Hyderabad, Jan 1 (IANS) The 85th All India Industrial Exhibition got off to a colourful start on Thursday.

Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka along with the State Industries Minister D. Sridhar Babu and State Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar inaugurated ‘Numaish’, as the annual trade fair is popularly known.

‘Numaish’, as one of the world’s oldest annual consumer exhibitions is popularly known, will be inaugurated by Telangana government.

More than 1,000 stalls have been set up on the sprawling Numaish Maidan for the annual 45-day-long exhibition.

The Deputy Chief Minister said that the state government is extending full support to the All India Industrial Exhibition Society (AIIES) to conduct the annual fair.

He noted that ‘Numaish’ has a long history.

Deputy Chief Minister Vikramarka, who also inaugurated the stall of the Chanchalguda Jail, said the Exhibition Society should rise to global standards.

He said that the society’s efforts in social service, education, and women’s empowerment are commendable.

The Deputy Chief Minister added that the state government is making plans to transform Hyderabad into a world-class safe city, free from pollution.

Traders and various business organisations from various states are sell their products at the fair.

This year, the organisers have hiked the entry fee to Rs 50 from Rs 40 per head.

Every day the exhibition will be open for visitors from 4 to 10:30 p.m.

It will be open till 11 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.

Numaish-e-Masnuaat-e-Mulki, or ‘Numaish’ in short, made a humble beginning in 1938 as an event to promote locally produced goods.

The seventh Nizam of Hyderabad State, Mir Osman Ali Khan, inaugurated the first ‘Numaish’.

Enthused by the good response, it was decided to make it an annual event and use the earnings to promote education.

Beginning with just 50 stalls and a capital of Rs 2.50, it has today evolved into one of the biggest industrial exhibitions in the country.

It was a group of graduates from Osmania University who came up with the idea of an exhibition to conduct an economic survey of the state.

‘Numaish’ could not be organised in 1947 and 1948 due to the turmoil in the aftermath of India’s Independence.

With Hyderabad acceding to the Indian Union, the event bounced back in 1949.

The exhibition could not be held in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

From amusement rides to shopping with good bargains and a variety of lip-smacking food, the annual event offers loads of fun and frolic.

In its 85th year, it is considered the mother of all carnivals — and an integral part of Hyderabad’s rich culture.

It draws people not just from the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad but from other parts of Telangana and even neighbouring states.

The fair begins on January 1 every year and continues for 45 days.

Traders from various parts of the country set up their stalls during the exhibition, which is visited by 45,000 people every day.

A unique blend of economy and culture, the event is organised on the sprawling grounds and revenues from the fair are spent on a group of educational and charitable institutions run by the Society.

–IANS

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