Hyderabad: After a 2-year hiatus, city set to soak in Dasara spirit

Hyderabad: With the Dasara festival around the corner, the city is all set to celebrate the festival in a grand manner on Wednesday. After a subdued celebration for the last two years due to pandemic curbs, this year popular pandals made a comeback and celebrations this year with all the events including Durga puja, dandiya, and garba at apartment complexes, community halls, temples and public places. The festival, symbolising victory of good over evil, is being celebrated this year with much hype and fanfare. As the festivities come to an end on Wednesday, the Durga puja pandals have started to peak. The pandals saw a huge gathering in Esamia Bazar Nallakunta, Gachibowli, Domalguda, Kukatpally, Miyapur, Nizampet, Sainikpuri, and various others. Scores of pandals are set up by the devotees with Durga idols across the city and the venues are buzzing with religious fervor.

"We are relieved that after two years we can go out and take part in the festivities, including garba and dandiya events," said Divya Khatri, a resident of Secunderabad.

Apart from the Telugus in Hyderabad, people from other communities such as Bengalis, Gujaratis and Marwaris, who have made the city their home, are also all geared up for the auspicious Dasara with pomp and show on the last day of Navaratri. With the installation of idols and later immersion of idols, has over the years become a part of Hyderabad festivities.

Several such events are being held in the city by various community pandals including Hyderabad Bengali Samiti, Cyberabad Bengali Association, Prabashi Socio-Cultural Association, Uttaran Bangiya Samiti, Utsab Cultural Association, Hyderabad Kalibari, Bangiya Sanskritik Sangha, etc. in this pandals, every day, there is puja, competitions with exciting prizes, live music concerts including dandiya, Garba, and other cultural events. Hyderabad Bengali Samiti being one of the oldest pujas in pandals across the city and this year puja is being organised at Telangana Kala Bharathi in NTR Stadium and it is its 81st year. Bengalis believe that Durga puja is the annual homecoming of the Goddess with her four children Ganesh, Lakshmi, Saraswati and Kartikeya.

The organisers at Bangiya Sanskritik Sangha Durga puja-Secunderabad said this year the pandal is being set up as a replica of the Ambika Mata Temple of Rajasthan. Dhakis (drummers) from West Bengal and Chhau Dance group (folk dance of West Bengal) are performing to entertain people. The puja is being carried out with a slew of cultural programmes and at least 5,000 to 10,000 people every day.

Moreover, after two-years several dandiya and garba events are being held in convention centres, open grounds across the city where scores of people are participating. In the city, several restaurants and cloud kitchens are setting up Navaratri menus and food festivals. From authentic Bengali cuisine to vegetarian delicacies. Temples across the city are being decked up with flowers and lights to welcome devotees on festival day. The Ujjaini Mahankali temple, which attracts a significant number of devotees every year during Dasara, is all set with special security arrangements and additional queues for the big day.