Hyd swings to Bathukamma Uyyalo

‘Saddula Bathukamma’ comes to a colourful end

• Kavitha, Padma Devender Reddy head the procession; 65 tonnes of flowers deck up 10,000 Bathukammas

Hyderabad: Over 2,000 women clad in traditional attire and dancing to the tune of traditional songs marched from Hyderabad’s famous LB Stadium to the imposing Tank Bund that was illuminated with colourful lights on the concluding day of nine day Bathukamma festival here on Tuesday.

Among the women who came from different parts of the city to participate in Saddula Bathukamma festival on Tank bund were Vimala Narasimhan and Shobha Kalvakuntla - spouses of Governor ESL Narasimhan and Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao respectively. Hundreds of folk artistes and tableaux from districts joined the Tank But at 4.30 pm, making the festivities more colourful.

Vimala Narasimhan and Shobha encouraged the huge gathering of women by playing Bathukamma song before a makeshift dais on Tank Bund which was enticingly decorated to mark the occasion. They also patiently shared the moments with the women, who sang songs in circles for some time.

To mark the grand finale, Narasimhan and K Chandrashekar Rao released a brochure on the occasion. When Telangana Jagruthi Chief and Nizamabad MP Kavitha, Deputy Speaker Padma Devender Reddy and Karimnagar ZP chief T Uma came on to the dais with colourful Bathukammas on their heads, the women went into frenzy.

Later, the trio came down to join the team of women, who indulged in festivities in glee and with gusto. Speaker S Madhusudhana Chary, Council Chairman Swamy Goud, Ministers Eatala Rajender, K T Rama Rao, Jagadish Reddy, Telangana Sanskrithika Sarathi Chief Rasamayi Balakishan, MP Keshava Rao, MLA Srinivas Goud and many others attended the event held before the grand finale.

Earlier, Kavitha and Padma Devender Reddy peformed pujas to Bathukammas at LB Stadium at 5.45 pm and then carried them out in a rally that headed towards Tank Bund to mark the mega event scheduled to begin at 6.30 pm. A large number of women, girls and children prepared about 10,000 Bathukammas at the Stadium amid tight security.

According to information, about 65 tons of flowers of myriad varieties, most of them marigold, were used for preparing the Bathukammas. The officials concerned coordinated to ensure that the people who thronged Tank Bund en route LB Stadium from where tableaux and artistes in large number moved in a rally.

Besides providing security, the people got drinking water sachets free of cost en route. The State festival saw a grandiose culmination of sorts as a large number of people from twin cities came to see the spectacle. DCP Kamalasan Reddy reviewed the security at the event.