Bathukamma is a floral festival celebrated predominantly in Telangana and some parts of Andhra Pradesh and, during the festival, a beautiful flower stack is arranged in a unique style in the shape of a temple, which usually consists of seasonal flowers having medicinal values.
According to one myth, Goddess Gauri killed ‘Mahishasura’ the demon after a fierce fight. After this act, she went to sleep on the Aswayuja Padyami due to fatigue. The devotees prayed to her to wake up, and she woke up on the Dasami. This little floral mountain is worshipped as Goddess Bathukamma.
Bathukamma comes during the latter half of monsoon, before the onset of winter. The monsoon rains usually bring plenty of water into the freshwater ponds of Telangana and, it is also the time when wildflowers bloom in various vibrant colors all across the uncultivated and barren plains of the region.
For the nine days, in the evening, women, especially young girls, gather in large numbers with their Bathukammas in open areas of their locality. All women will form a circle around the Bathukamma and start singing folk songs by clapping their hands and revolving around the Bathukamma.
Each day has a name mainly signifying the type of naivedyam (food offering) offered. Most of the naivedyam offered is very simple to prepare, and usually, young girls are mainly involved in the preparation of the offerings for the first eight days of the festival. On the last day, all the women take part in the preparation.
The festival heralds the beauty of nature, the collective spirit of Telangana
people, the indomitable spirit of womenfolk, and also the ecological spirit of the people in preserving the natural resources in a festive way.
under the wing of Australian Multicultural Association Ajay has done a couple of Bathukamma events and keep Indian culture alive here in Australia and got recognized by Australian Govt