Hyderabad is a city well known for its diverse and distinctive cultural and linguistic traditions. The population known as the ‘Hyderabadis’ is formed of diverse segments with different faiths and beliefs; it is thus a medley of contrasting festivals and activities. At Hyderabad the traditions of the North and South of India meet and a community of Hindu and Muslim cultures intermingles.

Most women in Hyderabad wear the traditional Indian dress, the Sari, or the Salwar Kameez popular amongst the younger generations, while the traditional Hyderabadi garment for the women is the Shalwar Qamis and the Khara Dupatta, and the for the men, the Sherwani.

Popular festivals in Hyderabad include the Deccan Festival, Lumbini Festival, Mrigasira Festival and Ugadi. The most impressive public festival in Hyderabad remains the immersion of idols of Lord Ganesh after the ten-day Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations on Ananta Chaturdashi. This event attracts many tourists each year, for it is quite a spectacular festival.

The Bonalu is a vernacular festival and is celebrated with great fervor amongst the population, as is the annual procession of Muharram, during the first month of the Islamic calendar. These festivals are always a feast for the eyes, for they are carried out with the greatest of fervor and are always dazzlingly decorative and adorned with a multicolor of flowers and decorations. The streets come alive with commercial activity and grand feasts, which propose popular food; a blend of Mughal and Persian cuisine. The streets and restaurants are strewn with exotic aromas, as traditional dishes and sweets are prepared in homes and served at restaurants.