Miss World 2025 contestants set to visit Pochampally today
Hyderabad: As part of the Miss World pageant being hosted in Hyderabad by the Telangana State Government, contestants from various countries are experiencing Telangana’s cultural heritage through specially organized visits. The initiative aims to showcase the state's handlooms, historic sites, and traditions to a global audience.
Pochampally visit scheduled for today
25 Miss World contestants from African nations are scheduled to visit Bhoodan Pochampally in Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district, renowned for its Ikat handloom sarees today, on May 15. The visit is part of efforts to highlight Telangana’s textile heritage.
At the Pochampally Rural Tourism Center, the contestants will be welcomed with a kolatam dance procession and traditional bottu greetings. They will witness cultural elements such as decorated terracotta pots with muggulu (rangoli), live mehendi application, and handloom weaving demonstrations inside the museum.
Two handlooms have been set up to showcase the Ikat weaving process. Women weavers will explain the "leaf to cloth" journey of traditional handloom production. Outside, a traditional bullock cart display and Bathukamma floral arrangements will depict Telangana’s rural life and festive customs.
Later, the group will attend a cultural performance at the amphitheatre and a fashion ramp show featuring Indo-Western outfits made with Ikat fabric. An AV presentation by the Telangana Tourism Department will highlight the cultural importance of Pochampally Ikat.
The contestants will also explore ten handloom stalls, seven dedicated to Pochampally Ikat and three featuring textiles from Gadwal, Siddipet, Gollabama, and Narayanpet.
These visits are part of a broader cultural showcase tied to the Miss World event, aimed at promoting Telangana’s heritage to an international audience.
Cultural Tour in Warangal
On May 14, 20 Miss World contestants from countries across North and South America visited Warangal as part of a heritage tour. They were welcomed at Hotel Haritha Kakatiya in Hanumakonda with Bathukamma floral arrangements, tilakam on their foreheads, and traditional music and dance.
The contestants then visited the historic Thousand Pillar Temple. At the temple entrance, they were greeted with folk dances. Warangal and Hanumakonda district officials, including District Collectors Pravinya and Dr. Satya Sharada, Warangal Police Commissioner Sunpreet Singh, and GWMC Commissioner Ashwini Tanaji Wakade, received the visitors with floral bouquets.
Dressed in traditional Indian sarees, the contestants explored the temple complex, including the Koneru (temple pond) and inscriptions. As per custom, they washed their feet with water from a copper vessel placed in a ceremonial thambulam.
They took part in a photo session near the Nandi statue and visited the Kalyana Mandapam. The group also performed a pradakshina around the temple and participated in abhishekam for Lord Rudreshwara. Vedic priests offered blessings and teertha prasadam to conclude the visit.