'Bathukamma' special for our viewers

Telangana, Sept 20: Bathukamma - the flower decorative festival is mainly celebrated by the Hindu women of Telangana with the flowers that grow exclusively in each region.

The special festival is a symbol of Telangana's cultural integrity. Every year this festival is celebrated for nine days starting 'Pitru Amavasya' till 'Durgashtami' usually in September–October. This is celebrated for nine days during 'Durga Navratri'.

The most bountiful of these are the 'gunuka poolu' and 'tangedu poolu' as well as the other flowers too like the banti, chemanti, nandi-vardhanam etc. The 9-days festival will climax on 'Saddula Bathukamma' which is so called 'Pedda Bathukamma' festival on 'Durgashtami'. This is most likely to happen two days before Dussehra.



Bathukamma is a beautiful flower pyramid, arranged with different unique seasonal flowers likely most of them with medicinal values, in seven side-by-side layers in the shape of temple gopuram.

In Telugu, 'Bathukamma' means 'Mother Goddess come Alive' and Goddess Maha Gauri is worshipped in the form of Bathukamma – the patron goddess of womanhood, Maha Gauri Devi.

On this special occasion, women dress up in the traditional sari bringing it with ornaments and other embellishments. However, Teenage Girls wear Langa-Oni/Half-Sarees/Lehenga Choli combining it with jewels in order to bring out the traditional grace of the costume. This year Bathukamma is celebrated from Sept 20-28.