Hyderabad is known for celebrating all its festivals with pomp, be it Eid or Diwali. This year, Dussehra and Navratri celebrations were at their best with quite a few garba and dandiya events across the city. Organisers of Namdhari Gaurav Navratri Utsav (NGNU), who are amongst the oldest and well-known organisers, took the event to new heights this season with multiple performances by garba enthusiasts, with participants ranging from kids to the elderly. There were different themes and performances each day. The spiritual and authentic performances like ghoomar, and gof gunthan raas elevated the experience for the viewers.
Another well-known event for Navratri is Hariom presented by Hyderabad’s Legend Navratri Utsav, held at the SNC Convention. The event was organised by Pratap Jadeja. This season, they introduced a new competition called Legend Premier League where six teams battled against each other for five days, including interesting challenges in terms of props, colour coordinations, and Instagram reels; the finale was a theatre show with team performances streamed live on YouTube. Garba enthusiasts were in high spirits, decked up in beautiful costumes.
Next up was the event by Kavita & Saloni Jain — Navkar Navratri Utsav which is known for their celebrity appearances. Actor Gaurav Khanna, global entrepreneur Sudha Reddy and actress Bhagyashree were spotted at the event dancing to the tunes of the famous Bamboo Beats Troupe. The event began with the biggest Maha Aarti followed by garba and dandiya raas. The delectable street foods kept the spirits of the dancers high.
Dussehra also calls for indulgences. AnTeRa Kitchen and Bar, known for Andhra, Telangana and Rayalaseema cuisine welcomed guests at the launch of their second outlet in the city, this time at Gachibowli. Actor Nikhil Siddhartha was spotted at the launch of AnTeRa. Owners Ashish Reddy and Anurag Reddy seemed to be quite ecstatic and said they aim to provide an inviting ambience that shows the soul of Telugu traditions.
Akshara Ananda in collaboration with Sage Farm hosted a Blue Zone Brunch recently to bring along and build a community for like-minded individuals, rooted in nature, who thrive on wellness and well-being. The session emphasised how one can learn to align with the ‘Power of 9’ to understand what it takes to live a happy, fulfilled and sustainable long life. Event hosts Priya Rajiv, Kavitha Mantha, Rajiv Krishnamurthy and a few others were spotted enjoying the wholesome brunch.
Hyderabad also witnessed the launch of the biggest rooftop bar and kitchen called Mamalola Penthouse by Chivas. It is a state-of-the-art culinary space that boasts gourmet cuisine and artisanal cocktails. Mamalola is definitely the talk of the town with dazzling interiors and urban ambience that serves Continental, Modern Indian, Asian, Italian, Chinese, Lebanese, Japanese and much more. Party animals and influencers including Mahek Desai, and Nikshita Rao were spotted at the event.
Hola Hyderabad is a fortnightly column on our happening city by our very own celebrity writer Esha Hindocha.