I was at the Film City on some work and had a couple of hours to wait. Luckily with a car at my disposal at the site, I wandered around and made some shots. The film city bus rides do pass by some of these sets with the guides telling you which film scene was shot there I am not sure I can recognize any of them. Perhaps you do?

Needless to say some of these sets were under constructions.

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March 21 2013 Secunderabad Fire temple opposite Chermas

The place was decorated with unique and colourful rangoli and some simple torans and everyone who entered the temple greeted “Navroz Mubarak”. The Parsis dressed in all their finery, come together at the Fire Temple opposite Chermas to celebrate the first day of the Parsi new year. Everyone is seen holding the sacred kusthi and tying it around the waist before entering the temple. A Jashn or a special prayer takes place within the Agiary(Fire Temple) which is soon followed by food and revelry. Then everyone heads to the Seth Vicajee Seth Pestonjee Fire temple situated just behind the Chermas, a famous clothing store run by a gentleman from the same community. After the prayers, everyone is served Feluda and enjoy catching up with friends.

The evening usually has cultural activities at the Zoroastrian Club for which everyone meets once again.

Food is an important part of the celebrations but unfortunately I couldn’t stay long enough. This time I have made friends and perhaps next year I shall be able to blog about the cuisine as well.

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All the images on this blog are protected by copyright. Please do not copy, blog or repost in ANY way. If you wish to use them please get in touch with me through email.

As it happens every year, the Eid shopping is a delight to the senses, a plethora of sights, sounds and not to forget the aroma of the delicious food that wafts around. A seasoned shopper might set out for great bargains. But the best possible reason to be there is a sum-total of the above – the experience!

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Muslims in the city of Hyderabad thronged to the largest mosque, the Mecca masjid on 17 Aug 2012, to offer their prayers on this holy day. Women offer their prayers from the premises of the Unani Hospital.

Text below from Wiki:

Also known as Jumu’ah-tul-Wida. Jumu’ah-tul-Wida  (Arabic: جمعة الوداع‎ meaning Friday of farewell, also called al-Jumu’ah al-Yatimah Arabic: الجمعة اليتيمة‎ or orphaned Friday) occurs on the last Friday in the month of Ramadan before Eid-ul-Fitr. Some Muslims regard this jumu’ah as the second holiest day of the month of Ramadan and one of the most important days of the year. Some Muslims spend a large part of their day on Jumu’ah-tul-Wida doing ibadah.

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Its festive time with Id-ul-Fitr less than two weeks away. The main preparation for the festival is Sheer Korma and the primary ingredient is the vermiclli. The three brothers live together and engage themselves in making them. With their deft fingers they work the magic and in a matter of minutes they convert a lump of well kneaded dough into strings and leave them to dry. After about 5-7 minutes, a handful of these strings are then rolled and arranged into a swirl to be sold later.

Read more about the brothers and their trade here

Excerpt from wiki: – Sheer khorma or Sheer khurma (شيرخرما, literally “milk with dates” in Urdu) is a festival vermicelli pudding prepared by Muslims onEid ul-Fitr in Pakistan,India and Bangladesh. It is a traditional Muslim festive breakfast, and a dessert for celebrations. Sheer (شير), isPersian for milk and khurma(خرما) is Persian for dates. This dish is made from dried dates.

This special dish is served on the morning of Eid day in the family after the Eid prayer as breakfast, and throughout the day to all the visiting guests.

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Fresh water fish fried and sold as a delicious treat on the streets. The arrangement of the food is usually very important for the business

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The final day of the Bonalu festival starts from the Akkanna Madana temple where the deity of the Goddess is carried on elephant top and proceeds to the Laldarwaza temple and back to the Charminar and finally proceeds towards the Nayapul. These processions seem to wear a very festive and carnival like atmosphere with drum beats dances and performers with elaborate costumes who dance with great energy through out.

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On July 15, most of Hyderabad celebrated the Bonalu. A more historic venue of the celebration is at Lal Darwaza in the old city. More than 100 years ago, the Nizam’s Prime Minister Maharaja Kishen Perhsad prayed at this temple to provide relief the floods. Floods effected the whole of Hyderabad. and the flood waters reached the Charminar and went as far as Shah ali-banda which killing many people. It was believed that the epidemic which followed was the result of the anger of Mother Goddess (Ammavaru).When Maharaja Kishen Prasad offered  prayers to the Goddess, then the floods came down. Since then it became an yearly ritual when people in Hyderabad and Secunderabad started offering the Bonam(bhojanam) during a Sunday in the month of aashaadam to safe gaurd from all evils. The offerings consist of cooked rice, jaggery, curd, water and other dishes which are brought in the pots and are given to the Goddess in the temples.

The Goddess at the Laldarwaza Mahankali temple is known as Simhavahini.

We first reached Akkana Madanna temple and proceeded to the Lal Darwaza temple. When we reached the venue, we were in time for the ceremony called the Potharaju Swagatham where a Potharaju would lead a procession of ladies carrying pots on their heads and enter a temple.

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The Sunday following the Bonalu celebrations at Secunderabad at the Ujjaini Mahankali Temple, the rest of Hyderabad celebrates the festival. The more grand and prominent of these occur at Balkampet’s Yellamma temple as well as the Old City’s Laldarwaza.

Here I present a series of visuals at the Balkampet Yellamma temple on Jul 15, when Bonalu was celebrated.  I couldn’t stay long enough to witness the Potharaju and the other processions.

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