Hyderabad:One Diwali and more ways of celebrating it than one can count. The cosmopolitan city that Hyderabad is, the festival brings with it a little of every community’s culture and traditions. While the familiar firecrackers, diyas and illuminated streets remain, there are also the traditional oil baths and first Deepavali celebrations of Tamil couples, the Yadav community’s Sadar and the worship of account books by Gujarati and Marwari trading families. There is something new this year too, with artificial intelligence finding its way into everything from family photographs and invitations to festive greetings, even those shared by official handles. Traffic snarls around flower markets and shopping centres remained throughout the day on Saturday, but that has rarely ever dampened festive moods in the city.
Hyderabad Traffic Police reported slow movement near Gudimalkapur Flower and Fruit Market as vehicles carrying flowers and shoppers crowded the roads near Laxmi Nagar. Begum Bazaar witnessed similar congestion along the High Court backside, Delhi Gate, Afzalgunj Bus Stop and MJ Market stretch.
The celebrations inside people’s homes also began on a high on Saturday, but in variations. S. Rajkumar, general secretary of Telangana Tamil Sangam, spoke of the traditional early morning oil bath observed by Tamil families and the preparation of suzhiyam, a sweet made from dal and jaggery, coated in batter and fried before being offered to the deity. “Thalai Deepavali, the first Diwali after marriage, is especially important for Tamil couples. Traditionally, the couple visits the bride’s parents, performs a small puja and receives gifts and new clothes,” Rajkumar explained.
Gujarati, Marwari and Sindhi trading families, meanwhile, traditionally perform Chopda Pujan, the worship of account books, while Gujaratis also celebrate Bestu Varas, their New Year. Maharashtrian families prepare faral, an assortment of festive snacks including chakli, karanji and shankarpali, and Telugu households arrange donthulu, earthen pots filled with grains and puffed paddy, for Lakshmi Puja. Bengali associations across Hyderabad have planned midnight Kali Puja alongside music, theatre and community meals.
Residential communities have their own arrangements, although these differ even between neighbouring societies. “We organise a firecracker show every Diwali, where residents come together to watch the display. It has become an annual tradition at My Home Vihanga, and we are continuing it this year too,” said Praveen Rao, vice‑president of My Home Vihanga in the Financial District.
Golf View in Nanakramguda, however, has no community celebration planned. “No community get‑together for Diwali this year. Residents have mainly been given guidelines on safety precautions and arrangements for celebrating the festival,” said Dr A. Narasimha, a resident.
Speaking of safety and precaution, the Telangana Integrated Command and Control Centre also issued an advisory on Saturday, warning of fires, injuries and electrical short circuits from crackers and decorative lighting. Residents were asked to dial 112 for emergency police, fire or medical assistance. The concern extends to animals too, particularly those on the streets.
“Diwali is a celebration for people, but it can be terrifying for animals. They cannot understand the loud noises, and many panic, run onto roads or go missing. Even my own dog, after nearly ten years of experiencing Diwali, still gets so frightened that it vomits,” said Adulapuram Goutham of the Stray Animal Foundation of India (SAFI).
The festival this year has also found its way into artificially created photographs and greetings. “A lot of people do find it a bit of an eyesore because the same saturated colours, patterns and fonts seem to be appearing everywhere. But my mother is also using AI for her Diwali photographs, so I suppose we will all have to get used to it,” said Roopa G, a Hyderabad resident. Roopa herself plans to celebrate at home, where the family will gather to light lamps together. Real ones, even as the festival photographs increasingly come from a screen.
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