The ‘At Home’ event hosted by Telangana Governor Jishnu Dev Varma at Raj Bhavan in Hyderabad on Thursday (August 15, 2024) was disrupted by heavy rain, turning the otherwise graceful evening into a chaotic affair.
The event, which began with the arrival of guests, including bureaucrats and Ministers, between 6.30 p.m. and 7 p.m., quickly took a turn for the worse about an hour later. By 7.30 p.m., Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, accompanied by Ministers N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, Ponnam Prabhakar, and Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy, arrived at Raj Bhavan. After the national anthem, the Ministers moved to the seating area designated for dignitaries.
However, the event soon descended into chaos as the rain intensified. Guests began hearing the sound of rain pounding on the tent set up in the lawn area. Those who had just started dinner hurried through to finish their food, fearing they might get stranded by the worsening weather. Shortly after, the Chief Minister left the event.
As the downpour continued, the lawn quickly became waterlogged, with the VIP seating area particularly affected. Bureaucrats and other dignitaries were seen struggling to move from one table to another as rainwater formed barriers across the lawn.
Governor Dev Varma and his wife, who were making rounds to meet the VIPs, also had to wade through the waterlogged lawn, adding to the evening’s discomfort. Despite the rain, the event proceeded, though it was significantly dampened by the weather.
As a result, the majority of guests began leaving the event as early as 8 p.m., whereas it typically should have concluded around 9 p.m. or 9.30 p.m.
At the exit, those whose drivers picked them up had a smoother departure. However, guests who had parked their vehicles at a distance were seen asking Raj Bhavan staff for umbrellas.
Published - August 16, 2024 12:49 pm IST
