Telangana comes alive with a riot of colours

​Warangal: The folkloric vibrancy of Bathukamma festival that showcases the unique culture of the region at its dazzling best here on Saturday third time in as many years after Telangana was born as the 29th State of the country. Making the occasion even more special was a fine drizzle.

As women formed circles, clapped and sang while moving around the Bathukammas, the atmosphere was electric with scores of foot-tapping songs such as Rama Rama Rama Uyyalo – Ramane Sri Rama Uyyalo, besides the age-old album of ‘Bathukamma, Bathukamma Uyyalo - Bangaru Bathukamma Uyyalo’ resonating across the streets of tri-cities, even those who feel shy of dancing couldn’t resist themselves from shaking their legs.

Right from the daybreak, the city was abuzz with hectic activity with people running around the streets to fetch the flowers used in the preparation of Bathukamma. They had a tough time searching for as many varieties as possible among the traditionally used flowers – Gunugu (Celosia Argentea), Thangedu (Cassia Alata), Gummadi (gourd flower), Tamera (Indian Lotus), Jilledu (Calotropis), Dosa (Cucumis), Ganneru (Oleander), Katla (Ipomoea), Beera (Luffa), Gaddi (Tridax procumbens), Banti (Marigold), and Oma (Ajwain).

In the end, they had to make do with the available ones. As dusk drew near, the highly lit-up Padmakshi temple road literally turned into a sea of humanity with women clad in traditional clothes made a beeline to Padmakshi hillocks carrying conical-shaped stack of seven concentric layers of flowers to celebrate one of their most cherished festivals that also give them an opportunity to exhibit their prized possession of jewellery.

In a precautionary measure, authorities didn’t allow the women to float their Bathukammas to avoid any untoward incident as the Padmakshi Gundam (pond) was brimming with water. They deployed personnel to float the Bathukammas in the pond, ending the nine-day fete on a spectacular note.

Albeit the administration has made arrangements at 19 other locations in the Greater Warangal Municipal Corporation area for the conduct of Saddula Bathukamma, the immersion pond abutting Padmakshi hillocks is the cynosure of all eyes, where close to one lakh people gather every year for the occasion.

Meanwhile, the Police Commissioner G Sudheer Babu threw a massive security cordon deploying a strong posse for the festival and for the Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s visit to Bhadrakali temple to present a golden crown worth around Rs 3.5 crore to the Goddess on Sunday.