Women Who Keep Bathukamma Blooming

A riot of seasonal blooms. Circles of women swaying to traditional songs. Memories of mothers, daughters and rituals that transcend generations. Bathukamma is more than Telangana’s floral festival; it is a powerful expression of cultural identity, feminine solidarity and belonging.

For some, it is a childhood memory. For others, a way to reconnect with their roots or pass on an inheritance that cannot be captured in textbooks. While some women cherish its intimate family rituals, others see it as a way to reconnect with their roots or reclaim a cultural legacy.

Kavitha Kalvakuntla, Deepthi Mamidi, Swetha Goud and Dr Samatha Tulla share what makes Bathukamma bloom across generations.

‘A tradition we never miss’

For Kalvakuntla Kavitha, TRS, Bathukamma is a childhood memory.

“Ever since I was a child, Bathukamma was celebrated with great fervour in my native village. We followed this tradition religiously every year. Irrespective of caste, all the women in the village would gather to celebrate our heritage. In many ways, it became a symbol of womanhood.”

With the festival reaching audiences across the globe, Kavitha believes there is more ground to cover. “We will relentlessly continue our mission to take Telangana’s heritage to every corner of the globe.

Highlight: “Telangana Jagruthi will be attempting to set a Guinness World Record next year for the largest simultaneous gathering of women participating in Bathukamma. This will be a giant step toward realising our dream.”

A mother’s legacy, a daughter’s joy

Dr Samatha Tulla, an internal medicine physician, longevity expert and co-founder and clinical head of PMX Health, says “Bathukamma reminds me of my mother. Every year, without fail, she would bring everyone together. As children, we eagerly waited to dance around the flowers. I never realised that while I was busy growing up and studying to become a doctor, I was silently learning traditions that I would one day carry forward. Today, decorating Bathukamma with my sisters, nieces and mother-in-law brings me the same joy,” she says.

A celebration of compassion

For Deepthi Mamidi, founder of Mana Bathukamma, the festival has grown from a childhood love of flowers into a deeper appreciation of Telangana’s cultural roots. Over the years, she has come to see Bathukamma as more than a celebration.

“Bathukamma has become a cherished part of my life. As a child, I loved the flowers, songs; today, I appreciate its deeper meaning. For me, Bathukamma is also about compassion, generosity, and sharing joy with others.”

As Bathukamma celebrations find newer audiences through large gatherings and social media, Mamidi welcomes the growing visibility while emphasising the values that give the festival its meaning. For her, modernity and tradition can coexist, provided devotion, togetherness and kindness remain at the heart of the celebrations.

Where flowers bring women together

For Swetha Goud, the day begins with family and friends assembling to arrange flowers into colourful stacks.

“For our family, Bathukamma is very important. We begin the day by coming together to make Bathukammas and after sunset, we bring them all to one place and dance around them. Hyderabad has a mix of cultures, with women from different states. They all come together,” she says.

For Swetha, the tradition’s real legacy lies in passing it on. In her family, girls learn to make Bathukammas from an early age, experimenting with different sizes while discovering the customs behind the rituals…

Highlight: “Girls in our families learn to make Bathukamma from a young age. They make them in all sizes and are very inquisitive about the traditions. Explaining these customs to them becomes a learning experience for all of us.”