Hyderabad: Citizens queue up to feel Vrindavan colours

HYDERABAD: Colourful destinations like Vrindavan, Darjeeling, Tirupati and Shirdi seem to be the new favourite in citizens' travel list as they step out of the city, looking to discover the spirit of Holi. Bookings for these destinations have gone up by 30% in the city.

"While the trend of travelling during festive breaks has been popular, people are embracing looking to explore cross-culture festivals and new destinations with their loved ones.People of Hyderabad are choosing to celebrate Holi outside the city either in resorts with a group of family and friends or experience the more well-known Holi celebrations across the states of Rajasthan (like in Jaipur and Pushkar) and Uttar Pradesh (Mathura, Vrindavan and Varanasi)," said Manmeet Ahluwalia, marketing head of travel firm Expedia in India. He added that the travel firm has seen a growth of over 40% in the count of travellers venturing out on Holi.
Comparing this year's Holi to last year, representatives of another travel firm Booking.com revealed that the fastest growing destinations are Lonavala, Darjeeling, Tirupati, Ooty, Vrindavan, Gangtok, Puri, Pune, Tiruvannamalai and Shirdi. Citizens are attracted by sightseeing, shopping, local food and most importantly, culture at these spots.
Those who are deciding to stay back in the city are not losing out on the fun either. Several Holi bashes are being organised in and around Hyderabad, from morning to late evening. Chance to enjoy live music and food while celebrating the festival of colours with loved ones is attracting people from all generations to these bashes.
"Initially, I was planning to go out of the city to celebrate Holi with friends. But due to shortage in time, we decided to visit a bash in a resort located in the outskirts of the city. Some of these bashes are offering corporate discounts too," said Sai Chand K, an IT sector employee.