Numaish set to resume from February 25

Hyderabad, Feb 22: The countdown for the All India Industrial Exhibition, or the Numaish as almost every Hyderabadi grew up calling it, has begun with just three days remaining for the event to resume.

With the Omicron-triggered third Covid-19 wave appearing to have subsided, the exhibition, which was suspended on account of the pandemic a few days after it began last month, will resume from February 25.

A ‘must visit event’ marked in the calendar of almost every household in the city, the exhibition is held every year between January 1 and February 15 at the Exhibition Grounds in Nampally. Families eagerly wait to visit the annual event which still holds its charm despite several shopping malls and recreational arenas coming up in the city.

“The exhibition was suspended following directions of the Hyderabad City Police in view of the third Covid-19 wave. It is being resumed with all safety measures being put in place as instructed by the State government,” Exhibition Society president Ashwin Margam said.

Traders from various parts of the country including Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi, West Bengal etc., set up stalls and sell products ranging from clothes, handicrafts, bed sheets and furniture to electronics and footwear, to mention a few. These apart, there are eateries providing snacks, sandwiches, haleem and kebabs for food aficionados. Also, there is an arena where people can enjoy giant wheel rides and watch stuntmen performing in the Well of Death.

“All arrangements are in place. Shopkeepers are coming and setting up the stalls. A few had asked for refund and we paid them, but now they have returned to set up their stalls,” the Society president said.

The exhibition was not held last year too due to Covid-forced restrictions. In 2020, before the pandemic struck, around 20 lakh people had visited the exhibition, setting an all-time record for the number of visitors.

The Numaish, called ‘Numaish Masnuat – e – Mulki’ (exhibition of local products) was launched in 1938 by a group of graduates from Osmania University to showcase local products manufactured by them.

It was initially held at the Public Gardens and later shifted to the present location.

“The Numaish was not held on only a few instances in the last eight decades, like in 1947 and 1948 and during communal disturbances in the city apart from in 2021 due to Covid-19,” office-bearers said.

The exhibition is expected to be open for over a month from February 25 between 4 pm and 10 pm on week days and until 11 pm on Saturday and Sunday.

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