Hyderabad: The nights of December 24 and 25 saw a unprecedented number of people visiting the Charminar after midnight. The archaeology and police departments had to step in and limit the number of people allowed in the pedestrian precinct.
Mohammed Akram who lives near Sultan Shahi said many cabs came after midnight on Christmas Eve and as the crowd increased, the police started stopping them. “The kind of crowd that came was similar to that seen during the last ten days of Ramzan. This is the first time such a huge crowd was seen for Christmas.”
Young people in their early 20s and 30s came in large groups. When the numbers grew too huge, the night patrolling team stopped people near the Char Kammam. Many youngsters were disappointed at being stopped. David Deepak who came with his friends said, “We wanted to spend some time and realised that we can walk around Charminar in the night. But when we came, the crowd was asked to wait. This took us by surprise. Although we were allowed to go there later, there were many others who didn't want to wait.”
It may be said that the pedestrian project has been a success, attracting so many people who find it easy to walk about and spend time here.
The walking trails to Charminar are crowded till 11.30 and 12 at night. The morning walks are also popular, starting at 5.30 am.
A senior officer in the archaeology department admitted that the crowd on Christmas night was unexpected. “We never see so many people after midnight. This could be the reason for the measures taken. It shows how the pedestrian project has made the monument accessible to people. Earlier, many of them refrained from coming, but now it is becoming the most sought after place to visit.”
