Bathukamma Festival

Centuries ago there lived a king and a queen who had a hundred sons. It is believed that all the sons were killed in a war and the couple prayed to the goddess Lakshmi to be born as their daughter. Seeing the dedication of the couple, the goddess was born princess Lakshmi. She was named Bathukamma (live O child), was extremely beautiful and loved flowers. Ever Since girls and women in the household worshipped goddess Bathukamma with flowers. The 9-day long festival not only celebrates life but also felicitates women. It starts on Mahalaya Amavasya and ends two days before Dussehra. It coincides with Navratri festivities. Bathukamma is a flower arrangement stacked in concentric circles. The flowers used are seasonal and have medicinal properties. The men in the family collect these flowers while the women arrange them on plates called Thambalam. Each of the nine days has a distinct name which is based on the Naivedyam (food offering) prepared. Most of these items are made with simple ingredients and children in the house are often a part of the process. It’s only on the 9th day - known as Saddula Bathukamma - the women of the house prepare a naivedyam consisting of 5 varieties of rice. On this day, women place the Bathukamma in the centre and dance around it singing folk songs. Before the sunset, they carry their nicely decorated Bathukamma and immerse them in large water bodies. Bathukamma represents the true spirit of Telangana and hence it is also declared as a state festival.