Back with another association with the City of Pearls, The Pioneer brings to you our interaction with Odde Siva Kesavam, a spiritual teacher and former DRDO scientist, sharing the early days of Hyderabad, the public transportation, and more.
Every resident of a city is connected to it in some way. Your emotions could be anything from love to indifference, much like a connection with a person. You may have a strong sense of community and love for your city because it is where you were born and raised. Maybe you relocated to a city to accept your ideal job and got to know the vibrant local culture. It is more than likely a confluence of factors. That’s how we connected with Odde Siva Kesavam, a spiritual teacher, who showed us that we might love our own city!
He travels back in time and remembers with such clarity, “Nizam’s influence was most prevalent in Hyderabad. If you can’t speak and comprehend Urdu, you truly can’t make it to Hyderabad earlier. This occurred as a result of Nizam making Urdu the required language of instruction in colleges and schools. Everyone was consequently compelled to study Urdu. Given that engineering was taught in Urdu throughout Nizam’s lifetime, you may understand his fondness for the language.” Nevertheless, the prominence of Urdu gradually diminished once NTR entered state politics.
“Travelling 45 kilometres in approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes would take you through Koti, Abids, Nampally, and many more areas like these. Even JNTU was absent from Kukatpally during that time. The highway remained essentially deserted on both sides beyond Kukatpally and continued on to Patancheru. However, as of right now, not a single square inch of land remains unoccupied on either side of the highway.” Additionally, the DRDO scientist contrasts.
It appears that the only milk available back then was the government dairy’s Vijaya brand. “But today, branded milk comes in at least 15 to 20 different variations. Edible oils operate similarly. Aside from firewood and charcoal for cooking at home and in large quantities for gatherings and events, kerosine was our cooking fuel back then. There was an over 7–8-year waiting list for gas stoves, and it was nearly hard to get a second cylinder. To be honest, there weren’t many corporate hospitals back then, and the few that were better run were specialty facilities like Sagarlal, Shroff, Sadhuram Eye Hospital, and Apollo Hospital in Jubilee Hills, after Medwin Hospital.”
When we asked the former chief metallurgist further questions, he shared his further observations, adding that the only public transportation available back then was by APSRTC buses, local railroads, and cars. For commuters, the service was good even then. There are a variety of transportation options available today, including TSRTC buses; however, the quality of the services is poor, and the management has lost control over the taxi drivers. “Though the prices from one location to another while travelling through metro stations are on the higher side, the public transportation system has been deemed to provide superior service since the introduction of metro trains. The cost of living has increased overall. A 500 rupee note was considered valuable back then, and you needed a recommendation to be able to carry one in your purse. Even a 2000 rupee note is hardly worth much to people these days. I also recall that back then, buying land in Hyderabad was practically unattainable for a salaried middle-class worker. But there are lots of possibilities these days. Gated communities and villas, which were nonexistent in the past, are now a frequent feature. Overall, though, I have been involved in many aspects of local improvement since the 1990s, have invested in this city, and have helped to improve it. I was able to improve my quality of life as a result of my desire.”
He travels back in time and remembers with such clarity, “Nizam’s influence was most prevalent in Hyderabad. If you can’t speak and comprehend Urdu, you truly can’t make it to Hyderabad earlier. This occurred as a result of Nizam making Urdu the required language of instruction in colleges and schools. Everyone was consequently compelled to study Urdu. Given that engineering was taught in Urdu throughout Nizam’s lifetime, you may understand his fondness for the language.” Nevertheless, the prominence of Urdu gradually diminished once NTR entered state politics.
“Travelling 45 kilometres in approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes would take you through Koti, Abids, Nampally, and many more areas like these. Even JNTU was absent from Kukatpally during that time. The highway remained essentially deserted on both sides beyond Kukatpally and continued on to Patancheru. However, as of right now, not a single square inch of land remains unoccupied on either side of the highway.” Additionally, the DRDO scientist contrasts.
It appears that the only milk available back then was the government dairy’s Vijaya brand. “But today, branded milk comes in at least 15 to 20 different variations. Edible oils operate similarly. Aside from firewood and charcoal for cooking at home and in large quantities for gatherings and events, kerosine was our cooking fuel back then. There was an over 7–8-year waiting list for gas stoves, and it was nearly hard to get a second cylinder. To be honest, there weren’t many corporate hospitals back then, and the few that were better run were specialty facilities like Sagarlal, Shroff, Sadhuram Eye Hospital, and Apollo Hospital in Jubilee Hills, after Medwin Hospital.”
When we asked the former chief metallurgist further questions, he shared his further observations, adding that the only public transportation available back then was by APSRTC buses, local railroads, and cars. For commuters, the service was good even then. There are a variety of transportation options available today, including TSRTC buses; however, the quality of the services is poor, and the management has lost control over the taxi drivers. “Though the prices from one location to another while travelling through metro stations are on the higher side, the public transportation system has been deemed to provide superior service since the introduction of metro trains. The cost of living has increased overall. A 500 rupee note was considered valuable back then, and you needed a recommendation to be able to carry one in your purse. Even a 2000 rupee note is hardly worth much to people these days. I also recall that back then, buying land in Hyderabad was practically unattainable for a salaried middle-class worker. But there are lots of possibilities these days. Gated communities and villas, which were nonexistent in the past, are now a frequent feature. Overall, though, I have been involved in many aspects of local improvement since the 1990s, have invested in this city, and have helped to improve it. I was able to improve my quality of life as a result of my desire.”
