Nine-day floral festival Bathukamma celebration begins in Telangana

Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], Sept 29 (ANI): Marking the beginning of Sharath Ruthu, the nine-day floral festival of Telangana, Bathukamma has begun here. This year the festival is being celebrated from September 28 to October 6.
Bathukamma is a festival celebrated by the women on a grand scale. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has also organised celebrations along with the BJP Mahila Morcha in the city.
Women here celebrated Bathukamma with their family members and friends on Saturday.
"Today I am here at Musherabad to celebrate Bathukamma and this is one of the most colourful and beautiful festival. It's a 100 per cent women festival. I am happy to participate in this event. I wish all the Telanganites a very happy and colourful Bathukamma, stay colourful!" a resident named Madhvi Latha said.
Alike Durga Pooja, devotees perform rituals and worship Hindu deity Gauri Devi in the form of Bathukamma. For nine days, different names are given to the Hindu deity. The festival commences with Engili Pula Bathukamma and culminates with Saddula Bathukamma on the last day.
"We celebrate Bathukamma every year with the same zeal and happiness. I come here every year with my family members. We exchange gifts with each other and we do participate and dance to celebrate. This is a nine-day festival and we celebrate the ninth day on a greater scale," a local named Varsha said.
During the festival, flower sale in Telangana increases manifold as the Bathukamma idols are made up of flower stack and arranged in seven concentric layers in the shape of temple Gopuram. Several seasonal flowers having medicinal values are used to make the idols. On the last day of the festival, devotees immerse the idol in Bathukamma Ghat at Tank Bund lake. (ANI)