Women celebrate Saddula Bathukamma with colourful floral arrangements at Sri Bhadrakali Temple in Warangal during Durga Ashtami. (DC File image)

Warangal witnessed a blend of devotion and festivity on Sunday as Durga

Ashtami, marking the birth anniversary of Goddess Bhadrakali, coincided with

Saddula Bathukamma celebrations. The eighth day of Devi Sharannavaratri was

observed at the Sri Bhadrakali Temple, where the presiding deity was adorned

as Goddess Durga and special pujas were performed.

Thousands of women gathered on the temple premises with colourful

Bathukammas, singing traditional songs and dancing.

According to temple officials, the Devi Bhagavatam, Third Skanda, Chapter

27, Verse 9, describes Goddess Durga manifesting as Bhadrakali with a crore

of Yogini attendants on Maha Ashtami.

The Goddess's presence in Ekashilanagaram, the former Kakatiya capital now

known as Warangal, lends special spiritual significance to the region, they

said. Telangana's people worship the universal mother as Bhadrama,

Bathukamma, Bhadreshwari and Bhadrakali, with Bathukamma celebrations

closely associated with the worship of the Goddess.

Offering saddulu, traditional rice-based food, to the deity on Durga Ashtami

is an age-old practice linked to Saddula Bathukamma. Historical traditions

suggest that women have worshipped Goddess Durga through Bathukamma

celebrations since the Kakatiya period, officials said.

Rituals began at 4 am, with priests adorning the Goddess as Durga Devi and

performing special pujas. The Bhadrapeetha Seva was held in the morning,

followed by the Ashwa Vahana Seva in the evening. Special abhishekams,

archana and japa homam ceremonies were also performed at night. Devotees

thronged the temple to seek the Goddess's blessings.

MLC Baswaraju Saraiah visited the temple along with businessman and donor

Appavari Lakshminarayana. Rajya Sabha member Vaddiraju Ravichandra also

offered prayers, accompanied by former government chief whip Dasyam Vinaya

Bhaskar and former MLA Nannapuneni Narender.

Temple trustees Kamatham Venugopal and Ramesh Chand Bhang, executive officer

Ramala Sunitha and priests welcomed the dignitaries, who received blessings

and prasadam after darshan.

The temple premises came alive in the evening as thousands of women

displayed floral Bathukammas and celebrated Telangana's cultural traditions

with songs and dances.

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