Bathukamma Celebrations 2021

Bathukamma is a floral festival celebrated predominantly in Telangana, the Southern part of India and some parts of Andhra Pradesh. Every year this festival is celebrated as per Sathavahana calendar for nine days starting Mahalaya Amavasya (also known as Mahalaya Amavasya or Pitru Amavasya) till Durgashtami, usually in September–October of Gregorian calendar. Bathukamma is celebrated for nine days during Durga Navratri. It starts on the day of Mahalaya Amavasya and the 9-day festivities will culminate on "Saddula Bathukamma" or "Pedda Bathukamma" festival on Ashwayuja Navami, popularly known as Durgashtami which is two days before Dussehra. Bathukamma is followed by Boddemma, which is a 7-day festival. Boddemma festival marks the ending of Varsha Ruthu whereas Bathukamma festival indicates the beginning of Sarad or Sharath Ruth.

At the starting of this day, all the women will design dress up the new clothes and perform Pooja to the Maa Durga and then starts to decorate the bathukamma with different colours of flowers and leaves. They look very auspicious and beautiful and in fact, it spills the glory of power to all the women who decorate them. Then in the evening all the women will gather at one designated place and keep and arrange all the Bathukammas in a circular way and perform dances on different village traditional and glorified songs which has a great meaning in it. By doing this they have the belief that Maa Durge will arrives at their homes and bless them with wealth, power and wisdom and finally fulfil all their wishes.