Numaish

Khwahish. Numaish. Farmaish. Wah.
What a volley of beautiful velvety words cascading through someone’s rendering; it almost sounds like poetry. All of them carrying subtle nuances in their meaning, blend into a potpourri of a similar fragrance.
Numaish is one of India’s largest fair which takes place in Hyderabad every year for forty-five days during the months of January and February. To be precise it takes place between 1st of January to the 15th of February each year at its permanent 23-acre ground in Nampally. Numaish is Hyderabad’s largest consumer retail fair which showcases and sells goods, clothes, dry fruits from places across India. It has all that a family would want as a unit and individually. There is home ware, joy rides, entertainment, shopping, food; you name it and it’s there. Numaish had stalls showcasing beautiful carpets from Iran and stalls from Pakistan as well; owing to some political reasons some stalls from these countries have stopped their showcasing.
Numaish which began in the year 1938 by the students of Osmania University (named after the seventh and last Nizam) hosts over 3700 international students and over 30 thousand students in total.Osmania University (named after the seventh and last Nizam) hosts over 3700 international students and over 30 thousand students in total.
Although our country witnesses many craft and shopping fairs, Numaish stands out with a uniqueness endowed to it. With loudspeakers blaring Hindi music and festivity in each lane Numaish has surprises at every corner. Beautiful Kalamkari saris, antique designs on ceramic tableware, Lucknowi dresses, stone jewellery, glassware, Pakistani dresses, bed sheets were present in scores. The exhibit held over 2600 stalls and saw a footfall of lakhs of people being charged a small sum of Rs. 20 totalling to almost 13 crores.
This exhibition has a feeling of being a family entertainer. Numaish Masnuaat-e-Mulki is the perfect blend of a rustic, old styled set up with temporary stalls; popcorn and candy floss smells waft in the air but a modern touch is assigned to their wares. The place is quite a charmer. Be sure to bargain bringing them to less than half of the price at least when you see something fancy here.
Numaish has a host of food stalls, toy vendors, and artificial jewellery right at its starting point so make sure your pockets don’t get lighter and bags heavier right at the beginning.
Some super quick trips to make as a combined trip with Numaish is the Salar Jung Museum, Char Minar and Bangdi Bazaar. Although each of these would take a day to see with ease and with the attention they need, these are places to keep in mind when one is tired of shopping at the exhibit and wants to try a different flavour of sight-seeing or ethnic roadside shopping. The roadside food will keep your taste buds alive for more. Don’t miss out on the samosas, haleem, chicken sticks (if you are a non-vegetarian) or the Irani Chai. It is said the vibe that reverberates in the old city during Ramzan has a different air all together. The urge and dedication to serve better is heightened and as goes the experience, let’s just end with the ironical cliché, ‘can’t be put in words! ’