Hyderabad's Annual Numaish Begins, Draws Early Crowds
Many stalls were still being set up, while others selling clothes, household items, crockery and food were functional
Hyderabad: Early visitors at the Numaish enjoyed a free entry until the exhibition was officially inaugurated on Thursday, and said they had enjoined bargain prices. Many stalls were still being set up, while others selling clothes, household items, crockery and food were functional.
An 80-year-old visitor, holding a walking stick, came with his grandkids at about 5pm. He said it was an annual practice for the family.
Zeenat had completed her shopping and was leaving the exhibition. She told Deccan Chronicle: “I usually come on the first day and the last days. On the first day, I shop at any stall that is open.”
Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, ministers Ponnam Prabhakar and D. Sridhar Babu, who is also president of the Exhibition Society, later inaugurated the 85th All India Industrial Exhibition.
Speaking on the occasion, Bhatti said noted that the Numaish was a huge festival, drawing artisans from many states. “This business contributes to the development of the state,” Bhatti said.
He said the government was rejuvenating the Musi river on the lines of the river Thames in London. “We see the situation in Delhi, and we are making changes so that our people do not get exposed to such pollution levels,” Bhatti said and noted that the government was introducing e-buses for the RTC and encouraing the city to go plastic-free city.
Sridhar Babu noted that the Numaish date back to 1938, when graduates from Osmania University started it with the vision of a cultural conglomerate. Recalling the times he visited the Numaish as a youth, he said, “It reflects the Ganga Jamuni tahzeeb.”
He advised the Exhibition Society to set up a command centre which will be useful for holding exhibitions at large. He also noted that the society ran 19 colleges and said it must aspire to become a university.
B.N. Rajeshwar, secretary of the Exhibition Society, said the society was overseeing 19 colleges with 30,000 students currently, and would add one or two more institutions.