The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Cultural fetes will boost tourism: Geeta Reddy

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Apr 24, 2006

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Cultural fetes will boost tourism: Geeta Reddy

Staff Reporter

Minister inaugurates Golconda Cultural Festival 2006

TRIPLE TREAT: Sarod maestro Amjad Ali Khan performing at Taramati Baradari Complex at the inaugural of the Golkonda Cultural Festival on Sunday along with his sons Aman Ali and Ayaan Ali. - Photo: K. Gajendran

HYDERABAD: True tourism promotion includes promoting the culture and heritage of a place apart from the picnic spots, said Tourism Minister J.Geetha Reddy here on Sunday.

Inaugurating the three-day Golconda Cultural Festival 2006 at the Taramati Baradari Cultural Complex in the city, the Minister said that tourism offered an opportunity for people to get exposed and share the culture, heritage and art of different places. In this connection, the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation Limited was conducting these cultural festivals.

"Hyderabad has a unique culture and heritage and is the most happening city in India in terms of Information Technology, agriculture and tourism at present. Probably, this is the reason that made the US President George W. Bush visit the city," said the Minister.

As part of the festival, music maestros Yella Venkateswara Rao and Ustad Amjad Ali Khan were felicitated. Later, they enthralled the audience with their performance. The gentle breeze blowing around and the melodious music wafting in the air held everyone spellbound.

Mayor Teegala Krishna Reddy and Managing Director of State Bank of Hyderabad, Guha, also took part in the inaugural session of the festival. Incidentally, SBH is sponsoring the event for the second year in a row. On Monday, the play, "The Legend of Taramati," is being staged by the Qadir Ali Baig Theatre Foundation at 7.30 p.m. at the same venue.

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