Moazzam Jahi market is a lovely stone building constructed in 1935. It's known all over Hyderabad as the location of several famous ice cream parlours and their delicious fare.
Of special interest is Bilal Ice Cream Parlour - possibly the most delightful and most interesting ice cream parlour in all of India! Situated inside the market, Bilal is an airy space with elegant arches and high ceilings. The historical mood is deepened and enriched by the black and white photographs, pictures of erstwhile rulers, and elaborate chandeliers that decorate the parlour.
The imposing stone building could have proven to be a very sombre setting for an ice cream parlor - but that has been solved by painting the walls and ceilings in a cheerful red-and-white.
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| The elegant arches and old chandeliers of Bilal Ice Cream Parlour |
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The walls are adorned with portraits of rulers from a bygone era,
and above these are a collection of old black and white
photographs of Hyderabad |
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| The high ceilings rather remind me of Istanbul's Grand Bazaar :) |
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An exterior view of Moazzam Jahi market.
You can see the big sign for Bilal Dairy Farm
and a smaller one that says 'Bilal Ice Cream' |
The ice cream parlours in this market serve fresh handmade ice creams. Some of the other well-known parlours in the area are Gafoor, Famous, etc. These are no fuss places with haphazardly placed chairs under a tented structure. These are older joints (Famous will be 60 in a couple of years) while Bilal is relatively new. These parlours are where locals recover from the heat with an ice cream during the day. In the evenings, they are completely packed with families and friends, and close only after 12.
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