Durga Puja Pandal Adds Local Flavour With Bathukamma
Hyderabad’s Durga Puja celebrations blend Bengali traditions with local culture, including Bathukamma, alongside music, dance, themed pandals and community events.
Rupankar Bagchi, Sahana Bajpaie, Surojit O Bondhura and Prantik Sur are among the artistes lined up for Durga Puja celebrations across Hyderabad, alongside food, book, theatre and in Telangana style also Bathukamma.
“Bathukamma is not traditionally part of Durga Puja, but it is part of the local culture. Including it in the celebrations is very important,” said Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla, who inaugurated Bangiya Sanskritik Sangha’s 61st Durga Puja at Keyes High School for Girls, Secunderabad, on Friday, after noticing a Bathukamma poster. He praised the association for respecting Telugu traditions alongside Bengali culture.
The Keyes High School pandal is modelled on the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, with Vande Mataram buntings and a blue-themed idol. “The artisans are from Kumartuli and have worked at Ramoji Film City. People have been appreciating the decorations,” said vice-president Abhijeet Bhattacharya.
Utsab Cultural Association at NITHM, Gachibowli, scheduled artists like Bagchi for Friday, Bajpaie for October 19 and Surojit O Bondhura for October 20. “I was really excited about Rupankar, so I had to be there. I am also looking forward to Sahana. I have grown up listening to them,” said Deepanita Ghosh.
The Hyderabad Bangalee Samity, one of the city's oldest Bengali associations, is celebrating its 85th Durga Puja at NTR Stadium on Lower Tank Bund. The festivities will formally begin with Shashti Puja on Saturday.
“Durga Puja offers a vital opportunity to unplug from the virtual world and immerse themselves in real-world community celebrations,” the organisers said, adding that participation in traditional rituals offered an opportunity for spiritual grounding, mental clarity and inner strength.
Celebrations are spread across other parts of the city too, with Krishti Gosthi at Balapur organising dance, music and competitions. Saturday’s programme includes Kathak-based dance and a fashion show, while Sunday features a dance drama and a musical performance by Yatra Band.
In the Western part of the city, the CBA Bengali Association in Kondapur is celebrating its 19th Durga Puja with a traditional ekchala-style idol, which organisers describe as the tallest Durga idol in the city. The decorations have been sourced from Kumartuli in Kolkata.
The theme, Ekchala — One Structure, One Family, depicts Goddess Durga alongside her four children — Lakshmi, Saraswati, Kartik and Ganesh — under a single structure.
The Bengalee Cultural Association began its celebrations at Banjara Function Hall in Banjara Hills on Friday. This year's theme, Bonedi Barir Pujo, recreates the traditional Durga Puja celebrations held in the ancestral homes of Bengal's erstwhile zamindar families. The association said participation has been growing every year.