Batakamma Festival
Batakamma / Bathukamma is the most popular festival
throughout Telengana and some parts of Rayalaseema. In 2014, the
festival was declared as a state festival to revive Telangana culture
by the government of the newly formed state. Hence has become the
cultural pride of Telangana.
Bathukamma is a floral festival which commences on the first day of
the lunar month, Aswayuja and ends on Mahamavami one day before
Dussehra. Held in worship of goddess Lakshmi born as Batakamma
- 'Goddess of Life', it is essentially a festival of women. Every
house wife, after taking bath arranges seasonal flowers of various
colours in the shape of a stupa on a platter of reeds or bamboo or
brass and on the top goddess Lakshmi in turmeric is installed. After
puja, the stupa is kept in a corner of a room, and during evenings
women dressed in clothes and finery carry the Batakamma idol
by turns, on a procession in the village, either to a temple or lake or river side. All the images are placed on even ground and the women folk sing songs, clap their hands, & bending and rising, move in a circle around them. Lastly they float the
turmeric images of the Goddess in water with devotional singing. This floral festival goes on for nine days and the last day of the festival is called Chaddula Batakamma.
In cities, the final day of the festival is celebrated at fixed venues with great splendour. Huge models of Bathukamma are installed and large number of women and children dressed in colourful traditional attire gather and dance to the melodies of Bathukamma.
Though primarily Bathukamma is considered as a festival of the Telangana
region, Krishna district villages bordering Telangana also celebrate
this festival in a grand manner.
Updated on 13/10/2021
