Hyderabad: City soaks in Ugadi festive spirit

Hyderabad: Festivity was in the air on Monday, as people of Hyderabad are all set to celebrate Ugadi which marks the beginning of the Hindu lunar New Year. On Wednesday a day ahead of the festival people thronged markets and shopping centers.

As Ugadi is incomplete without Ugadi Pachhadi, vendors lined the narrow lanes across the city with sacks of neem flowers, raw mangoes, tamarind and jaggery, the main components of the pachhadi.

The prices of ingredients were on slightly higher side. A small raw mango is being sold at Rs 40-50; a bunch of neem flowers was priced between Rs 30 and Rs 40.

Meanwhile, huge rush was witnessed at bus/railway stations, as many wanted to celebrate the new year in their hometowns.People were traveling to Warangal, Rajahmundry and other parts of Andhra Pradesh.

According to a member of the Secunderabad Cloth Merchants' Association, business improved by leaps and bounds on the Ugadi-eve. In the last three years there was no business, but for the past week we are witnessing around 80-85 percent of footfalls in shops Many cloth vendors have come up with discount offers. Various electronic showrooms have come up with interesting offers and discounts to attract customers.

Said IT employee Rohini Reddy, "Ugadi festivities were low key and restricted to indoors for the last two years, but this year there is no restriction or pandemic fear. I and my family have planned to celebrate Ugadi in our village.

In villages we get a traditional feel. Vibes of celebrating any festival in village has a different feeling."

Ramesh Rao Secunderabad said "Last year we could not celebrate the festival wholeheartily.

Now, it's time for us to experience Ugadi gaiety at home. Ugadi being the beginning of the new year, the joy of buying new clothes and new electronic gadgets has no definition. Even though prices of traditional attire is slightly high, but that has not bothered me."

Remarked Rajani of Kukatpally,"This year we started preparing for Ugadi a week before; from decorating the house, buying new traditional dresses and stocking ingredients for Ugadi pachhadi.

Every year I wait to relish the refreshing pachhadi that is an interesting concoction of various nutritive ingredients. It has all the six tastes—sweet, sour, bitter, salt and chilly. It symbolises the different shades of life."