Bathukamma Panduga – Telangana Floral Festival is a major festival and is celebrated by the Hindu women in the Indian state of Telangana. This festival is a symbol of Telangana’s cultural identity.
Bathukamma is celebrated for nine days and Goddess Gauri mother is worshiped these 9 days. It is celebrated in the month of Bhadrapada Amavasya, also known as Mahalaya Amavasya according to the Hindu calendar.
Bathukamma Festival History & Significance
“Kurisina Poola Panduga, Virabusina Nela Panduga, Priyamaina Neeti Panduga, Telangana ke Talamaanikam, Mana Bathukamma“
Meaning: Splendrous Heavenly Flowers, Bloom Vibrantly, In our Soil, In Our Soul, As Bathukamma Festival
Bathukamma Festival has much importance in Telangana, It is one of the important festival of the state celebrated with dedication and devotion.
Bathukamma falls between end of monsoon and start of winter, ie. Bathukamma comes in mid of rainy season where rains provides plenty of water to plants – trees to bloom various vibrant color flowers in uncultivated and barren plains of the region. ‘gunuka poolu’ and ‘tangedu poolu’ are most used in bathukamma preparation.
Goddess Gauri is worshipped by the women during the festival, who is known by the name bathukamma in the region. The word Bathukamma in the local Telugu language literally means Bathuku + Amma ie. “come alive Mother Goddess”.
Bathukamma festival is celebrated for a period of 9 days and ends up as “Saddula Bathukamma” or “Pedda Bathukamma” festival on Ashwayuja Ashtami, popularly known as Durgashtami which is two days before Dussehra. People seek the blessings of the goddess for the coming year and thank the goddess for the gone year.
9 Days of Bathukamma Celebrations – How To Celebrate Bathukamma Festival
From day 1 beginning from Pethara Amavasya till Saddula Bathukamma are listed below.
Day 1: First day of Bathukamma is celebrated as Engili Puvvula Bathukamma, It falls on Mahalaya Amavasya day (also called as Pethara Amasa, Bhadrapada Amavasya).
Sacred food offered on Engili Puvvula Bathukamma day is food made with til / sesame (nuvvulu), rice flour (Nookalu) or recipe made with mixture of sesame seeds and wet rice (Tadi Biyyam).
Day 2: Second day of Bathukamma festival is Celebrated as Atukula Bathukamma, It falls on the first day of Ashwayuja Masam (Navaratri Kalasha Sthapana)
Food offered to goddess deity on Atukula Bathukamma day is naivedyam made with Sappadi Pappu, Atukulu (flattened rice), jaggery (bellam) etc.
Day 3: Third day of Bathukamma festival Celebrated as Muddhapappu Bathukamma, It falls on second day of Ashwayuja Masam – Month (Preethi Vidiya)
Palaharam offered to goddess mother on Muddhapappu Bathukamma is any food like Muddhapappu made with dal, paalu (milk) or bellam (jaggery).
Day 4: Fourth day of Bathukamma festival is Celebrated as Nanbiyyam Bathukamma, It falls on the third day of Navaratri festival. (Sindhura Thadiya Gauri)
Naivedyam, Palaharam on Nanabiyyam Bathukamma day is any recipe made with Nanabiyyam (wet rice), milk and jaggery.
Day 5: Fifth day of Bathukamma festival is Celebrated as Atla Bathukamma, It is celebrated on fourth day of Navratri utsavams.
Naivedyam, Palaharam on Atla Bathukamma is any recipe made with uppudu biyyam, dosa-dosha, attu-atlu, etc.
Day 6: Sixth day of Bathukamma festival is called as Aligina Bathukamma (Alaka Bathukamma), On Navaratri days It falls on the fifth day (also celebrated as Lalita Panchami). Bathukamma is not prepared on this and not offered
No Naivedyam or Palaharam is offered on Aligina Bathukamma day. Women do not prepare Bathukamma but play Bathukamma.
Day 7: Seventh day of Bathukamma is Celebrated as Vepakayala Bathukamma, It falls on sixth day of Navaratri days ie on Durga sasthi-shashti day.
Naivedyam, Palaharam for Vepakayala Bathukamma is recipe made with sakinala pindi in the form of vepakayalu (Neem fruits – Azadirachta indica).
Day 8: Eighth day of Bathukamma festival is Celebrated as Vennamuddhala Bathukamma, It falls on the seventh day of Durga Navaratri (Durga Saptami / Maha Saptami)
On Vennamuddhala Bathukamma day food offered to goddess is recipe made with ingredients like venna (butter), neyyi (ghee), nuvvulu (til / sesame), jaggery (bellam), etc.
Day 9: Ninth day of Bathukamma festival ie. final day of bathukamma celebrations is known as Saddhula Bathukamma, On the last day bathukamma people prepare big size Bathukammas than on regular days and immerse in water which is also called as Bathukamma Nimajjanam. It falls on Durga Ashtami day and in some instances it falls on Mahanavami day.
Food offered to goddess on Saddula Bathukamma is five fried rice varieties that are the special of Telangana dishes –
Perugu saddhi (Perugannam saddhi – Curd rice)
Chinthapandu Pulihora saddhi (Tamarind rice)
Nimmakaya saddhi (lemon rice)
Kobbari saddhi (coconut rice)
Nuvvula saddhi (sesame rice).
