Bathukamma a celebration of life
Bathukamma a celebration of life. Times have changed. So have the festivals but the fragrance of Bathukamma, the pride of Telangana, is intact. In fact, the charm, fun and frolic of the festival slung to new heights in the last few years especially since the statehood agitation reached a crescendo in 2009.
Hyderabad: Times have changed. So have the festivals but the fragrance of Bathukamma, the pride of Telangana, is intact. In fact, the charm, fun and frolic of the festival slung to new heights in the last few years especially since the statehood agitation reached a crescendo in 2009.
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In the last decade or so, the preparation of Bathukamma, a beautiful stack of seven concentric layers in a conical mound, has witnessed a change in tune with the times due to non-availability of several traditional flowers.
In olden days, people used to venture into uncultivated and forest areas to fetch several varieties of flowers. Flowers, colours and water are the very essence of the region’s most beloved nine-day festivity, Bathukamma. Interestingly, all the flowers are rich in medicinal value.
Many of the flowers among Gunugu (Celosia Argentea), Thangedu puvvu (Cassia Alata), Gummadi puvvu (gourd flower), Tamera (Indian Lotus), Jilledu (Calotropis), Dosa (Cucumis), Ganneru (Oleander), Katla (Ipomoea), Beera puvvu (Luffa), Gaddi puvvu (Tridax procumbens), Banti (Marigold), and Oma puvvu (Ajwain) that are used in the preparation of Bathukammas are hard to find these days.
As a result, the people started use Mandaram (Hibiscus rosa sinensis), Chamanti (Chrysanthemum cinerariifolium), Rose and other flowers. Rapid urbanization and increased cultivation over the years have resulted in the disappearance of these plants bringing a noticeable change in the preparation of Bathukamma.
Instead of fresh flowers, the people also started using plastic and paper flowers in the preparation of Bathukammas. Apart from missing a wide range of flowers, water bodies too have shrunken crippling the very essence of the fete in many places. “We were missing a few varieties of flowers these days. Moreover, the available varieties too are very expensive,” Seetamma, a homemaker, who lives in Bank Colony, said, recollecting her olden days.
Meanwhile, the stage is set for grand finale of the Bathukamma, also known as Saddula Bathukamma, across Telangana on Tuesday after observing Engili pula Bathukamma, Atukula Bathukamma, Muddapappu Bathukamma, Nanabiyyam Bathukamma, Atla Bathukamma, Aligina Bathukamma, Vepakayala Bathukamma and Vennamuddala Bathukamma in the last eight days.
Govt declares holiday today
The Telangana government has declared a public holiday on Tuesday on the occasion of concluding day of Bathukamma festival. The government has issued a GO RT No 2824 by including October 20 in the list of public holidays for 2015.
The decision was taken following a request made by the Telangana Gazetted Officers Association. The nine-day Bathukamma festival began on October 12 when a public holiday was given and it was decided to celebrate the concluding day at a grand scale on the Tank Bund.
BY Adepu Mahender
