Toddy festival coming up

Metro India News | Hyderabad 

A strong demand to declare palm toddy, locally known as “Thati Kallu,” as the official drink of Telangana was raised during an awareness programme ahead of the “Toddy Musical Festival Experium” scheduled for May 24.

Minister Ponnam Prabhakar said the government would examine proposals to promote toddy as Telangana’s signature natural beverage and expand its availability in major hotels. Neera bottles were unveiled during the programme attended by former minister Srinivas Goud, MLC Goreti Venkanna and former MP Boora Narsaiah Goud.

The minister said the festival aims to promote palm cultivation, protect traditional toddy-tapping communities and encourage eco-friendly livelihoods across Telangana. Ponnam Prabhakar further said nature lover Ramdev has established an Experium Park spread across 150 acres on the Chilkur Balaji route with an investment of Rs 500 crore. As part of the project, nearly 500 varieties of palm trees sourced from different countries are being planted in the park at a cost of around Rs 10 crore.