The first anniversary of formation of Telangana passed away in a haze of pink and the thrum of ankle bells of Gond dancers, oggu katha and the crackle of sakinalu. The second anniversary is going to be a stretched out celebration of Telangana culture with the government pulling out all stops to have a memorable week beginning June 2.
Almost all the upscale hotels have lined up Telangana food festivals to give a taste of the cuisine of the newest State of Indian Union.
“Government officials called us for a meeting and suggested that we have a food festival themed around Telangana and most of the hoteliers felt it is the right thing to do,” said a hotel official on condition of anonymity.
“We had a meeting with hotel officials and a few shop owners and told them the role that they can play in making the State Formation Day a memorable one. We were happy that most of them agreed with the suggestion,” said a Tourism Department official.
The result is going to be a droolworthy celebration that can be savoured either at the Food Street venue on Necklace Road from June 2 with most of the hotels setting up stalls showcasing Telangana cuisine or at individual restaurants with a la carte dishes.
“The ITC Kakatiya has lined up its fest from June 3 to 12 with all the Telangana cuisine favourites like Pacchi Pulusu, Boti Karjam Fry, Oori Kodi Pulao: A Rustic Farinaceous preparation of country chicken, cooked over dum in a blend of spices, herbs and long grain basmati, served accompanied with perugu pacchidi,” said a hotel official.
“We will be commemorating the Telangana Formation Day to bring forth the distinct, vibrant and traditional heritage of the youngest state of the country. The week-long festivities will have dance, food and music. There will be a host of authentic dishes served that will include Telangana kodi kura (chicken curry), kodi guddu pulusu (egg curry), Gongura mamsam (spicy lamb curry), chepala pulusu (fish curry in tamarind sauce), Ulligadda mamidikaya kura (raw mango curry) and many such delicacies,” said Akshi Katyal of Trident. Most other hotels also have similar menu with a variation of names and tweaks in ingredients.
The celebration of Telangana Formation Day is not limited to just food as malls and shops are planning colourful lighting and cultural events. Ethnic dance troupes from Warangal, Adilabad are also being brought in to the city to showcase the newest state’s age-old culture.
