TS eyes global status for Bathukamma

Planning to write to UNESCO to recognise the nine-day fete as an international festival

Hyderabad: In an effort to get the Telangana culture and tradition world recognition, the State government has decided to write to UNESCO to recognise the festival ‘Bathukamma‘ as an international festival on the lines ‘Samba’ and ‘Ice’ festivals organised every year by Brazil and China respectively as world festivals.

UNESCO is the only international organisation which recognises international folklore festivals in the world. The State government has, however, decided to celebrate the nine-day Bathukamma festival on a grand scale from this Dussehra by inviting and national and international tourists.

A senior official of the State Tourism and Culture Department told The Hans India that the festival would be promoted across the world once Bathukamma was recognised an international festival by the UNESCO. The main objective behind promoting Bathukamma was to create a new brand image for Telangana and also help make the State a destination for investments, he added.

At present, the UNESCO recognises over 300 international festivals which are being held annually through its official partner - CIOFF (International Council of Organisations of Folklore Festivals and Folk Arts). CIOFF has been working towards safeguarding, promoting and diffusion of folklore and cultures since 1970.

The official said that an official letter had already been forwarded to the Union government urging it to include Bathukamma in the campaign to promote tourism and culture under the banner of ‘Incredible India‘ launched by the Union Ministry of Tourism and Culture in the country.

Once the centre gives its nod, the State government will write letter to the UNESCO. “The government has set a goal to hold Bathukamma as a big international event by 2025,” State Tourism and Culture Secretary B Venkatesham said.

Before organising the nine-day festival this year, the official said, a curtain raiser programme, inviting national-level cultural and tourism promotional organisations, would be conducted in New Delhi and Mumbai. A big women carnival would be held on the last day of the festival in Hyderabad, the official added.

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