The Yadav community in Hyderabad celebrated the annual Sadar Buffalo Festival, filling the streets with colour, music, and devotion. Known as Dunnapothula Panduga, the celebration brings together decorated buffaloes, traditional bands, and thousands of visitors each year.
The main event takes place at Narayanguda YMCA, where the festival began in 1946 under Salandri Nyayam Chowdhary Mallaiah Yadav. What started as a small gathering has become one of Hyderabad’s biggest cultural events. The Pedha Sadar, organised by Mallaiah Yadav’s family, continues to keep the 79-year-old tradition alive.
Festivities begin with Go Puja, a ritual similar to Govardhan Puja. Devotees create a symbolic Mount Govardhan using cow dung, sweets, and rangoli. When the first buffalo steps on the lit diya, the festival officially begins, marking the bond between humans and cattle.
Major celebrations also take place in Shaikpet, Saidabad, Ameerpet, Khairatabad, and Madhapur. For the Yadavs, Sadar is not just a carnival but a tribute to their heritage, livestock, and community spirit.
