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BATHUKAMMA is one of the most unique festivals of Telangana and one celebrated mainly by the women of this region. Celebrated during Navarathri (September/October) it honours the `life-giver’ Bathukamma, with women seeking her blessings for prosperity and a good year. Colours, flowers and water are all intrinsic to the festival; and the goddess herself is not one rooted in a shrine but made of flowers that signify both life and eternity in their colours as well as impermanence.
In the evenings, women gather different kinds of unique seasonal flowers, some coloured, some scented and arrange them on a wide plate called as tambalamu, in the shape of a conical mound.
Women then gather in large numbers along with their batukammas in their locality, place them in the middle and dance around them, synchronizing steps and claps in unison, and singing soul stirring batukamma folk songs.
After the singing and dancing, batukammalu are set afloat in a lake or river.
This festival goes on for seven days and concludes on Durgastami, the main festival day is calledSaddula Batukamma. On this day they celebrate into wee hours and later go to a nearby village lake to set their Batukamma afloat. Lakes with floating batukammas in the evenings is a treat to the eyes.
BATHUKAMMA is one of the most unique festivals of Telangana and one celebrated mainly by the women of this region. Celebrated during Navarathri (September/October) it honours the `life-giver’ Bathukamma, with women seeking her blessings for prosperity and a good year. Colours, flowers and water are all intrinsic to the festival; and the goddess herself is not one rooted in a shrine but made of flowers that signify both life and eternity in their colours as well as impermanence.In the evenings, women gather different kinds of unique seasonal flowers, some coloured, some scented and arrange them on a wide plate called as tambalamu, in the shape of a conical mound.
Women then gather in large numbers along with their batukammas in their locality, place them in the middle and dance around them, synchronizing steps and claps in unison, and singing soul stirring batukamma folk songs.
After the singing and dancing, batukammalu are set afloat in a lake or river.
This festival goes on for seven days and concludes on Durgastami, the main festival day is calledSaddula Batukamma. On this day they celebrate into wee hours and later go to a nearby village lake to set their Batukamma afloat. Lakes with floating batukammas in the evenings is a treat to the eyes.