Rain plays spoilsport at stadium

Cultural Department’s Guinness dream comes a cropper

Hyderabad: Heavy rain that lashed the city on Thursday played spoilsport at the finale of Bathukamma festival here. The proposed “Tangedu Puvvu” formation by 3,000-and-odd women did not materialise as the rain god wrecked the event.

Though elaborate arrangements were made to set the record for Guinness Book of World Record, the formation of “Tangedu Puvvu” in 10 minutes could not be done because of rain. The floral festival came to a grand finale with all districts successfully celebrating the event. A total of 6,000 women participated in the floral festival at the LB stadium. It was a colourful event.

The Culture Department made arrangements for the record that was aimed at clinching Guinness Book Records by breaking previous Kerala State feat. The floral festival was also conducted across 30 districts in the State and the District Collectors and officials concerned made arrangements for floral festival in districts that brought women of all sections together for the great festival.

Bathukamma festival reflecting culture and tradition of the Telangana State was celebrated on a grand scale. Celebrations were organised on Tank Bund to mark the grand finale of Saddula Bathukamma.

A massive procession of women from LB Stadium to the Tank Bund was disrupted following heavy rain and thus the efforts by the Cultural Department to make it a world record did not succeed. The women went away before the programme came to an end due to heavy rain.

The officials of the Guinness Book of Records made it clear that they would not consider the efforts of the Telangana officials as there were fewer than 6,000 women to form tangedu flower design. Another effort of preparing Bathukamma with 3,000 women also failed due to the rain.