Bathukamma comes alive again!

Hyderabad: After a lull of two years, the streets, junctions and premises of temples in Telangana came alive with the air reverberating with folk songs of Bathukamma as the nine-day floral festival began on Sunday.

Women dressed in their finest traditional clothes representing all walks of life arrived at the venues of the celebrations carrying Bathukamma and dancing to melodious folk songs clapping rhythmically.

Ministers, MPs, MLAs and other elected representatives participated in the celebrations held in various districts. Minister for Panchayat Raj E Dayakar Rao participated in the celebrations with hundreds of girl students of various residential schools in Warangal.

Bathukamma means 'Goddess of Life' and is celebrated during Dasara. Women decorate a special pot with seasonal flowers, fill the pot with offerings to the goddess, go in a procession, and later immerse the pot in a local pond.

Residential colonies, apartments and temples across the city were decked up with flowers celebrating the floral festival. Women were later seen heading for the nearest water body to set the flowers. Bathukamma is celebrated in honour of the goddess Gauri who represents the cultural spirit of Telangana.

The festival highlights the role of women as life-giver who provides strength to the entire society, besides reminding us to celebrate nature.

K Vani, a resident of Musheerabad, told The Hans India, "This year we are celebrating the festival with zeal and happiness. For the past 8 years, we have been celebrating Bathukamma at a playground at Musheerabad, where around 4000 women gather from various areas with various sizes of Bathukamma" "Every year I wait for the floral festival where all women gather and pay tributes to the goddess. This festival symbolizes the cultural spirit of Telangana. With life back to normal after the pandemic, this year we have organised the festival in our colony ground," said T Aruna Jyothi, resident of Vasavi Nagar, Secunderabad.

MLC K Kavita along with her mother Shobha Rao celebrated Bathukamma at Pragathi Bhavan on Sunday. Reciting a poem, Kavitha stated: "Bathukamma festival symbolises Telangana culture and traditions. It is a festival of nature, where girls and boys happily celebrate together and pile up colourful flowers. It is a matter of pride for all of us that the government has officially organized the Bathukamma celebrations as a state festival for nine days from Sunday."

Apart from this, she said, Bathukamma celebrations are organized under the auspices of Telangana Jagruti in all the districts and in key cities like Mumbai.