My Visit to the Exhibition…

Everytime I visit the exhibition it makes me nostalgic. Just like any other typical Hyderabadi, I too have been a regular visitor to the All India Industrial Exhibition, an annual shopping event at Nampally grounds. It brings back all my childhood memories when I would look forward to my visit to the fair, to eat ice-creams, buy dolls, sit in the ‘jhulas’ (joy rides), and buy clothes. Oh everything seemed wonderful…

Though many modern malls have cropped up in the city in the recent past, the ‘numaish’ has its old-world charm, and I was not surprised to see people thronging the place in huge numbers (despite the discount offers in almost all the ‘happening’ malls across the city). The very unique thing about numaish is that people from all classes can afford to visit it and also buy stuff there which is quite economically priced. And if you are good at bargaining, then there’s no place better than the exhibition! You can hear Bollywood songs from the 60s and 70s being played, and I can almost list the songs which will be played next year too! But the amazing thing is that people actually enjoy them.

The open-air mall consists of  stalls of clothes, accessories, electronic items, toys, food stalls…oh you name them and you have got them! The good thing is that the stalls are from across the country, representing different states – ranging from Kashmir to UP to Mumbai.

The All India Industrial Exhibition was apparently started by alumni of Osmania University in 1937 when the city was ruled by Nizam (so its been seven decades now…whoaaa!!!!). The idea was to sell “indigenously produced goods”, and also provide information on health and envirnoment. The earnings were used for the upliftment of poor women, and were also instrumental in the setting up of Vanita Mahavidyalaya, the degree college for women located in the same vicinity. The exhibition society, which was formed by the OU alumni, presently supports around 18 educational institutions.

This year I visited the exhibition thrice, bought n number of dresses n accessories (nothing surprising), and what will be a visit to the numaish without a stop at the Agrawala’s? So ate samosa, mirchi and the very yummy rabdi malai at the stall. I love the chutney they prepare…mmmmm OK I will stop at this! And yes, had popcorn, chocobar and matka kulfi too  Am proud of myself…hehehe.

And of course I have stopped sitting in the jhulas, as I feel it is only for kids or immature individuals who are looking for a high……..huh OK I gotta admit am scared of these joy rides and hence I dont even venture close to that area

I also missed my brother this time as he is in the US now, but every year we would always go together with our parents…as kids he would pester Mom n Dad to buy him a gun or a car/bike, and I would want dolls or soft toys or a kitchen set. I still remember the big pink teddy bear Mom and Dad bought for me when I was around 7-8 yrs old. It was a lot of bargaining, and finally I had got my prized posession after much persuasion…I later named it Lallu I was one happy girl..my God!! It was my first ever teddy bear, and I cherished it for many years….Whoa…makes me feel nostalgic……

All in all the Nampally exhibition is one such thing which has not been touched by the modernisation fever. It has still got the same old charm and is a typical Hyderabadi affair…and I hope it remains the same in the coming years as well…and I am looking forward to my visit to the numaish next year…hope its more exciting than my previous visits…

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