Beyond the dandiya floor, Hyd twirls to new Navratri beats in style | Hyderabad News
Hyderabad: From the swish of chaniya cholis and the twirl of kediyus to the beat of dandiya sticks, Hyderabad is embracing Navratri with a festive fervour that goes beyond the dance floor. Bikes, jewellery and electronic gadgets are adding to the lure. More notably, the celebrations are finding a growing audience among Telugu families, taking dandiya nights beyond their traditional Gujarati base and turning them into a melting pot of cultures, fashion and community.Organisers estimate that over 3,000 people participate daily across venues, with younger revellers turning up in elaborate festive attire and bringing fresh energy to the dance floor.At Jalvihar, the ninth edition of Navkar Navratri Utsav, organised by the mother-daughter duo of Kavita Jain and her daughter, places as much emphasis on festive attire as on dance performances. Handmade handloom outfits are a major attraction, with prizes awarded for both attire and Garba performances. Daily winners receive pendant jewellery and electronic items, while the best performer on the final day will take home a bike worth Rs 80,000.“The family worships Maa Ambe as its Kulmata, and I see the festival as a way of carrying forward traditions passed down through generations,” Kavita said.At Shamshabad, the focus is on community building, with the Agarwal Samaj organising celebrations supported by sponsors from within the community. Organiser Praveen Agarwal said members could attend using a privilege card costing Rs 11, with food arrangements made every day. Celebrity impersonators portraying Hema Malini, Amitabh Bachchan and Salman Khan are among the planned attractions.For Sheetal Kataria, 33, a tech professional living in Madhapur who recently moved from Mumbai, the scale of the celebrations has come as a surprise. “I thought there would not be many venues, but there is so much happening here,” she said.“I put almost as much effort into planning my outfit as I do into getting my dandiya steps perfect. Dressing up, taking pictures, creating reels and feeling the festive vibe has become a part of the tradition for me now,” Sheetal added.Meanwhile, the changing crowd is also evident at venues such as SNC Convention in Attapur. Organiser Pratap Jadega said participation among Telugu residents had increased this year, particularly among Gen Z revellers who turn up in traditional festive wear. For many, he added, the celebrations offer an opportunity to reconnect with their roots while meeting new people and building social networks.
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