Bathukamma off to a colourful start across Telangana
Hyderabad: Bathukamma, which showcases the cultural spirit of Telangana, commenced across the Telugu state on Wednesday. The traditional floral festival is celebrated for nine-days across the state.
Across Telangana, women were seen gathering in large numbers to participate in the official festival of state, The traditional floral festival is celebrated according to the Satavahana calendar and Mahalaya Amavasya marks the beginning of festivities. For most part, it coincides with the festivities of Navratri which is a huge festival in the rest of the country.
The nine-day Bathukamma festivities will culminate on ‘Saddula Bathukamma’ on Ashwayuja Navami, commonly known as Durgashtami, which is the period two days before Dasara.
Telangana people particularly women adorn an earthen pot with a stack of flowers which are seasonal and have medicinal properties in concentric circles. The pot is filled with offering to the deity. They carry the floral pot in a procession and dip it in a neighbouring pond.
Throughout the festivities women and girls arrange Bathukamma in their neighbourhoods and dance around it with great devotion.
The first day of the Bathukamma festival is called Engili pula Bathukamma, the second day is referred to as Atukula Bathukamma. On the third day, devotees celebrate Muddapappu Bathukamma and use Mudda Chamanthi or Mudda Banthi flowers to decorate the pot. On Nanabiyyam Bathukamma on the fourth day, they give food offerings to the goddess. Atla Bathukamma, Aligina Bathukamma, Vepakayala Bathukamma and Vennela Muddala Bathukamma are celebrated on the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth days respectively.
On Saddula Bathukamma, the culmination of nine-day long festival, the womenfolk make huge Bathukamma with different seasonal flowers and immerse these decorated floral pots in a ceremony known as Bathukamma nimmajanam.
బతుకమ్మ మన సాంస్కృతిక వైభవం
తొమ్మిది రోజుల తొలి సంబరం
ఎంగిలిపూల బతుకమ్మఆడబిడ్డలందరికీ
బతుకమ్మ శుభాకాంక్షలు#Bathukamma pic.twitter.com/V0XOv4VY4o— Revanth Reddy (@revanth_anumula) October 2, 2024
