Shilparamam – Get Arty In Travel

So we went to Charminar and also to the Chowmahalla Palace. My next destination in Hyderabad was the art and craft zone – Shilparamam. This is one name that is usually associated with the area in Hyderabad which is related completely to arts and crafts. There is a lot of support from the government too here and this village is located in the neighboring area of the super modern city of Hyderabad in the HITECH zone. There is different look to the whole place as compared to the other towers of cyber interest. This village shows that there could be a link between the modern and the traditional culture found in the country.

As I entered the village, I was quite impressed by the lovely terracotta horses that stood at the entrance. The smile on the horses was such that they were giving a welcome smile to all the visitors. Then I saw many things of interest here and my interest in arts and crafts got rekindled. I some craftsmen working and the articles they worked on included clay, paper, wood, metal, clothes etc which took different forms under the nimble hands of the craftsmen. This in itself was a great experience and I told myself I would try some when I eventually reached home. Many shops were there which sold a lot of the craft items. My sister would surely have gone berserk here I thought. Then of course there were carpets, toys, textiles. The wide variety of sarees here made me purchase one for my mother and one for my sister. I just wished I had brought them along but they were busy in the marriage hall with my cousin for whose wedding I had come to Hyderabad. There were sarees of all types, be it Tangail or Paithani, Sambhalpur or Kashmiri, Dharmavaram or Kanjivaram, Madurai or Tanjavur, Bandar or Peddapuram, Guntur and many other varieties. I was also able to pick up two salwar kameezes for my friend Kalpana and ghagras for my nieces. Surprisingly I also bought kurtas for myself and my room mate. Small carpets for my aunt and my shopping was over in this land of arts and crafts – Shilparamam.

The artists here were no normal artists. Many of them had got recognition by the State or the Central Government and even awarded gifts and prizes.

This village is like a fair the entire year. All through the year there are various cultural activities here which include puppet shows, Tholu Bommalata, Butta Bommalu, Burra Katha and also Puli Vesham. Dance, crafts, music, poetry and other arts are encouraged here and they all combine to showcase one talent – Art. When I had gone, there was a festival called the “incarnation of arts and crafts” that was being celebrated. This is a regular festival observed here and is always held with a lot of joy and enthusiasm.

I liked the layout of the village. It was a planned area. There were many shops, and also an auditorium which could be the venue for various activities like magic shows, cultural festivals, concerts etc.

Being an environmental planner, one thing I liked about this place was that there was an ecological side to the place. A rock garden here attracted my attention and the beautiful way in which the rocks had been placed intrigued and took my attention. There was a lake which was a nearby where you could go boating. Besides it was an inland waterway and there was lot of greenery around. The coconut groves added to beauty of the surroundings.

Then I felt hungry and I saw that there was a lot of ethnic food. I enjoyed all the ethnic food and just loved the whole experience.

Then I went to the rock museum which has been created by Subroto Basu from Shantiniketan. He designed this place with a lot of formation of rocks. This museum is very soulful, and it is a poetic tribute to Shilparamam. The formation of the rocks, here was a great feature and I just loved the complete natural beauty here. It was total rejuvenation for me.

The total area of the park was so huge that it was a complete getaway spot for me. The centuries old stones lend a complete beauty to the entire surroundings. The birds here chirp in a musical way and there is a certain raga that fills the place. This is one place with a great lake and lovely coconut trees which gives you pleasure, relaxation and rejuvenation.

In this enchanting state of Andhra Pradesh, the cuisine is a great thing and the spiciest Indian cuisine is available here. With the Nawabi style of eating, the Grameena was a place where I got the best of Andhra Pradesh cuisine. I ate Pesarattu, Pulihora and Avakkai as also the Gongura. Served on a banana leaf, the food was delicious and sumptuous.

Then I went to the rural museum, and the lawns and then a play area for kids, and also the night bazaar. Shopping would have been a pleasure for my sister I thought.