Dussehra 2020: Bathukamma festivities are unique to Telangana and Andhra Pradesh
Krishna:
Bathukamma, the famous Andhra Pradesh and Telangana Flower Festival, which takes place during the ten days of Navratri, ended on Sunday. The main Dussehra celebrations are known to take place in Krishna district, Andhra Pradesh. The Bathukamma festivities consist of worshiping the “goddess of life” in the neighboring villages of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. During Navratri and Dussehra forms of goddess Durga or Shakti are worshiped across India, Dussehra festivities are unique in different states of India.
Bathukamma celebrates the close relationship between earth, water, fire, air and human beings. The women decorate a special pot with locally grown flowers. A procession went out into the villages with the pot filled with offerings to the Goddess. According to legends, the flowers used for Bathukamma have special purifying qualities.
Sharing a preview of my Bathukamma. This year is different, but social media has kept us all connected. I would love to see how my sisters and mothers celebrated #Bathukamma this year#MyBathukammaMyPridepic.twitter.com/RDecgNQvGL
– Kavitha Kalvakuntla (@RaoKavitha) October 24, 2020
Throughout the week of the celebrations, the women do Boddemma or a deity of Gowri – the mother of Devi Durga with the earth. Prayers are offered to the goddess and on the last day she is submerged with the Bathukamma in the pond.
The locals believe it, the prayers during the festival and the special flowers keep the bodies of water pure and prevent them from drying out. It is known to be a large eco-friendly festival.
During Bathukamma, women dress in colorful clothes and decorate their hair with flowers. Flower ornaments are also commonly used. A special candy called Maleeda is prepared with sugar and cornbread and distributed to family members and in the neighborhood.
There are special Bathukamma songs based on folklore and the women dance to them in circles around the decorated pot. It is an extremely colorful and vibrant festival.
