Bathukamma, one of the major festival of Telangana and some parts of Andhra Pradesh has started today. This festival is celebrated for nine days. During these days, men and women decorate their homes and streets to participate in festival of colours, thehansindia.com said. On this day, people of the state worship Goddess Gauri, who is known as Bathukamma in the state. The Bathukamma jatara, which commences two days before Dussehra, is organised where both festivals are observed. Women, clad in beautiful sarees decorate a small wooden platform in a circular arrangement with layers in order to to make a conical arrangement of flowers, the report added.
Devotees visit nearby temples or street to celebrate the festival. They gather near the circle in the evening and place ‘Bathukammas’ at the centre. they also dance around with traditional songs, urging the goddess to take birth again.
Flowers that found during the season include Cassia (Thangedu), Luffa (Bera), Celosia (Gunugu),Nelumbo (Thamara), Cucurbita (Gummadi), Marigold (Banthi) among others. The festival is celebrated for nine days days during the Durga Navaratri celebrations before Dussehra.
People worship Goddess Bathukamma for nine days and on the last day the goddess is immersed in rivers after completion of rituals. Eveb as the magnitude has reduced now a days, the enthusiasmamong people to celebrate the festival remains the same, the website added.