Bathukamma
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The circle dance and songs of Telangana's women around a tower of seasonal flowers, performed every evening of the nine-day Bathukamma festival.
FolkWhere: All of TelanganaOccasion: Bathukamma festival in the autumn, during Navaratri, ending on Saddula Bathukamma
| Performed by | Women and girls of all ages |
|---|---|
| Costume | Bright silk sarees and half-sarees, bangles and flowers in the hair |
| Music and instruments | Bathukamma songs sung by the women themselves, clapping in time; no instruments are needed |
How it is performed
- Women arrange flowers such as tangedu (tanner's cassia) and gunuka (celosia) in layers on a plate to build a cone-shaped Bathukamma.
- In the evening the Bathukammas are placed in the centre of a courtyard or open ground.
- The women form a circle around them and move slowly, bending and clapping together as they sing.
- One woman leads each verse and the others repeat it; the songs tell of the goddess, family life and village stories.
- At the end the Bathukammas are carried in procession and gently floated in a tank or lake.
Significance
The name is usually explained as 'come alive, Mother Goddess'. The festival celebrates life, womanhood and the monsoon flowers that bloom across Telangana, and it is the State festival of Telangana.