India News | Hyderabad: Alai Balai Festival Gears Up for 2026 Celebrations with 'Nasha Mukt Bharat' as Theme
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. The Telangana state Alai Balai program is gearing up for its 2026 celebrations, scheduled to be held on October 22 at the Exhibition Grounds, Nampally, Hyderabad.
Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], October 17 (ANI): The Telangana state Alai Balai program is gearing up for its 2026 celebrations, scheduled to be held on October 22 at the Exhibition Grounds, Nampally, Hyderabad.
Organised by former Haryana Governor and senior BJP leader Bandaru Dattatreya and the Alai Balai Foundation, the festival is traditionally held on the day after Dussehra. The event brings together people from different political parties, religions and states on one platform to celebrate Telangana's culture.
Speaking about the festival, on Saturday Alai Balai Foundation Chairman and BJP leader Bandaru Vijayalakshmi said the event honours the culture of Telangana and Bharat. This year, the main theme will be 'Nasha Mukt Bharat'.
"You know that this program has a gathering of 30-40,000 people and many youth also come. Telangana's culture, be it the Dappu or Oggu Dolu, reflects the vibe of Telangana. The food, the spice, the feminism in our culture is something to be proud of," she said.
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"I would say to the youth of India and Telangana that your culture has something more to celebrate and be proud of. You are the pillars of the country. When you honour and celebrate your culture, that's where India develops," Vijayalakshmi added, stating that the invitation has been extended to all, regardless of political affiliations.
Former Governor Bandaru Dattatreya said that this will be the 20th edition of the Alai Balai festival.
"This program, running for the past 20 years, aims for cultural unity. It features various political parties, people from diverse backgrounds, artists, writers, historians, and people from different states like Rajasthan, Bihar, Gujarat and Maharashtra," Dattatreya said.
"The main objective is for everyone to come together and unite. 'Alai Balai' means embracing one another with warmth and love, which helps resolve 90% of issues and fosters harmony," Dattatreya said.
He added that the festival goes beyond politics and highlights Telangana's natural culture with local artists, dancers and rural workers.
"This year, the theme is 'Nasha Mukt Bharat' and 'Viksit Bharat'. Drug abuse has become a major issue, especially among the youth, and it poses a threat to the nation's unity and integrity. It requires a collective societal effort," he said.
"The vision of Viksit Bharat is for India to stand alongside countries like the US, Russia and China by 2047 in technology, economy and culture, with the active participation of the public," Dattatreya added. (ANI)
(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)