HYDERABAD: Hyderabad, known as mini-India for its cosmopolitan culture, saw New Year celebrations by families from several communities take-off on Saturday. While Punjabis celebrated Baisakhi on Saturday, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Bengal and Odisha natives based here will do so on Sunday. Incidentally, all of them are harvest festivals.
Keralites celebrate Vishu, while it is Maha Bishuba Sankranti from those from Odisha.
According to actor Shilpa Chakraborthy, “We congregate with the Bengali community. Each is attired in a white and red combination. There will be traditional dances to mark Poila Baisakh.”
Santosh and Lata from Kothapet said “the festival’s highlight, apart from the rituals, is avial a delicacy of mixed vegetables.
Chinnappana Swaminathan Jithender, a fourth generation Tamil family in the city said “we celebrate the festival for one month from Sunday. Ambali tops among the special delicacies during the month.”
