Bolarum is a tiny suburb — or rather a Cantonment pocket — of Secunderabad, the twin city of Hyderabad. Historically known as Chinna Lashkar, military folk once took immense pride in the “rum” in Bolarum. And, as only we can, we’ve spelled and respelled it as we pleased, giving it a full metamorphosis into “Bolaram,” because someone somewhere saw a Ram in it. Anyone can spin a tale from there — maybe a certain Bholeram lived here centuries ago, and that’s how the name stuck. For authenticity, of course, we’ll need Google, or better, our own Serish Nanisetty or Mohammed Zubair to fact-check the legend.
Bolarum’s real claim to fame, however, is the Rashtrapati Nilayam — the President of India’s southern retreat, where he or she takes a short annual break from Delhi’s chaos. The word “retreat” is deceptively simple; it carries the weight of tradition, protocol, and history. Since March 2023, the estate has been open to the public, even though the Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi has long had its own, rather chequered, history of allowing public entry only to the famed Mughal Gardens for a brief window in February–March.
Speaking of Delhi, the city’s greenery is now as endangered as its once-proud winter charm. Pollution hangs like a permanent curtain, forcing people to discuss AQI more than Celsius or Fahrenheit. And other Indian metros are now in an ‘unhealthy’ race to outdo Delhi’s pollution benchmarks — a competition no one asked for.
But back to Bolarum.
The Bharatiya Kala Mahotsav — second edition — is now open to the public, and you have barely 48 hours left before the spectacle ends on November 30. This year’s Paschim Mahotsav, representing the western states of India, is nothing short of delightful. It’s bigger, brighter, and better than the previous one — more visitors, higher quality stalls, a stronger celebratory mood.
Yes, public turnout has grown, but when you consider a city of over a crore people, the visitor count is still in the single-digit percentage range. Even so, it’s absolutely worth your time. The festival offers a window into the culture, cuisine, music, folk traditions, and artistic expressions of Maharashtra, Goa, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and the Union Territories of Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli.
The Government of India has spent generously to ensure flawless arrangements — free entry, free parking, and discreet but tight security protocols. The Rashtrapati Nilayam itself, beautifully groomed and immaculately maintained, is a visual treat. The Presidential residence on the campus, used during the short winter retreat, leaves a lasting impression on visitors.
Of course, nothing is entirely free — and rightly so. The government recovers part of its expenditure through the sales counters of the participating states, where people queue up enthusiastically to buy signature products at reasonable prices.
A few pictures from the visit, attached below, should tempt you to take a quick trip to this charming corner of the city — before the Paschim Mahotsav packs up for the year.
