Shilparamam, Hyderabad's celebrated art and cultural destination, owes its name to poet, lyricist C Narayana Reddy. Starting out as a venue that reminded the urban crowds of their roots, it has since gone beyond a space that has given a lease of life to the artisan, sculptor communities across the country- it offers something for everyone. There are many aspects the site has become synonymous with- the annual kite festival, gangireddulu and Haridasulu during Sankranti, the Navaratri festivities, the crafts mela, the night bazaar and of course, the boat ride.
- Where: Madhapur
- What Art,culture and entertainment destination
- Ticket : Rs 40 for adults, Rs 20 for children
A shopping haven for crowds across various age-groups, from clothes to home-decor elements to ethnic toys it has become a shopping and cultural hubfor everyone in the city. A day at Shilparamam can begin with a stroll around the rock museum, while you take some time to breathe in at the sculpture park, there are sites that drive you back to your mythical roots. A boat ride is a stress-buster and an amphitheatre performance completes the arc for a visitor.
Photo: K. Ramesh Babu
The model-village like setup, the rangolis that run across the site, the motifs from iconic sequences of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata and the joy of losing yourself in a maze-like setup of the stalls, there's a lot in Shilparamam that also bridges urban and rural sensibilities. The venue rings in a much-needed relief from the IT-corridor, its familiarity across decades gives it an edge over the multifarious entertainment options that have evolved across the Hitec City radius. A swarm of crowds getting their pencil-shade portrait done by the artistes surrounding the amphitheatre is a sight to behold at a time when a selfie is a rather convenient option.
PHOTO: K_RAMESH BABU
Shilparamam's popularity as a tourist destination is well-known, the problems that plague it though are universal across sectors. In times where exclusivity is on the rise, the place now remains more relevant for its cultural dimension and the audiences who turn up for the dance performances across the week. With too many replicas and online shopping options around, little has been done to re-package the way the site explores its cultural dimension. The need of the hour is for more measures like its recent association with the International Children Film Festival of India. While the place does its bit to be a marked departure from other hangout zones in the city, it deserves more action to not remain just another token art and cultural symbol of a booming metro.
