HYDERABAD: 'Bathukamma', the floral festival of Telangana, will be held from October 16 to 24. A delegation of Telangana Vidwat Sabha on Monday met the founding president of Telangana Jagruthi and former MP K Kavitha to discuss the date of commencement of the Bathukamma festival here.

There have been confusion over the dates and the Vidwat Sabha held online consultations with priests about the dates. Based on the suggestion of Kavitha, the members decided that the festival will be organised from October 16 to 24.

The Bathukamma festival is described as a celebration of the 'inherent relationship human beings share with earth and water". Legend has it that the flowers used in 'Bathukamma', including 'Tangedu' (Tanners Cassia), have the quality of purifying water in ponds and tanks after their immersion.

Women enthusiastically take part in the Bathukamma in the festivities. Women sing songs and dance around specially arranged flowers during the festivities and blessings of mother Goddess seeking prosperity and a good year.

Colours, flowers and water are all intrinsic to the festival and the goddess herself is not one rooted in a shrine but turmeric and placed on top of conical flower arrangements that signify both life and eternity in their colours. The flowers are immersed in tanks and rivers water on the 10th day.
Flowers like Gunuka, Tangedi, Lotus, Alli, Katla, Teku flowers which bloom in this season are used to create the flower arrangements.

The state government in 2014 declared “Bathukamma Panduga” to be the state festival. This is the second festival in Telangana to be declared a state festival after Bonalu Jathra.