered several days in advance, so that the restaurant owner/meat provider would have sufficient time to acquire the specimens from the “farm”. The tandoori rabbit was the most delicious of the bunch, followed closely by the pigeon. Arab-speaking companions found it humorous that Arnab (“rabbit” in Arabic) was eating rabbit. While a single rabbit can feed three grown men, it is advisable to order 2 pigeons per person as they do not contain much meat. Quail tastes like a combination of chicken and egg, which makes it quite a delicacy.

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Due to my pending departure to Bangalore a few more farewell parties were held (9 in total). ARNABash (intern edition), ARNABash (coworker edition), Arnaberfest, and the Arnab Poker Challenge were attended by various luminaries. To illustrate the diversity of Satyam’s Crossover internship program, there were attendees from Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, Holland, India, Mexico, Poland, South Korea, Sudan, Sweden, Turkey, and UAE.

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Alas, I had to separate myself from my biryani and depart the City of Pearls, but my immediate destination was to be the City of Joy, rather than the City of Gardens. Due to some technical issues that delayed my transfer to Bangalore, I was granted a vacation to Kolkata while the matter was being settled.

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ARNABombshell Status: Boiling Hot! A suspected change in the weather patterns had made the female interns frosty. As news of my imminent exit from the local landscape reached the ears of the international ice princesses, their chilly disposition towards the Hyderabadi heartthrob melted away. Lunch, dinner, and other invitations were accepted by almost all. Full details will be revealed in the ARNABiography, to be published at a much later date.