Hyderabad, Jan. 16 -- In Hyderabad, guavas, gooseberries, mulberries, Indian jujubes, and water apples are neatly arranged on plates and placed on a plastic mat spread on the ground. A group of lungi-clad men gather around, while one of them, sitting comfortably and leaning against a wall, invites bids for the fruit auction.

It is a scene in the Barkas area of the Old City. Barkas is a corrupted form of Barracks that houses the Yemeni cavalry of the Nizam army.

The fruits put up for auction are locally grown in the houses by the local residents who are descendants of the army men of the Nizam.

According to historians, the Yemeni community were invited to the city in the early 18th century and recruited into the Nizam army. They are kno...