The Festivals of Telangana
Telangana is popular for it's rich heritage. Telangana showcases some of the most vibrant festivals of India as well as a wonderful culture. Some festivals are unique to Telangana, such as Batukhamma, while other festivals are celebrated all over India. All festivals have something unique to them and bring joy and festivities to the state. So, come enter this rich world of Telangana's regional festivals.
The Regional Festivals of Telangana
Bathukamma
Bathukamma is the state festival of Telangana. It is celebrated during Dusshera time. It usually falls in September or October.
Legend has it that a Chola king, King Dharmangada and his wife prayed to the goddess with utmost devotion. Impressed by their devotion, Godess Lakshmi was born as their daughter. Her parents named her Bathukamma ( Bathuku means life; Amma means mother).
The festivities last for nine days and is celebrated by young girls and women. Young girls ask for an ideal husband and all the qualities required to be a ideal wife, while the married women ask for wealth, happiness and prosperity. All of them adorn traditional attire and wear jewellery.
On the first days the women clean their courtyard using turmeric water and cow dung, they make various designs (called muggulu) in the courtyar and they make the Bathukamma using gobillu (cow dung) and keep it in the courtyard. The men bring various flowers required for the preparation of the Bathukumma. The women arrange various seasonal flowers, which have purifying and medicinal properties, in the form of a gopruram (a triangular structure resembling a montain) and place a small idol made out of turmeric which represents Gauri devi. The flowers are arranged in seven concentric layers.
Different offerings are made on all 9 days which are pretty easy to prepare. In the evening all the women and young girls gather in an open space and place the Bathukumma in the middle and go around it in rythmic moves as well as sing and clap.
On the last day, the Bathukamma is set afloat in the water.
Legend has it that a Chola king, King Dharmangada and his wife prayed to the goddess with utmost devotion. Impressed by their devotion, Godess Lakshmi was born as their daughter. Her parents named her Bathukamma ( Bathuku means life; Amma means mother).
The festivities last for nine days and is celebrated by young girls and women. Young girls ask for an ideal husband and all the qualities required to be a ideal wife, while the married women ask for wealth, happiness and prosperity. All of them adorn traditional attire and wear jewellery.
On the first days the women clean their courtyard using turmeric water and cow dung, they make various designs (called muggulu) in the courtyar and they make the Bathukamma using gobillu (cow dung) and keep it in the courtyard. The men bring various flowers required for the preparation of the Bathukumma. The women arrange various seasonal flowers, which have purifying and medicinal properties, in the form of a gopruram (a triangular structure resembling a montain) and place a small idol made out of turmeric which represents Gauri devi. The flowers are arranged in seven concentric layers.
Different offerings are made on all 9 days which are pretty easy to prepare. In the evening all the women and young girls gather in an open space and place the Bathukumma in the middle and go around it in rythmic moves as well as sing and clap.
On the last day, the Bathukamma is set afloat in the water.
Bonalu
Bonalu is an annual festival celebrated in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. The festival is celebrated in the Ashadam month (July/August).
This festival has its roots in the 19th century. During 1813, an epidemic broke out and thousands of people were killed. Before the epidemic broke out, a military battalion in Hyderabad was dispatched to Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh. On receiving news about this incident, the military battalion prayed to the Goddess Mahakali, in Ujjain. They decided that if the plague was eradicated, the military battalion they would install an idol of Goddess Mahakali in Hyderabad. And their prayers worked! They believed that Mahakali eradicated the plague and kept it away from the city. As they promised, they installed an idol of Mahakali in Hyderabad. Then they offered Bonalu to her and ever since then it has become a tradition. Another reason behind the celebration of this festival is that Mahakali returns to her maternal home during the Ashadam month and the people rejoice and treat her as their own daughter during the festivities.
During the festivities women and young girls wear traditional attire as well as adorn themselves in jewellery.
The women proceed to temples in a huge procession . Tranced women dance to rhythmic beats alongside balancing Bonam (pots).
Pothraju is the goddess's brother and is represented by a well-built person. He wears a small red dhoti, ankles around his legs and applies turmeric on his body and vermillion on his forehead. He lead the procession.
Since this festival is also considered as a thanksgiving to the goddess a great feast is also organised . Apart from the feast, a thotella which is a small temple like dome made out of transparent paper and supported by bamboo sticks is made and given to the goddess.
This festival has its roots in the 19th century. During 1813, an epidemic broke out and thousands of people were killed. Before the epidemic broke out, a military battalion in Hyderabad was dispatched to Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh. On receiving news about this incident, the military battalion prayed to the Goddess Mahakali, in Ujjain. They decided that if the plague was eradicated, the military battalion they would install an idol of Goddess Mahakali in Hyderabad. And their prayers worked! They believed that Mahakali eradicated the plague and kept it away from the city. As they promised, they installed an idol of Mahakali in Hyderabad. Then they offered Bonalu to her and ever since then it has become a tradition. Another reason behind the celebration of this festival is that Mahakali returns to her maternal home during the Ashadam month and the people rejoice and treat her as their own daughter during the festivities.
During the festivities women and young girls wear traditional attire as well as adorn themselves in jewellery.
The women proceed to temples in a huge procession . Tranced women dance to rhythmic beats alongside balancing Bonam (pots).
Pothraju is the goddess's brother and is represented by a well-built person. He wears a small red dhoti, ankles around his legs and applies turmeric on his body and vermillion on his forehead. He lead the procession.
Since this festival is also considered as a thanksgiving to the goddess a great feast is also organised . Apart from the feast, a thotella which is a small temple like dome made out of transparent paper and supported by bamboo sticks is made and given to the goddess.
Samakka Sarralamma Jatra
IThe Samakka Saralamma Jatra is the biggest congregation after the Kumbh Mela. It occurs once in every two years and tribals from Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Orrisa, Karnataka and parts of Jharkhand come to Medaram ( A part of the Dandaka forest) for the celebration. It is believed that Samakka had miraculous powers. According to a tribal story, in the 13th century, some tribal leaders found Samakka- a baby emitting a bright light and playing with tigers. She was adopted by the chief leader and was married to a feaudatory tribal chief of the Kakatiyas. She gave birth to two daughters- Saralamma and Nagulamma and a son Jampanna. This festival commemorates the fight of Samakka and Saralamma against the reigning rulers who imposed unjust laws.
Jampanna vagu, one of the tributaries of the Godavari river. Jampanna is the son of the goddess Samakka (the woman mentioned earlier). The river is red in colour and it is believed that the river was stained in Jampanna's blood when he fought against the Kakatiyas. Taking a holy dip in the water is believed to instil courage in them and remind them of the sacrifice of their god.
The Other Festivals of Telangana
Apart from the regional festivals mentioned above, the residents of Telangana celebrate various festivals. A list of these festivals is given below..
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