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Bathukamma festival during Navaratri

Discussion in 'General Discussions - USA & Canada' started by Blondie, Sep 23, 2007.

  1. Blondie

    Blondie Bronze IL'ite

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    Growing up in <st1:city><st1:place>Hyderabad</st1:place></st1:city> which is part of telangana region, I used to look forward to dasara panduga mainly for batukamma celebrations.

    During the nine days preceding dasara ( vijaya dashami) day every evening batukammas (boddemmas) used to be made from flowers by the elders in the family. The young ladies and kids sing songs and tap their feet and clap hands in traditional dance movements around the batukammas in the court yard. My favorite song was :


    Batkamma batkamma uyyaalo
    Bangaru gauramma uyyaala (2)

    Maa vaaru vachiri uyyaalo
    Mee vaaru vachira uyyaala (2)
    (translates as all my relatives have come
    have your relatives come to visit)

    ( a lady sings complaining about her absent brother)

    okkade maa anna uyyaalo
    vachenna podu uyyaala

    (trans. I have only one brother
    and he does not even bother to visit me)

    (another lady sings defending the brother)

    Etlavathu chellela uyyaalo
    Yeradda maaye uyyaala

    (trans. How can I come dear sis
    the lake obstructs my path)


    In this way the song goes on sung adhoc adding events, complaints, dreams etc etc made up on the spot by the participants.


    Later all the batukammas are immersed in the cheruvu (lake/ pond)

    In my maternal grandparents village, them being the village heads this used to be a specially huge event. The largest & tallest batukamma had to come from one of the houses from our family.

    After coming to US all these festivals and celebrations took a back seat for the initial 10 years and these were the years that I used to mop and be homesick around festival days. But since last decade decided to do something about it with the help of close circle of friends. Batkamma celebration in US abode of mine started out as small affair on the ninth day after the lalitha sahasranamam and last year it blossomed into full blown affair with the help of local unit of volunteers. Enclosing last year’s batukamma celebration pictures. Since there was no lake or pond near by did the immersions in Rubbermaid tub filled with water.

    This year the celebrations are going to be by a lake side on the 30<sup>th</sup> of September in <st1:place><st1:placetype>lake</st1:placetype><st1:placename> Fairfax</st1:placename></st1:place> park, <st1:place><st1:city>Reston</st1:city><st1:state>Va.</st1:state></st1:place> All ladies who are interested are invited to attend.

    Please find further info at this site:

    http://www.telangana.org/Bathukamma/Bathukamma-2007/DC%20Batukamma%202007.pdf




    As a side info for those who have no idea about what I am talking about =)….

    Excerpts from google search results for Telangana & batkamma:
    Andhra Pradesh consists of three distinct regions, namely, Andhra, Rayalaseema and Talangana. Andhra and Rayalaseema were part of <st1:city><st1:place>Madras</st1:place></st1:city> province of the <st1:place>British empire</st1:place>. For approximately 400 years, Telangana was part of <st1:place><st1:placename>Hyderabad</st1:placename><st1:placetype>State</st1:placetype></st1:place>, an independent kingdom ruled by Muslim Qutub Shahi and Nizam dynasties. Thanks to the sacrifice of Sriramulu Potti, Andhra and Rayalaseema were separated from <st1:place><st1:placename>Madras</st1:placename><st1:placetype>State</st1:placetype></st1:place> in 1953. Andhra state (Andhra and Rayalaseema) was the first state that was formed purely on linguistic nationality, like many European states. Later Andhra merged with Telangana in 1956, based on their linguistic and national affinity, to form the present state of Andhra Pradesh, <st1:city><st1:place>Hyderabad</st1:place></st1:city> as the capital city.

    THE BATHUKAMMA Panduga is one of the most unique festivals of Telangana (comprising of 10 districts: Adilabad, Karimnagar, Nizamabad, Medak, <st1:city><st1:place>Warangal</st1:place></st1:city>, Khammam, <st1:city><st1:place>Hyderabad</st1:place></st1:city>, Rangareddy, Nalgonda, and Mahaboobnagar districts of Andhra Pradesh) and one celebrated mainly by the women of this region. Celebrated during Navarathri it honours the `life-giver’ Bathukamma, with women seeking her blessings for 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 made of flowers that signify both life and eternity in their colours as well as impermanence. For, the goddess is `created’ each year, and immersed duly on the 10th day of the festival in local water bodies




     

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    Last edited: Sep 23, 2007
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  2. Blondie

    Blondie Bronze IL'ite

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  3. Tulasi

    Tulasi Silver IL'ite

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    Hi Blondie,
    I heard lot about bathukamma festival but never been part of it...I just saw the pics are you there in the pic? I will be very happy to see you!
    Tulasi
     
  4. diwali

    diwali Senior IL'ite

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    Dear Blondi,

    thank u,thank u, thank u, thank u soooo much!!!!!!

    even i used enjoyed these nine days a lot. ( with nice dresses)

    this year i'a missing:cry: , last year enjoyed a lot!!

    will make some special naivedhyam( 9 varieties) and at the end share it

    everybody.

    thx for posting this (nice song):2thumbsup:

    warm regards'
    Srilatha
     
  5. diwali

    diwali Senior IL'ite

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    hi,

    u pictures r are very beautiful!!!

    Srilatha
     
  6. Blondie

    Blondie Bronze IL'ite

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    I am not in the picture tulasi. I will not post a picture of me and the one I posted here took care that the focus is not on anyone. I didn't had a close up of the bathukammas placed in the centre from last year. This year wiil take some and post it after the 30th.

    This is being held in other metro areas too. details at

    Telangana Development Forum-USA
     
    Last edited: Sep 23, 2007
  7. Blondie

    Blondie Bronze IL'ite

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    Srilatha,

    thanks for the FB. for your info there is one organised in new jersey this following week end on saturday.
     
  8. Kamla

    Kamla IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Blondie,

    How fascinating ! This is the first time I am hearing about such a festival and celebration. Although Telugu by birth, have lived all my life (indian life!) in Karnataka and parents being from Tamilnadu, our influence on festivities are from those parts of India. The pictures are lovely and this celebration seems like a great fun with dancing and singing, plus the colorful flower arrangements are simply lovely. Thanks for this thread and have fun with your Bathukamma!
    And I do wish I could see your pic ! :)

    L, Kamla
     
  9. Blondie

    Blondie Bronze IL'ite

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    Kamla,

    this is a very regional festival that too mostly observed in the villages. This is a feast to the eyes and ears seeing the beautiful bathukammas and equally beautiful young ladies all decked out in their traditional finery doing the song and circular movements. The observance of the festival is diminishing nowadays due to unavailability of affordable flowers to the general mass in the urban areas of hyderabad. Posting my last years Bathukammas ( bathuku amma = live my mother) resting on the cocktail table in my friends home....
     

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  10. sunkan

    sunkan Gold IL'ite

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    vow blondie,
    tht is a great revelation, never knew something like this from andhra, pl do post more information like this...keep it up.. sunkan
     

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