Hyderabad: Hyderabad’s famous rock formations were celebrated on Sunday at the International Rock Day event in Gachibowli. The Society to Save Rocks organised the programme to spread awareness about protecting the city’s natural rock heritage.
The highlight of the event was a dance ballet titled “A Peaceful Movement”, choreographed and performed by Nayantara Nandakumar and her troupe from Our Sacred Space. Through expressive movements and storytelling, the performance conveyed a message about protecting the environment and the timeless beauty of rocks. The dance performance lasted about 50 minutes.
“Our performance today is about the conservation of natural heritage,” said Nayantara Nandakumar, a dancer and founder of the Peaceful Movement. “We’re using dance theatre to talk about deforestation, shrinking lakes, climate change, and how these affect us all — especially future generations. It’s a joyful way of addressing serious issues. I truly believe that art and storytelling can move people to take action.”
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, V. Ravi Kumar, Director (Retd.) at the Hyderabad-based training institute of the Geological Survey of India, said, “This is the third time this ballet by Madam Nayantara is being performed. She belongs to Our Sacred Space. It was a very nice composition. We must save some of the rocks of Hyderabad, which we all love.”
He explained that Hyderabad’s granite boulders are part of the Deccan Plateau and took millions of years to form. “These natural rock formations are unique to our region. Some famous rocks can be seen around Jubilee Hills. These rocks are not just geological wonders but also part of our city’s identity.”
Sangeeta Varma, vice-president of the Society to Save Rocks, said, “The Society to Save Rocks makes a fervent appeal to citizens to take note of the fact that the fabulous rock formations are becoming fewer, and the basic character of our once ‘be-rocked’ — also known as bejewelled — city is losing its natural heritage: the 2,500-million-year-old rocks. The dance drama A Peaceful Movement is yet another initiative, which we believe is particularly impactful due to the way the stories have been woven and connected to the cause of saving rocks for generations to come.”
She added, “We hope that more and more people join the cause and make these rock formations an inclusive feature in the development and expansion of the city, and not exclude or decimate them by dumping them as debris.”
The event also included an Ikebana exhibition on rocks, presented by the Hyderabad Chapter of the Ohara School of Ikebana. Ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arrangement, was creatively displayed using natural rocks, combining nature and design to reflect harmony and balance.
Prashanthi Goyal, who participated in the rock exhibition at the event, said, “Today’s exhibition is special because we’ve included rocks — something we usually don’t add — to show how beautifully they can blend with aesthetics. I used bamboo and cacti too, which complement the rocks. I feel people should preserve natural boulders, even during house construction, and turn them into creative features rather than destroy them.”
