Despite the Covid-again precautions and alerts with a new variant. Numaish of Hyderabad made elaborate arrangements and adopted several hazard-safety precautionary methods to avoid any untoward incidents. This year Numaish in Hyderabad differently made over look and feel with visitor-friendly atmosphere, according to Exhibition Society assurances.
All significant beginnings are modest. Numaish, the most well-known consumer fair in Hyderabad, is no exception. It’s amazing to learn how modest its beginnings were given that its 82nd edition is slated to debut on Sunday night. When it first opened in 1938, there were only 50 kiosks, and it was entirely local in scope. Today, it boasts over 2000 stalls and an all-India status.
When the idea took shape some eight decades back nobody thought it would catch on like wildfire. To the surprise of everyone it not only clicked but remains the most inexpensive entertainer till date. What’s more it is the only annual event to be organised year after year for 46 days at a stretch.
In its long history, the Industrial Exhibition could not be organised only on two occasions. First during 1947- 48 when events leading to the merger of the Nizam’s Hyderabad State with the Indian Union made it impossible to hold the exhibition. And the second time in 2021 the trade fair couldn’t be organised in view of the COVID pandemic. On a few other occasions it had a delayed start as curfew was in force in the city.
The 7th Nizam, Mir Osman Ali Khan, opened the Numaish Masnuat-e-Mulki, as it was originally known, on the occasion of his birth anniversary at the Public Gardens. The inaugural Numaish was only held for 10 days, but the next year it was held for 15 days. Due to popular demand, it was prolonged for an entire month. Sir Mirza Ismail, the then-Prime Minister, ordered that the yearly event be moved to its current location in 1946.
How did the concept for an exhibition begin to take shape? The Osmania Graduates’ Association’s Economic Committee meetings was where it all came to a head. It was suggested to raise money to carry out a state-wide economic analysis. When the plan was presented to the then-Prime minister, Sir Akbar Hyderi, he liked it. As the Numaish gained momentum it grew both in content and coverage drawing visitors by the thousands. It was christened as the All India Industrial Exhibition in 1948. It was C. Rajagopalchari, then Governor General of India, who inaugurated it in its new avatar.
Historians claim that the reason the current location in Nampally was selected is because it is closer to the Hyderabad Railway Station.
The organisers of Numaish aimed to support local businesses and unite the makers under one roof. And only when the location was adjacent to a train station for simple cargo transportation was this feasible.
What was originally intended to be a bazaar-style fair has evolved into an open-air display. It has expanded recently to include theme pavilions, food courts, entertainment spaces, amusement rides, on-site health services, beautifully crafted displays, and well planned rest places. The organisers of the event made the decision a few years ago to drop the moniker “All India Industrial Exhibition” and rebrand it as “Numaish.”
The Numaish is an essential part of the New Year. Prepare yourself for the cheapest performance in town by doing so. #KhabarLive #hydnews #hydlive
