Bathukamma festival celebrated by the Hindu Women in the state of Telangana. Every year this festival falls in the month of September–October. Bathukamma is celebrated for nine days during Navratri puja. This festival starts on the day of Mahalaya Amavasya and the 9-day festivities will culminate on “Saddula Bathukamma” or “Pedda Bathukamma” festival on Ashwayuja Ashtami, well known as Durgashtami which is two days before Dussehra. Bathukamma is followed by Boddemma, which is a 7-day festival.
Bathukamma is a beautiful flower stack, arranged with different varieties and colours of flowers most of them with medicinal value, arranged in seven concentric layers in the shape of a cone. In Telugu, ‘Bathukamma’ means ‘Mother Goddess Come Alive’ and Goddess Maha Gauri-‘Life Giver’ is worshipped in the form of Bathukamma – the patron goddess of womanhood (Maha Gauri Devi)
In the evening, women gather in large numbers with their Bathukammas in open grounds, parks of their locality, they form in a circle around the Bathukamma and start singing folk songs by clapping their hands by rounding around the Bathukamma, sinking steps and claps in unison provide a splendorous look to the festivities. Women seek good health, prosperity and happiness for their families.
After separating from Andhra Pradesh the Telangana Government has announced Bathukamma as the state festival.
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