When it’s Ramadan season, nothing can beat the shine of the City Of Nizams. Hyderabadis love to throng to Haleem stalls, dish out the most glittering looks for festivity and come together to celebrate the spirit of togetherness. Upping the ante on the festive season, entrepreneur Anam Mirza and her husband Mohammad Asaduddin, who has been a cricketer/lawyer, have once again organised the second edition of Daawat-E-Ramzaan festival after its grand success last year. We meet Anam at the event as she tells us,“I am a Hyderabadi by heart and Ramadan is everyone’s favourite time of the year. I’ve always hosted fashion exhibitions but I am looking forward to organising an authentic experience that showcases the true essence of what this month is all about — good food, family time and counting our blessings! It also makes me very happy that I can bring fashion and food from the heart of the Old City to this part of town.”
While the inaugural day on April 7 was a star-studded affair with the presence of Bollywood actress Karisma Kapoor, who attracted a mammoth crowd to the festival’s opening, Day 4 that we attended was an equally crowd-pulling experience with Sania Mirza gracing the event. Sania greeted the fans with gratitude and love while looking chic in a black A-line collared suit with multicoloured embroidery paired with palazzo pants suited for the event.
We sat with the sports star for a candid chat about Ramadan as she shared with us about her childhood memories, “Every night, we used to go for Haleem and other delicacies in the Old City. We used to have Iftar with our loved ones. Some of my favourite dishes are Haleem from Cafe 555 Aqeeq Restaurant and Biryani from Hotel Shadab. Right now, there are so many new restaurants and dines opening these days which truly make Hyderabad the home to the best food in the world.” While she considers herself “old school” in terms of trying new kinds of delicacies, she admits that she loves to eat and bake. “We used to bake quite of treats like icing cakes, cupcakes and other desserts as kids and have continued the tradition while growing up.”
The ritzy event had signature Hyderabadi dishes like Mandi, Haleem, Shawarma, and Kebabs as well as fusion flavours like street food and gourmet desserts on the offering. It had a lot in store for shopping buffs with a glamourous exhibition of clothing, accessories and jewellery on display. Keeping aside the extravaganza, we asked Sania about the essence of Ramadan, “It is synonymous with family for me because you always want to spend a lot of time with them. The festival is synonymous with Ibaadat (prayer) which is the most important part besides the food and feast. The festival is an amazing detox from food and certain habits. It makes you connect with your faith.” The festival also had illustrious former Indian Cricket team captain, Mohd Azharuddin whose participation further soared the excitement level.
Till April 21. At King's Palace, Mehdipatnam.
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