Bathukamma festival reaches London amid fanfare

London [UK], Oct. 1 (ANI): 'Bangaru Bathukamma', a colourful and vibrant floral festival of Telangana celebrated by women with flowers that grow exclusively in the region, on Saturday reached London, its second destination, out of the nine global destinations it is being taken to by Telangana Rashtra Samith Member of Parliament K. Kavitha. People were seen enthusiastically participating in the preparations of Bhatukamma idol here during the second day of the celebrations that started yesterday. The colourful and vibrant floral festival of Bathukamma is going global this year, and it is expected that foreign residents and Telugu migrants will get fascinated and will get connected with Telangana culture and its people. Kavitha is taking the festival to Dubai, the U.K., the U.S, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Bahrain, Kuwait and Denmark from September 30 to October 15. This will also be an opportunity to attract investors from abroad through the rich and valuable festival Bangaru Bathukamma, which will be an addition to the development of the state's economy. This festival is a symbol of Telangana cultural identity and celebrated during the latter half of monsoon and before the onset of winter. The festival celebrates the inherent relationship between earth, water and the human beings. During the entire preceding week, women make 'Boddemma' (a deity of Gowri - mother Durga - made with earthly mud) along with 'Bathukamma' (flower stack, arranged with different unique seasonal flowers most of them with medicinal values) and immerse it in a pond. It is believed that it helps reinforce ponds and retain more water. The flowers used in Bathukamma have a great quality of purifying water and such flowers when immersed in abundance in a pond, it have the effect of cleansing water and making the environment much better. The festival heralds the beauty of nature, collective spirit of Telangana people and also the scientific approach of the agrarian people towards preserving the resources of nature in a celebrative way. (ANI)