People’s Plaza comes alive to Bathukamma and dandiya beats

HYDERABAD: Over 2,000 women dressed in their finest traditional attire carrying colourfully bedecked Bathukammas gathered at People’s Plaza to celebrate what was perhaps the year’s biggest festival on Friday.

Women walked in to dandiya beats and were welcomed by mayor Gadwal Vijayalakshmi and deputy mayor Srilata Shoban Reddy. Women officers and members of urban community development department, women corporators, women MLAs, and several women from press club were specially invited to be a part of the celebration.

Corporators B. Sujata (Hastinapur), B. Sridevi (Cherlapally) and V. Sangeetha (Somajiguda) arrived to a grand welcome.

The place was colourfully illuminated and the DJ played Bathukamma songs to which the guests danced almost non-stop.

Some groups from other districts, especially invited to perform at the event, wore matching saris and carried an earthen pot on their head decorated with flowers, neem leaves and a small lamp lit on the top of the pot. They also performed a unique style of dandiya. Many women brought their own Bathukammas and they were seen enjoying the local dance with their children.

Huge Bathukammas of 30 to 40 layers of colourful flowers were placed in the middle of the ground.

A woman constable said that over 50 cops were deployed to ensure safety and security.

Meanwhile, all arrangements have been made for Saddula Bathukamma celebrations that will be held on October 3, the ninth day of Naavratri, said Vijayalakshmi. She said baby ponds and big ponds were ready for the celebrations, which would be like those seen on Friday.