The iconic Charminar and the vibrant Laad Bazaar of Hyderabad will form the backdrop of the Miss World pageant tomorrow when the contestants will saunter down the streets of Old City for the heritage walk.
While the civic body was entrusted with the task of sprucing up the area, putting up vintage-style street lamps and date palm trees, the Hyderabad police and administration are on their toes to ensure an incident-free event in the congested lanes in the heart of the Old City.
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The state government was keen to ensure that the event would put Hyderabad on the global map of tourism with the spotlight shining on its historical treasures like the Charminar, the Mecca Masjid, the Laad Bazaar and the Chowmahalla Palace.
While the lofty Charminar, built in 1591, stands tall as the first structure constructed during the founding of the city after a devastating plague at Golconda, the Laad Bazaar is known for its traditional lacquer bangles, adorned with intricate mirror work, beads and embroidery, as well as pearl jewellery. This renowned bazaar also offers exquisite and handcrafted bidriware, calligraphy, ittar, Quranic manuscripts and intricately woven prayer rugs and caps. The Chowmahalla Palace, which witnessed the crowning of the last Nizam, is an architectural marvel built in the lines of the Shah’s Palace in Tehran.
Commissioner of Police, Hyderabad CV Anand visited the area on Monday and conducted a dry run for the high-profile event at Charminar, lanes of Laad Bazaar, where the participants will interact with locals and the magnificent Chowmahalla Palace. Security will be beefed up on the day of the event with women police officers deployed in large numbers to ensure the safety and privacy of the contestants from more than a hundred countries.
Later, Anand stated, “We took a close look at our layered security measures, verifying the backgrounds of everyone involved. The law and order and traffic deployment were checked on-site in real time, allowing us to spot any gaps that needed attention.”
The Hyderabad City Police has also issued a traffic advisory, stating that all roads leading to Charminar will be restricted to vehicular traffic between 2 pm and 11 pm tomorrow.
The participants of the pageant, on Monday, visited Buddha Vanam at Nagarjunasagar, a Buddhist heritage site. They would also tour the architectural gem of Ramappa Temple, a UNESCO-recognised heritage site. They would visit the Pochampally village, known for its luxurious Ikkat weave, to experience the cultural and spiritual attractions of the state. The events are being held in the evenings, mostly to beat the peak summer heat.
