In the melting pot of cultures that is Hyderabad, Dasara festivities began with the Gujarati community celebrating it as Navratri and the Bengali community celebrating it as Durga puja.
Navratri celebrations are taking a multi-ethnic hue in the city. A rich mix of participants from various communities, apart from Gujaratis, are expected to participate in the ‘Dandiya utsavs’ this year too.
Though festivities are on a much larger scale in Gujarat, a multitude of events have been lined up in Hyderabad, including dandiya raas nights, offering a wide variety of options to revellers.
Choreographers have started ‘Dandiya’ and ‘Garba’ classes in many parts of the city this year exclusively for Navratri.
During the 1930s Gujaratis in the city did the ‘garba’ in their homes. Over the years many organisations have been conducting traditional ‘dandiya’ and ‘garba’ meets during Navratri for the members of the Gujarati community in the city
There are over two lakh Gujaratis living in Hyderabad belonging to various Samajs such as Lohana, Patel and others
The sound of dandiyas and the beats of garba songs fill the air.
Dandiya has taken the shape of a cosmopolitan festival in Hyderabad over a period of time. People now consider it as a time to unwind with friends during the Dasara holidays