Bathukamma, the powerhouse of medicinal properties

Khammam: Bathukamma, the festival celebrated seeking good health, prosperity and happiness for the families, is round the corner.

The colourful flowers neatly arranged in tiers not only attract young and old, but also purify the air and water with their medicinal properties.

Bathukamma festival highlights the tradition of Telangana and brings the womenfolk in the villages together. They gather flowers like Cassia, Celosia, Marigold, Chrysanthemum, Lotus, Cucurbita leaves and others from uncultivated and barren plains of the region.

Shekar, a Botany lecturer from Khammam town said, “Bathukamma represents cultural spirit of the Telangana State. The beautiful flower stack, arranged with various seasonal flowers has many medicinal values.”

He further added that when hundreds of Bathukammas are immersed in the pond or tank, the concentration of the medical properties increases in water leading to the death of bacteria, fungi and protozoans.

Because of which water-borne diseases such as cholera, typhoid and diarrhoea along with some skin diseases could be prevented.

Meanwhile, the women of Khammam are disappointed for not including the district in the list of Bathukamma celebrations by the ‘Telangana Jagruthi’ this year. Burra Sumalatha, a housewife from Khammam town said,

“We expected that this year also the Bathukamma festival will be celebrated on a grand scale under Telangana Jagruthi here in Khammam district.

But with the inclusion of Maharashtra and exclusion of Khammam from the list of celebrations, we are disappointed very much. We are also feeling sad that Khammam is not treated on par with other districts of the State.

We request the government to include Khammam in the list of Bathukamma celebrations, as the festival highlights the tradition of Telangana.”

BY:puli sharath kumar