Bathukamma: For nine days, Telangana will reverberate with song and dance

Hyderabad: Come Bathukamma, Telangana will reverberate with song and dance by young girls and women for nine days.

Over the years, Bathukamma has become a symbol of Telangana culture and it has crossed the State boundaries, celebrated in many parts of the country and abroad where Telugus live including the US, Australia, and UK.

Praja Bathukamma

Elaborate arrangements are being made in Hyderabad and other parts of the state for the first `Praja Bathukamma’ in `Praja Palana’ by the Congress government from October 2 to October 8.

This was the first major public festival after Congress came to power and Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy assumed charge.

Bathukamma festival comes as a sigh of relief for the people, especially women amidst controversial demolitions of illegal buildings in and around lakes followed by the Musi beautification program.

Youth are also keeping their fingers crossed on whether DJs will be allowed or not after the recent announcement of clamping down on loud music by Hyderabad police. But the mood looks otherwise!

No saree distribution

Unlike in the past, the Revanth Reddy government has done away with the controversial distribution of Bathukamma sarees on the eve of the festival on the plea that “women were unwilling to wear poor quality of sarees and earned their ire during every festival.”

There is a talk of distributing gifts for the women folk in the State, but it has not been made public so far.

Bathukamma festivities in Ravindra Bharathi

Telangana government has made elaborate arrangements at Ravindra Bharathi premises for the nine-day festivities in Hyderabad. Women’s groups and social organizations can play Bathukamma daily for which logistics have been arranged including lighting, stage, and other paraphernalia.

Department of Language and Culture has also arranged music, dance, and Kavi Sammelan programs.

A small pond is also being set up in Ravindra Bharathi compound for immersion of the Bathukammas, the flower arrangements.

“We are making necessary arrangements across the State including Hyderabad for the women folk to celebrate the much-revered Bathukamma. Women groups or individual women can come and play Bathukamma in Ravindra Bharathi in Hyderabad and other select places across the State from 6 pm to 8 pm daily from Wednesday for the nine-day festival,” Mamidi Harikrishna, Director, the Department of Language and Culture told NewsMeter.

”We have also created a small pond in Ravindra Bharathi for immersion in Bathukamma,” he added.

He said similar arrangements are being made at Tank Bund Hyderabad and other Bathukamma Ghats across the State.

“The Bathukamma festival is decentralized. Arrangements have been made across Hyderabad and the state for the people to celebrate the festival with gusto. We want to ensure women folk celebrate the festival in the traditional best,’’ he adds.

Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy is likely to participate on the last day of the festivities at Tank Bund on October 10.

Missing in action this time is the BRS and its Bathukamma symbol Kalvakuntla Kavitha, who promoted the festival in a big way during BRS rule. But after the defeat of BRS and Kavitha in jail for some time in a liquor scam, the enthusiasm is missing.

Bathukamma festival

There are several folklore on Bathukamma. Bathukamma means “Mother Goddess come back to life.”

It's a festival of life in Telangana and some parts of Andhra Pradesh where womenfolk thank and pray to Goddess Parvathi, wife of Lord Shiva, a Maha Shakthi, for giving abundance crops and prosperity. It’s time to pray to the Goddess Parvathi for prosperity, good health, well-being, and good life for families.

Women make ‘Boddemma’ (a deity of Gowri, mother Durga of earthly mud) along with a colorful flower arrangement Bathukamma, and immerse it in the pond after the traditional song and dance.

There is another story according to religious scholars. A king named Dharmangada and a queen named Satyavati belonging to Chola Dynasty. They lost several sons in the war and his wife Satyavathi gave birth to a baby girl after many years and prayers. She was named Rani Lakshmi. She went through turbulent times and survived.

The parents who prayed to Goddess Parvathi, named her Bathukamma. Bathuku in Telugu means life and Amma means mother. Since then, the family celebrated the day as a festival which caught up with others.

Nine-day festivities

Apart from traditional song and dance, modern DJ's entry added vigor to the youth and stole some traditional aspects. Yet, women folk dress in their traditional best with added gold for the nine-day festivities. The grace and attire remain unmatched!

The nine-day festival has nine different names of Bathukammas. The Bathukamma flower arrangements comprise flowers like Gummadi Puvvu (Pumpkin flower), Thangedu puvu, Gunugu puvvu, and Gummadi Akulu and they are made in different sizes according to their wish on a plate and tied with thread to avoid falling off.

The nine Bathukammas are Engili Pula Bathukamma, Atkula Bathukamma Muddapappu Bathukamma, Nanabiyyam Bathukamma, Atla Bathukamma, Aligina Bathukamma, Vepakayala Bathukamma, Vennamuddala Bathukamma, and finally Saddula Bathukamma.

Women folk prepare different dishes for the nine days as offerings to Goddess. The ninth day of Bathukamma is celebrated on the Ashtami/eighth day of Ashwayuja Masam and coincides with Durga Ashtami.

On this day, five types of cooked rice dishes: Perugannam saddi (curd rice), Chinthapandu Pulihora Saddi (Tamarind rice), Nimmakaya Saddi (Lemon rice), Kobbara Saddi (coconut rice) and Nuvvula Saddi (sesame rice) are prepared for offering to Goddess.