page_title: Bathukamma
section_title: Preparation
hierarchical_section_title: Bathukamma / Preparation
caption_attribution_description: English: A picture of women dancing around their batukammas.
context_page_description: Bathukamma is floral festival celebrated predominantly by the Telangana and some parts of Andhra Pradesh. Every year this festival is celebrated as per Shathavahana calendar for nine days starting Bhadrapada Pournami till Durgashtami, usually in September–October of Gregorian calendar. Bathukamma is celebrated for nine days during Durga Navratri. It starts on the day of Mahalaya Amavasya and the 9-day festivities will culminate on "Saddula Bathukamma" or "Pedda Bathukamma" festival on Ashwayuja Navami, popularly known as Durgashtami which is two days before Dussehra. Bathukamma is followed by Boddemma, which is a 7-day festival. Boddemma festival that marks the ending of Varsha Ruthu whereas Bathukamma festival indicates the beginning of Sarad or Sharath Ruthu.
  Bathukamma represents cultural spirit of Telangana. Bathukamma is a beautiful flower stack, arranged with different unique seasonal flowers most of them with medicinal values, in seven concentric layers in the shape of temple gopuram. 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, Gauri Devi.
context_section_description: On first five days women will clean their vakili (courtyard), cow dung mixed with water is spread in the courtyard as a ground-base, decorate the ground-base with managala aakara or muggu patterns or rangoli made of rice flour. For the first five days Batukamma is prepared with cow dung. Five small lumps in cone shape are arranged in the vakili.
  Men in the house gather flowers Bathukamma Flowers from the wild plains like Celosia, Senna, Marigold, Chrysanthemum, Indian Lotus, Cucurbita leaves & flowers, Cucumis Sativus leaves & flowers, Memecylon edule, Tridax procumbens, Trachyspermum ammi, Katla, Teku Flowers, etc., which bloom in this season in various vibrant colors all across the uncultivated and barren plains of the region.
  Preparing a Bathukamma is a folk art. Women start preparing Bathukamma from the afternoon. They cut the flowers leaving the little length base, some dip Gunugu (Celosia) flowers in various vibrant colours, some scented and arrange them on a wide plate called Thambalam.
  The songs are to invoke the blessings of various goddesses. 
  Each day has a name mainly signifying the type of "naivedyam" (food offering) offered. Most of the naivedyam offered are very simple to prepare, and usually young children or young girls are mainly involved in the preparation of the offerings for the first eight days of the festival. The last day, called saddula Bathukamma is when all the women take part in the preparation. Following is the list of names for each day and the naivedyam offered on that day.
  Engili pula Bathukamma- The first day of the festival falls on Mahalaya Amavasya, also known as Pethara Amavasya in Telangana region.
  Food offering/Naivedyam: Nuvvulu (Sesame seeds) with biyyampindi (rice flour) or nookalu (coarsely ground wet rice).
  Atkula Bathukamma: The second day is called Atkula bathukamma, falls on the Padyami (first day) of Ashwayuja masam.
  Food offering/Naivedyam: Sappidi pappu (Bland boiled lentils), bellam (jaggery), and atkulu (flattened parboiled rice)
  Muddapappu Bathukamma: The third day of Bathukamma falls on Vidiya/second day of Ashwayuja masam.
  Food offering/Naivedyam: muddapappu (softened boiled lentils), milk and bellam (jaggery)
  Nanabiyyam Bathukamma: The fourth day falls on thidiya/third day of Ashwayuja masam.
  Food offering/Naivedyam: nananesina biyyam (wet rice), milk, and bellam (jaggery)
  Atla Bathukamma: The fifth day falls on the chathurdi/fourth day of Ashwayuja masam.
  Food offering/Naivedyam: uppidi pindi atlu (pan cakes made from wheatlets), or Dosa
  Aligina Bathukamma: The sixth day falls on the panchami/fifth day of Ashwayuja masam.
  No food offering is made.
  Vepakayala Bathukamma: The seventh day falls on the sashti/sixth day of Ashwayuja masam.
  Food offering/Naivedyam: rice flour shaped into the fruits of neem tree is deepfried.
  Vennamuddala Bathukamma: The eight day falls on sapthami/seventh day of Ashwayuja masam.
  Food offering/Naivedyam: nuvvulu (sesame), Venna (Butter) or ghee (clarified butter), and bellam (jaggery)
  Saddula Bathukamma: The ninth day of bathukamma is celebrated on ashtami/eight day of Ashwayuja masam, and coincides with Durgashtami.
  Food offering/Naivedyam: Five types of cooked rice dishes: perugannam saddi (curd rice), chinthapandu pulihora saddi (tamarind rice), nimmakaya saddi (lemon rice), kobbara saddi (coconut rice) and nuvvula saddi (sesame rice)
caption: Telangana Women Celebrating Bathukamma
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