Festivals
	Hyderabad being a multicultural city, has a plentitude of temples, mosques, churches, gurdwaras and also worship centres of other religions. Come festival time, the whole city celebrates no matter what the festival is. The major festivals celebrated here are;
SHANKARANTHI
	A harvest festival in South India, celebrated by making Pongal a sweet dish made of rice and jaggery. Also the Kite festival when colourful paper kites dot the sky. People of all ages spend the day on the roof-top yelling,urging and challenging each other in the art of kite flying.
UGADI
	The New Year’s Day according to the Hindu calendar is celebrated with great fervour during March/April. To the people of Andhra Pradesh, this happens to be harvest time and there are lot of cash inflows in the rural areas and in the business community. People flaunt their new clothes and flash smiles even to strangers. There are discount & bargain sales held all over and new stocks arrive at all shops. This is the best time to shop. The mango season begins and is made evident with all sorts of preparations/dishes that include raw mangoes in the recipe. The “Ugadi Pacchadi” consisting of the different tastes such sweet, bitter, salty and tangy in equal proportions is a must, as it predicts how your life is going to be during that year. This is one of the best times to visit Andhra Pradesh as the weather is just great,with bright sunshine and cool breezes, and spring is in the air.
GANESH CHATURTHI
	The festival of Lord Ganesha, the elephant headed deity and remover of all obstacles, is celebrated in a grand manner for nine days. The festivities start with installing a variety of idols of Ganesha, a few standing 40-50 ft tall, of different shapes and sizes in colourful pandals. These pandals are decorated with bright lighting and fancy music systems. Some of which are bang in the middle of a road and the place is converted into an auditorium,where a potpourri of cultural activities take place. This is one way of encouraging talent which otherwise would go unnoticed . The celebrations culminate by breaking the “Outtu” which is cardboard container filled with coins. The immersing of the idols on the final day is a grand occasion, with mammoth crowds numbering lakhs of people filling the streets leading to lakes.
DIWALI
	The festival of lights is the main festival that is celebrated with pomp and glory. The mainstay of the festival is the Lakshmi Puja, which welcomes the Goddess of Prosperity & Wealth, in every household and business establishment. Lamps, crackers, colourful lights decorate the whole city giving the city a fairytale look. One characteristic of this festival is gambling. Most of the people pass their time on this day by playing cards and other games of chance. Legend says, that Goddess Lakshmi is attracted by the sound of coins and will enter households where money is being strewn around. This gives credence to the saying that,money attracts money! For those with a sweet tooth there can be no better occasion,as it is normal practice to offer 9 varieties of sweets & savouries.
DUSHERRA
	The festival of Goddess Durga Devi, the destroyer of evil, the incarnation of Goddess Parvathi Devi. This festival is celebrated for nine days, with Garba dances and Dandia Ras by the members of the Gujarati community, that go on the whole night. Even the Bengalis of late have begun to showcase their fun loving instincts at various venues in the city where cultural programmes are held.As this festival is an important one, all schools and educational institutions are closed for 10-12 days. One interesting aspect is the “Bommala Kolluvu”, a display of dolls that are a heirloom, in every household till Diwali.
NEW YEAR
	Big party day, irrespective of age ,religion or status. Everywhere you have people rushing around to make it on time to movies, music festivals ,exhibitions, dances,etc. Even shopping malls have special events lined up for customers such as lucky dips, surprise gifts, tombola and the likes. Clubs provide attractive programmes including balls,fashion shows, beauty pageants and talent contests.
SHIVARATHRI
	The festival of Lord Shiva on which, everybody fasts and abstains from food and, everyone stays awake the whole night. After sunset people visit temples and break their fast by eating fruits. One can find streets filled with people playing different sports and games. Of late a new trend is beginning to emerge, that of “5 Overs” cricket matches played at night.
HOLI
	The most colourful festival in the Indian calendar,a day on which vibrant coloured water and powder is smeared on everybody. The riot of colours is a sigh to behold and the revelry really unmatched, with no one being spared and everyone being game. This festival is on a full moon night when an effigy called “Nathuram” is burnt. In the villages the bonfire is made of the scarecrow and hay, whilst in the city people make do with old furniture . Do not forget to bring your still/video camera along
MAHANKAALI JAATHRA
	Pertaining and restricted to the Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh. A festival celebrated in the month of Aashad, which falls during the monsoon season. A unique, exciting and an important festival, dedicated to the worship of Goddess Maha Kali. During this 2 day festival the idol of the deity is taken around in a procession, amidst pulsating drum beats and burning of incense. Guardians of the deity called “Potharajus”,with their bodies smeared with turmeric and vermilion, present a scary sight with whips in their hands. Most of the hundreds in the procession are in a trance like state and their frenzied dancing is an unforgettable sight indeed. This is one of the rare festivals on which non-vegetarian dishes are prepared.
CHRISTMAS
	The birthday celebration of Jesus Christ begins on Christmas Eve, with midnight Mass and Prayers at most of the churches,and everyone dressed in their finery. Dances and Balls are held all over the city in Clubs, Hotels, Resorts, etc. Irrespective of religion, everybody is in the mood to celebrate. There are fairs, fetes, melas ,etc held all over town and revelry is the name of the game.
ID-UL-FITR
	The most holy festival for the Muslims, the holy month of Ramzan is spent in prayers (5times a day). Fasting is a must from dawn to dusk. And as the sun sets,Hyderabad comes alive with the aromas of Haleem/Hareez,a spicy wheat dish cooked with lamb or chicken. Every Irani hotel (found in all street corners),has a huge vessel ensconced in a brick oven, dishing out this famous delicacy. Along with this dish all the other specialties of Hyderabad are made available throughout the night. In fact the city doesn't sleep during this thirty day period, which also has the 3 Jagne-ki -Raats. Shops in the old city area are open till the early hours, offering the best wares and usually at discounted rates. One can move around freely as there's not much traffic around and temperature is also cool. The ambience is festive and joyful with food stalls everywhere. On the 30th day upon sighting of new moon the festival is celebrated in a grand manner. The specialty on this day is “Sheer Kurma” a milk based sweet with vermicelli, raisins and nuts, One can find trays of delicacies being sent from one household to another and people hugging each other to convey their wishes.