A one-of-a-kind event is all set to bring sweet tooths together this weekend. To be held in Hyderabad from January 13 to 15, the ‘World Sweet Festival’ will be the go-to place to find traditional, rare and popular sweet dishes from across India and beyond. Jointly organised by Department of Language, Culture and Tourism, Telangana government and CLIC (Culture Language and Indian Connections), a collective body of various community welfare associations in Hyderabad, the festival will treat citizens to around 1000 varieties of sweets.
According to organisers, participants from 14 countries will also come up with dishes from their native places.
“In the coming years, the festival will be a global event. Similar to beer fest of Germany and La Tomatina festival in Spain, the sweet festival will be synonymous with Hyderabad,” said Libby Benjamin, chief Convenor of the fest.
The festival is out of bounds for hotels and eateries. The organisers do not want to commercialise the event and instead, want to provide an authentic experience for foodies. The rule is that only women can participate with dishes made in their kitchen. For the first 5kg of the sweet, the state government will pay for the ingredients and cooking costs. The stall owners can sell sweets, but at a lower price.
Benjamin said that those who want to know the recipe or learn how to make a particular dish can look forward to live demonstrations. “The fest is not just about promoting sweets but also bringing people of different regions and cultures together for peace and harmony,” he said.
Around 1 lakh visitors are expected to visit the fest every day. At the end of the event, gift coupons will be given to the participants.
Since the event is coinciding with Sankranti, a kite festival will also be held at the same venue.
