It was Eid al-Fitr and Hyderabad celebrated the festival with fervour, with streets being lit up and foodies trying to get last bites of haleem and sheer khurma. I’d visited Charminar the previous night to experience the festive vibes by shopping at tiny kiosks selling colourful bangles and beautiful lehengas for the next day. The rest of the week and the week before saw launch parties and birthdays that had us busy attending events across the city even during weekdays.
First up was socialite Neeru Mohan’s birthday party at Marigold Hotel last Wednesday. Dressed in a blue mermaid-like gown, Neeru danced to Hindi party songs before settling down with her friends to relish the delicious Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani.
On Thursday, I headed to Kakatiya Ladies Club Monsoon Mashup at ITC Kakatiya. With antakshari and dance rounds, the party was all about fun with the girl gang. With International Yoga Day around the corner, ladies tried to get their fitness back on track by sipping on some green tea and healthy sandwiches.
Friday had us busy with some meditation and yoga at Mercure Hyderabad KCP. The pre-event of International Yoga Day was conducted in association with Andhra Pradesh Maheshwari Yuva Sangathan to encourage healthy and responsible living. Curated by popular yoga instructor, Rina Hindocha, the day-long session also had Tollywood actress Sanjjanaa sharing tips and her favourite asanas. Post that, ladies made their way to the grand launch of The Haat – Heritage Fashion and Lifestyle Exhibition. Fashionistas were spoilt for choice with labels including Hasthkala, Sophie Collection and Style Check displaying their work. The event created quite the buzz in the fashion market with its range of stalls covering designer wear, jewellery, furniture and more. Meanwhile, film lovers were excited to attend a premiere show of action-drama Race 3 at PVR, Panjagutta. Salman Khan fans were seen cheering for their favourite star, while others were enjoyed watching the movie with a bucket of popcorn.
There was more on the fashion front with the launch of jewellery brand Voylla by Indian-Australian model and actress Ashima Narwal on Friday in Punjagutta L&T Mall. Patrons can now look for their favourite designs from their flagship store. Later on Saturday home décor destination, Darpan Furnishings launched its fifth store in Secunderabad. The store was inaugurated by design industry luminaries including Aparna Bidarkar, chairperson of Institute of Indian Interior Designers (HID), and Nanda Kumar Birudavolu. The new store will offer curtains, wallpapers, clocks and kinds of flooring options.
(The writer is an animal lover, solo traveller and the founder of Touch a Life Foundation.)