Mela at Barkas brings alive 50-year-old tradition

Hyderabad: The annual three-day fair at the Barkas is drawing huge crowds, especially children, from various parts of the Old City. The fair, according to the local residents, is being held for almost the last five decades at the historic grounds in the Arab community dominated locality.

Barkas is the corrupted form of Barracks that once housed the cavalry unit of the Nizam. The cavalry was dominated by the Arabs, a community from the Yemen in Middle East.

The fair draws hundreds of children who participate in the festivities, enjoy camel and horse rides in addition to relishing mouth-watering snacks.

Abdul Fahad Bavazeer, 35, a resident of Barkas said that the fair has been an integral part of the festivities in the locality for several decades. “During my childhood, I used to enjoy the horse and camel rides. I still visit the place due to nostalgia.” he says.

According to Talha Kaseri, another resident of the Barkas, there is a connect between the fair held here and those held in the Middle East countries. “People in the Middle East get week-long holidays for Eid-ul-Fitr and they visit places of entertainment to enjoy the holidays and festivals. During the 1960s, when people started visiting the Gulf, they were introduced to these fairs. That is how the idea came to India. Here, they initially started the fair on a smaller scale,  but it gradually gained the present fame.” he said.

Youngsters working with animal keepers, who rent out the horses and camels for functions, bring them and offer joyrides. There are also are toy jeeps and cars offering rides to the children. The venue also has many small kiosks offering eatables like pani puri and bhel puri.

Attahullah, a 12-year old-boy who had come to the fair along with his siblings and friends, said, “Every year I come here and spend a part of my Eidie (gift money).”