Archive · 6 Sep 2026
Shehr Festival Invites Hyderabad To Explore Vanishing Urban Heritage
Shehr is a festival about exploring Hyderabad by walking through it.
People can visit old buildings, markets, lakes, neighbourhoods and other places.
They are encouraged to notice things that may disappear later.
One walk looked at the Paigah Tombs and asked people to photograph what they saw.
Another walk will study signboards written in several languages.
These signs can be hand-painted, made from metal or acrylic, or produced digitally.
The festival also includes walks about nature, food, art and changing parts of the city.
Organisers hope people will see Hyderabad’s history in new ways.
The 16-day Shehr festival, organised by Deccan Archive, features roughly 48 to 50 events through September 20.
Its opening photowalk at the Paigah Tombs asked about two dozen participants to document their surroundings.
The programme covers places and themes including Ameerpet, Cyberabad, Gandipet, Patancheru, the Musi and Hyderabad’s ecology.
A September 20 walk through Usmanganj will examine multilingual signboards and lettering in English, Telugu, Urdu and other scripts.
Organisers say the festival aims to highlight independent walks and broaden the meaning of heritage to include urban life, culture and ecology.
- Who
- Deccan Archive is organising the festival, with historians, journalists, researchers, photographers and other collaborators leading events.
- What
- Shehr is a 16-day walking festival about Hyderabad’s urban life, heritage, ecology, culture and design.
- When
- The festival runs through September 20; its opening photowalk took place on a Saturday morning.
- Where
- Events take place across Hyderabad, including the Paigah Tombs, Usmanganj, Ameerpet, Cyberabad, Gandipet, Patancheru and the Musi.
- Why
- Organisers want to support independent walk leaders and help people notice forms of heritage that may disappear or be overlooked.
- Festival duration
- 16 days, through September 20
- Organiser
- Deccan Archive
- Number of events
- Roughly 48 to 50
- Opening walk
- A photowalk at the Paigah Tombs with about two dozen participants
- Usmanganj walk
- A September 20 walk focused on signboards, scripts and typography
- Languages examined
- English, Telugu, Urdu and other scripts
- Event leadership
- About 35 people were counted among event leaders, participants and the organising team