Come September 26, nights in Hyderabad will reverberate to pulsating garba and dandiya raas beats and spectacular Navaratri events. The festivities usher in grand celebrations after two pandemic-hit years.

The renewed energy is palpable this year. “I cannot stop dancing when the Dholida song is played,” says Saloni Jain who has been practising a hook step for a month now. It has been a busy September for Saloni; she has been overseeing preparations along with her mother, Kavita Jain, for the fifth season of Navkar Navratri Utsav to be held at Classic Gardens, Secunderabad even as she is planning her studio launch during Deepavali.