A celebratory Telugu Ugadi lunch seeped in a private forest

An intimate Telugu Routes Ugadi lunch is set to take place in a private forest, celebrating culture, cuisine, and community on March 15.

Travel experiences are no longer about aspiring to visit luxury hotels with plunge pools. Nor is it about visiting restaurants that dish out international cuisine. What’s slowly redefining travel and luxury experience is hyper local food served with stories and music. And if that experience is designed in a century-old bungalow of an erstwhile zamindar of Hyderabad, would it not pique your interest?

Around the world, high-networth travellers are seeking smaller, intimate gatherings where food, art, history and conversation create a more meaningful connection to local culture. This Ugadi, Telugu Routes by Culinary Lounge will host a cultural immersion that reflects this emerging movement.

Ugadi Edition 2026, conceptualised by The Culinary Lounge, a private cultural retreat will take diners and experience seekers to the original pace, philosophy and sensory richness of the Telugu New Year. The venue — a private forest estate near Shankarpalli, where only 50 guests will be a part of an intimate gathering to witness an event that blends culinary heritage, literature, performing arts and thoughtful conversation. The experience is priced at ₹15,000 per guest.

The traditional Telugu home at Shankarpalli | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Says Gopi Byluppala, founder, The Culinary Lounge, “The initiative will bring together a collective of organisations united by a shared purpose, to position the Telugu States within the emerging global narrative of culinary and cultural tourism. My effort has always been to show the richness of the Telugu States that have a lot to offer to travellers seeking to sample rustic cuisine.”

Gopi also points out that there are several partners supporting him in this effort, including Telangana Ttourism, the Netherlands-based National Institute of Culinary and Cultural Traditions (NICCT), along with heritage-focused organisations such as Zishta and YK Antiques.