9 Days of Fun, Frolic, Devotion

Hyderabad: The most-awaited festival after Bonalu, especially for women, is the colourful Bathukamma. The nine-day festival — regarded as a symbol of Telangana’s tradition and culture —took off on a grand note across the state on Sunday evening on the auspicious occasion of Mahalaya Amavasya.

This is the time of the year when Bathukamma is celebrated with grandeur in villages and cities alike with songs and dances around floral arrangements.

It is also the time of the year when many get accustomed to religious practices and celebrations in the state and the country. Shravya, a private employee, says, “Bathukamma celebrations began today, the first day and it is called the Engili Bathukamma. It is also known as Chinna Bathukamma. The conical shaped flower arrangement, which is soaked overnight, hence the name Engili, is usually less in height and can even be immersed in a bucket of water at home.”

Informatively she adds, “A few places the authorities have set up temporary small ponds for immersing Bathukamma.”

The festival begins on Mahalaya Amavasya also known as Bhadrapada Amavasya and concludes on Aswayuja Shuddha Ashtami, with each day dedicated to a different form of Bathukamma.

Apart from songs and dances, for nine days the devotees celebrate Bathukamma with special offerings of prasadams.

P. Hemalatha, a housemaker explains. “We make sakinalu, beaten rice, jiggery, pulses, cooked lentils and milk among others depending on the particular day.”

The last — Saddula Bathukamma also called Pedda Bathukamma — celebrated on Durga Ashtami in full grandeur. “For me it is a time of learning and celebrations,” says T Keerthana who is pursuing her graduation.

The beginning of the nine-day Bathukamma festival coincided with the last day of the 16-day Pitru Paksha which began on September 7 and culminated on September 21. The The day also saw many families performing ancestral rituals.