Bathukamma
The BATHUKAMMA festival or Panduga is one of the most unique festivals of Andhra Pradesh especially of Telangana region celebrated mainly by the women. Celebrated during Navarathris it honours goddess Gouri on the name of Bathukamma. In Telugu, ‘Bathukamma means ‘come alive Mother Goddess’. Bathukamma panduga, teh spring festival, is the second largest festival after Dasara or Vijaya Dashami in Telangana Region. Celebrated during Durga Navaratri, the 9-day festival will conclude two days before Dussera.
Bathukamma represents cultural spirit of Telangana. Bathukamma is a beautiful flower stack, arranged with different unique seasonal flowers most of them with medicinal value, in seven concentric layers in the shape of potter’s clay like a cone. In Telugu, ‘Bathukamma' means ‘Mother Goddess Come Alive’ and Goddess Maha Gauri-‘Life Giver’ is worshipped in the form of Bathukamma – the patron goddess of womanhood (Maha Gauri Devi)
It is the festival for feminine felicitation. On this special occasion women dress up in the traditional sari combining it with jewels and other accessories. Teenage Girls wear Langa-Oni/Half-Sarees/Lehenga Choli combining it with jewels in order to bring out the traditional grace of the attire.
In the evening, women gather in large numbers with their Bathukammas in open areas of their locality, all women will form a circle around the Bathukamma and all women start singing folk songs by clapping their hands and revolving around the Bathukamma, synchronizing steps and claps in unison provide a splendorous look to the festivities. Women seek good health, prosperity and happiness for their families. The songs are to invoke the blessings of various goddesses. By principle, the rendition end with any one of the following three tributes Uyyaala, Chandamama or Gouramma.
Bathukamma is made up of seven concentric layers of flowers that are arranged in a pyramid shape. As it is a festival of women, they dance around it. The synchronizing steps along with singing Bathukamma Paatalu (Songs - praising Bathukamma) make everyone to feel the vibrant mood of Telangana women.
Veda Vyasa, collected the Vedic Texts of prayer under the Rig Veda, the Vedic texts of rituals under the Yajur Veda, the musical form of the Vedic texts under the Sama Veda and such of the Vedic texts that dispelled dangers and annihilated enemies under the Atharvana Veda.