Numaish: Childhood Nostalgia!
What was started as a Numaish (exhibition) of local products way back in 1938 by graduates of the Osmania University in the Nizam's era, still continues in Hyderabad every year for 46 days. Hardly anyone is aware of why the tradition has continued, but the Numaish is as Hyderabadi a tradition as Biryani or Patthar ka Gosh, and thousands of Hyderabadi's visit it yearly, at least as a mark of their citizenry. The fairgrounds has thousands of visitors daily between January and mid-February every year. For every old Hyderabadi like me, the Numaish just isn't what it used to be - just like Nostalgia isn't what it used to be. Where have the Persian carpets gone? Where is the Ventriloquist's show? Magic Show? Kala Bhavan's mud sculptures of village life? Snuff stall with the mechanical cyclist where you could take a pinch of snuff and sneeze away happily? AP Fisheries stall? Bookstall at Gandhi Bhavan? And the Prison Department's sale? An older generat...