The Kondapochamma Sagar reservoir, positioned round 50 km from Hyderabad, gives a breath-taking view and is likewise a great place to picnic together along with your own circle of relatives.A clean blue sky, full of white fluffy cumulus clouds whose mirrored image may be visible at the water withinside the reservoir: does this sound like one in all Wordsworth’s poems? Well, that is how you will additionally describe the mesmerising view on the Pochammasagar Reservoir positioned in Markook mandal of Siddipet district, positioned round 50 km from Hyderabad. The sight of the blue sky and the blue water merging into the concrete bund a ways away is positive to depart you impressed.
he worry of the lethal coronavirus is forcing human beings to live indoors. With theaters, eating places and parks no greater a desired option, outside locations near Hyderabad are speedy turning into the suitable desire for a weekend getaway. For the ones searching out a brief weekend getaway, the Kondapochamma Sagar reservoir is a brand new favorite.
The reservoir is a super vacation spot to move to on your weekend. It is only some kilometers farfar from the Wargal Saraswathi Temple’s arch, that is positioned on the primary road. The reservoir’s place isn’t too a ways farfar from the metropolis and this makes it a superb desire for biker agencies who’re continuously looking for new locations.
Abhinav Suresh, a hotelier who is living in Hyderabad, who’s additionally a cycling fanatic stated, “Along with my driving institution, we visited the reservoir ultimate weekend. This is a must-do ride. The vicinity has been maintained properly and additionally has a few lovely landscaping. We neglected the sundown as we needed to head back, would really like to move there once more to trap the sundown the following time.”
Shamirpet lake is an vintage favorite of these searching out a brief power farfar from the metropolis. A lot of folks that cherished travelling the Shamirpet lake are actually giving it a omit due to the heavy rush on weekends. From the Shamirpet lake, one will simplest must tour a further 30 km at the Karimnagar toll road to attain the reservoir.
Tushar Kaushik, a journalist who lately moved to Hyderabad from Bengaluru visited the reservoir and that is what he needed to say: “I turned into waiting for a small reservoir, so turned into pleasantly amazed to discover an big water body. While it is able to get warm at the bund, there are bushes beside the bund which offer respite. Konda Pochamma is a great spot very near Hyderabad, and the street to it’s miles excellent, and the ultimate leg of the adventure that ends in the dam is pretty scenic. In Bengaluru, we’ve got numerous weekend getaways, I am satisfied that there are numerous new ones developing in and round Hyderabad as properly.”
This reservoir turned into constructed as a part of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme and turned into inaugurated withinside the ultimate week of May via way of means of Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao. Kondapochamma Sagar reservoir is any other milestone withinside the multi-degree Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS). This reservoir turned into built as a part of the Telangana government’s efforts to make Godavari a perennial river. The Kondapochamma Sagar reservoir gets water from the Markook surge pool, which in flip gets water from Akkaram pump-house.
The 15.eight kilometre-lengthy Kondapochamma Sagar has a capability of 15 TMC. This task turned into constructed at a value of Rs 1,668.fifty five crore and has a water unfold location of 17.027 sq km. Its full-reservoir stage is 618 m and is envisaged to offer irrigation to greater than lakh acres of ayacuts via thirteen canals.
The reservoir is spotlessly smooth and is a serene vacation spot, with lush inexperienced farms at the decrease facet and water on the opposite and this makes it a picturesque place. Initially, it had only a few human beings travelling, however now, with human beings sharing photographs and info with buddies and own circle of relatives, plenty greater human beings are selecting to move there, mainly on weekends.
People are allowed to transport round at the outer edge of the round bund. Cars and -wheelers are allowed all of the manner to the bund and the power across the outer edge of the reservoir is actually lovely. On the opposite facet of the bund, you possibly can discover lush greenery as a part of the horticulture and agriculture efforts on the place. There are rows of poly homes housing plants grown in managed situations even as shielding them from the birds and pests.
The vicinity doesn’t have any cafes or stores as but, and that is a blessing in conceal as it manner it hasn’t end up like one of the business traveller locations as but. For the ones searching out a bite, if you’re lucky, you may discover an ice cream cart or locals promoting roasted corn at the cob. Most households who’re now locating their manner to the reservoir are sporting their very own meals and are putting in tents and picnicking below the cool color of a tree, at a gap beneathneath the bund.
Mangli, Mounika and Kanakavva: Telangana peoples singers who upload soul to Bathukamma songs
The singers had been favored for revitalising Telangana’s cultural identification and their Bathukamma songs are much-awaited each yr.
The floral pageant of Bathukamma is synonymous with colour, dance and music. For 9 days, girls in Telangana get dressed of their festive best, create lovely flower displays and sing and dance withinside the evenings to rejoice the cultural spirit of the country. And a spotlight each yr at some stage in this time is the unique Bathukamma songs which might be launched. These peoples songs composed via way of means of artistes from throughout the country are much-awaited and an quintessential a part of the festivities.
This yr, Telangana Jagruthi, an NGO run via way of means of Member of Legislative Council K Kavitha launched a unique music for Bathukamma titled, ‘Allipoola Vennela’. What set this music aside turned into that A R Rahman and Gautham Vasudev Menon have been roped in to create it. However, the music turned into criticised via way of means of many folks that stated that the Telangana soul turned into lacking in it.
Usually, the songs for Bathukamma are outstanding via way of means of using peoples factors and the Telangana dialect wherein it’s miles sung. These songs which might be composed via way of means of the neighborhood artistes are continually properly received. The track motion pictures mainly are very famous and are generally set in a village with fields and rivers mainly highlighted. In the video, citizens are visible making ready for the pageant. Everyone is vibrantly dressed, the girls clap and dance in a circle, and plant life are organized in particular designs because the peoples music performs withinside the background.
With Bathukamma being celebrated from October 6-14 this yr, TNM spoke to 3 peoples singers who’ve been making a song Bathukamma songs for decades now and feature made their mark with their memorable songs and track motion pictures. These singers placed their soul into their paintings and upload the wonderful Telangana contact to their songs.
Mangli
Satyavathi Rathod, greater popularly called Mangli, desires no advent to the Telugu audience. The famend playback singer and actor is understood for her hit songs including ‘Saranga Dariya’ from Love Story and ‘Bhoom Badal’ from Krack.
The singer has additionally sung unique songs for plenty gala’s including Ugadi and Sankranthi, to call a few. Her songs for Bathukamma are specifically famous and he or she has sung 15 songs through the years for the floral pageant. She additionally choreographed the dances for them.
Speaking to TNM, Mangli says that she feels very glad to sing Bathukamma songs as that is approximately her very own lifestyle. “It’s a excellent feeling, I now no longer simplest sing the songs however additionally compose dance movements for them,” provides Mangli. She is going to small villages in Telangana to shoot the motion pictures for the songs, which she says brings her in contact together along with her roots.
Some of her well-known Bathukamma songs are ’Pachipaala Vennela’ and ‘Singidilo Rangulane Duusi Thechi’.
Mounika Singh Yadav
Mounika Singh Yadav, who has 20 Bathukamma songs in her kitty, is likewise a famous playback singer. Not simplest does she sing those Bathukamma songs, however she is likewise visible withinside the motion pictures which might be made mainly for the festive season.
The singer says that she enjoys making a song Bathukamma songs due to the fact via them she is capable of maintain the songs which have been transferred right all the way down to the more youthful technology via way of means of the preceding ones. Nowadays, she says that lots of those songs have become remixed via way of means of DJs and present day beats are added. While she isn’t towards it, she provides, “It need to be balanced and greater peoples factors need to be used to maintain the Telangana lifestyle for destiny generations.”
‘Pootha Puulanni Poose’ and ‘Nagire Naga Nandano’ are a few famous Bathukkama songs that Mounika has sung.
Kanakavva
Gotte Kanakavva, rose to reputation more than one years in the past whilst she sang a music on MicTV, a Telugu YouTube channel. The 64-yr-vintage big name peoples singer has sung 8 Bathukamma songs so a ways, lots of them hits.
Amidst her busy agenda of recording new songs, she spoke to TNM approximately what Bhathukamma songs imply to her. “I do not know the way to write or read, however I realize a whole lot of peoples songs that I heard from my mom and we used to sing them at some stage in our childhood,” she says.
She in addition provides, “I am sporting ahead the equal lifestyle and I sense proud that I am capable of sing the ones lovely peoples songs today.”
Kanakkava, who lives in Siddipet district in Telangana is understood for her songs, ‘Kongullo Suttundre Komalaangi’ and ‘Tungutuyyala Tungutuyyala’
Hyderabad’s wonderful Chaush network has roots in Yemen
The Chaush, a diasporic institution that has roots withinside the Hadramawt vicinity of Yemen, got here to Hyderabad to paintings as squaddies withinside the Nizam’s army, in non-public militias or as tax collectors.
This piece is a part of TNM’s Deccan Series introduced to you in collaboration with the Khidki Collective, a group of 8 essays so as to have a take a observe what it manner to belong to the Deccan, which does now no longer exist as a country or administrative entity, however nonetheless defines human beings and communities, how they live, what their politics is.
At a time whilst Muslims in India are continuously requested to show their nationalism and give an explanation for their picks of meals, love and profession, it’s miles essential to consider that identification isn’t a monolith. It is traditionally built and multidimensional. Neither can or not it’s constrained via way of means of visa and passport regimes on revealed paper, nor can or not it’s described via way of means of criminal definitions of nationalism and citizenship. It is lived ordinary as reminiscences and connections among more than one neighborhood, local and established contexts.
The Chaush, a wonderful diasporic institution in Hyderabad that has roots withinside the Hadramawt vicinity of Yemen, exemplify the opportunities of inhabiting translocal identities, as this essay shows. Chaush is an Ottoman Turkish phrase that denotes a junior army rank indicating the predominance of squaddies and mercenaries withinside the early Hadrami migration to Hyderabad centuries in the past, from Hadramawt valley or wadi in South Yemen. The pupils and investors of the wadi are topics of legends and it occupies an essential vicinity in early Islamic history. Hadrami Arabs have been instrumental withinside the unfold of Islam withinside the Indian Ocean via complicated networks of kinship and financial relationships alongside its port towns. Through centuries, Hadramis have travelled as spiritual pupils, investors and mercenaries. Their presence continues to be written throughout the Indian Ocean from Comoros Islands to Kerala to Singapore and Indonesia.
Most Hadrami Arabs got here to Hyderabad to paintings as squaddies withinside the Nizam’s army, abnormal forces, in non-public militias or as jamadars/tax collectors. They additionally occupied excessive rating army positions as officials withinside the Hyderabad Army. For example, General El Edroos, a Hadrami, turned into the Commander-in-Chief of the Hyderabad forces once they surrendered to the Indian forces in 1948.
But, as pupils have noted, Arab mercenaries have been already part of the more than one armies, mainly Maratha armies, throughout the Deccan earlier than the British and the Mughal empires began out competing for dominance. For example, the Gaikwad Maharaja of Baroda hired many Arab squaddies, together with Ja‘a ways al-Kathiri, whose successors later got here to paintings for the Nizam of Hyderabad and financed the Al Kathiri Sultanate in Hadramawt with the earnings they earned in Hyderabad. Another distinguished Hadrami own circle of relatives is the Al Quaiti own circle of relatives, part of Hyderabad’s nobility, which set up the essential Al Quaiti Sultanate in Hadramawt.
In Hyderabad metropolis, Barkas and Chandrayangutta are each predominantly Chaush neighbourhoods. Names of stores, hospitals and faculties in those regions announce this network’s declare in this space. Restaurants serving Mandi and Kahwa (delicacies particular to the network) line all major streets. Chaush guys may be recognized via way of means of their sartorial picks. They put on geometrically patterned lungis or wraps below kurtas. These wraps are to be had in stores in Barkas, Lad Bazaar and Shehran. These are popularly called sarung, a phrase that has etymological roots in Indo-Malay and is now part of the Arabic language. These are famous objects which might be offered as items via way of means of household or own circle of relatives once they go to Hyderabad from abroad. It is not unusualplace understanding most of the Chaush that those sarungs are produced in Malaysia and Indonesia, then furnished to the Gulf, from wherein they’re advertised somewhere else.
Hadrami naming styles may be witnessed throughout Chandrayangutta and Barkas
The garment additionally permits one to find the Hadrami diaspora withinside the large matrix of world capitalist manufacturing and deliver chains. During the past due colonial period, Hadramis in South East Asia, mainly Indonesia, acted as intermediaries withinside the fabric business. The neighborhood batik enterprise there nonetheless stays a website from wherein the sarung fabric is produced. Similarly, the open ‘Arab style’ sandals have end up very famous among the Chaush network withinside the ultimate 3 decades. These are produced in South East Asia after which furnished from Dubai to Yemen and somewhere else withinside the Indian Ocean vicinity.
For a Chaush, the difference among Arab and Hadrami identification is blurred – Arab being a meta-identification that subsumes the Hadrami identification. However, Hyderabadi Hadramis mostly companion themselves with the creolised Chaush identification and as Syed/Mashiekh/Qabail – social stratification structures of Hadramawt. Therefore, Chaush identification is genuinely translocal – diasporic but stratified on conventional lines. It is local – Arab and Hadrami on the equal time. Most importantly, Chaush identification is likewise established – maximum are individuals of Shafi’i Maddhab (Sunni sect) but in Hyderabad it isn’t unusual for numerous Sunni sects to hope together.
Modern Yemeni and Indian geographical regions complicate the Chaush identification due to the fact the homogenising narratives of those postcolonial geographical regions verify thoughts of constant borders and reified identities. However, for the Chaush, the hyperlinks with Hadramawt as a geographic entity or a socio-political imaginary permits for demarcation of limitations in their identification. Yet, country-centric definitions of ‘host society’ and ‘domestic country’ are too constrained to seize or apprehend those meanings.
Lad Bazaar
The phrase watan comes closest to the concept of a native land for the Chaush. Watan does now no longer imply a nation-country, however it’s miles an interaction of translocal geographies of origin/s, that is, areas, towns or villages. For the Chaush, individuals born in Hadramawt or watan are known as Wilayati (actually overseas born; someone born in Hadramawt ‘the native land’ continues to be a foreigner to the creole) and people born outdoor the native land (diasporic) are known as Muwalladin (overseas born creole/of combined parentage, therefore non-pure), denying the opportunity of genuine or the pressure to preserve a ‘pure’ center or a ‘syncretic’ present – in practices, customs, traditions or language. Hadramis born in India are known as Mawlluwd-e-Hind. Chaush manner each Wilayati in addition to Muwallad. A Chaush in no way belongs.
The motion of the muwalladin as a anciental diaspora additionally receives pondered withinside the cutting-edge tendencies of migrating to the Gulf in the Chaush network in Hyderabad. Post police action, maximum Chaush discovered themselves stripped in their normative privileges and status, and ended up taking part withinside the casual sectors of the postcolonial Indian State. Today, the network unearths it hard to compete with the ones who’ve greater social capital in phrases of get entry to and education. Almost all Chaush families have one or greater individuals operating withinside the Gulf. Economic migration to the Gulf started out withinside the 1960s, however, it intensified withinside the Nineteen Seventies with comfortable passport and visa regimes.
Migrating to the Gulf is most popular to operating in Hyderabad for maximum Chaush, now no longer simplest as it gives higher financial opportunities, however additionally due to the fact there may be a relative ease with the concept of shifting in the Indian Ocean location. Therefore, given the excessive call for for labour withinside the Gulf markets and the set up networks that this network has, it’s miles less difficult to go beyond the negative aspects it faces at ‘domestic’ via way of means of migrating. Interestingly, many Chaush girls – younger and vintage – who’ve now no longer been to more recent department stores and markets in Hyderabad, realize avenue names and department stores in Dubai and Jeddah.
The Chaush identification defies notions of authenticity. This diaspora affirms that a ‘lived ordinary’ is positioned in among traditionally contingent neighborhood/s and established. For them translocal mobility is normal. It opens up questions concerning exceptional thoughts of assimilation and integration which have prevailed withinside the non-west, particularly withinside the Indian Ocean vicinity. And gives new frames for information principles like native land, host society, and notions of belonging.
The factor above can not be emphasized sufficient in a time whilst inside India, many intellectuals – public and otherwise – try to ‘defend’ Indian Muslims via way of means of pitting a constrained neighborhood syncretic South Asian Islam towards the established barbaric international Islam. This exercise isn’t simplest intellectually risky for it provides part of Indian Muslims identification as its whole, however additionally due to the fact it’s miles laced with the stays of orientalised thoughts of Islam. The concept that established Islam is the opposite of the present day international has been witnessed in more than one guises considering enlightenment – occasionally as racism, occasionally as improvement and occasionally as a defence of human rights. The paintings of South Asianists, which implicitly borrows from this dichotomy of a terrible revivalist international Muslim as opposed to a Good Indian syncretic Muslim, simplest strengthened Islamophobic tropes and suspicions towards an already prone population. Hence, the Indian Ocean vicinity, Deccan and Hyderabad provide a methodological opportunity for us to broaden a greater inclusive method to identification formation.
Khatija Khader finished her PhD at Jawaharlal Nehru University and presently teaches on the Centre for International Relations, Islamic University for Science and Technology (IUST) in Kashmir. Views expressed are the author’s very own.
The Khidki Collective is a collection of students committing to reimagining and constructing views on local identities that allows you to difficult set up narratives round history, nationhood and belonging. Regions have existed even earlier than India got here into being and hold to exist. By now no longer smartly becoming into dominant notions including Hindi-Hindu-Hindustan, areas make bigger our imaginations. The collective takes its call from Khidki – window, the early medieval call of Aurangabad metropolis, in addition to the call of a well-known octagonal mosque in Delhi constructed via way of means of an administrator who recognized himself as a Telangani. The collective is anchored on the Hyderabad Urban Lab.
