Navratri, a celebration of the power of Shakti, is observed in India in unique ways. The Hindu festival is marked in South India with Golu. In Tamil, Golu refers to an assembly or darbar of dolls. In the Telugu states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, it is celebrated in the form of Batukamma Panduga during Sharada Navratri.
In Telangana, women create a flower stack with seasonal flowers, known as Batukamma, which is worshipped for nine days. On the final day, the Batukamma is floated in a nearby water body.
In Andhra Pradesh, Goddess Durga is also worshipped during the nine days of the festival.
Bathukamma in Telangana
A colourful floral festival, Bathukamma is celebrated by women in Telangana and has become a symbol of the state’s culture and identity.
Flowers like ‘gunuka’ (or ‘gunugu’), ‘tangedu’, ‘banti’, ‘chamanti’ and ‘nandi-vardhanam’ are used to make small ‘Bathukammas’ during the week-long celebrations. Every evening, women gather around these Bathukammas and play, sing and dance in circles. On the final day of the celebrations, men go out to gather flowers like ‘gunuka’ and ‘tangedu’, which are then arranged in stacks.
The flowers are arranged in circular rows on a brass plate called the ‘taambalam’. The Bathukamma is also placed before the family deity and prayers are offered.
After the immersion of the ‘Bathukammalu’, people greet each other with sweets like the ‘maleeda’.
During the week, women also make ‘boddemma’, which is a representation of the deity of Gauri or Durga). Boddemma is made of mud and is immersed in the pond along with Bathukamma.
Dasara festivities in Andhra Pradesh
People of Andhra Pradesh visit Goddess Durga temples to offer prayers during the nine days of Navratri. Dasara celebrations are witnessed at the Kanaka Durga temple atop Indrakeeladri. During the nine days of the festival, the presiding deity appears in various forms such as Sri Swarna Kavachalankruta Sri Durga Devi, Sri Balatripura Sundari Devi, Sri Gayatri Devi, Sri Lalitha Tripura Sundari Devi, Sri Annapurna Devi, Sri Mahalakshmi Devi, Sri Saraswathi Devi, Sri Durga Devi and Sri Mahisasura Mardini Devi. On the final day or Vijayadasami, the deity will be adorned as ‘Sri Rajarajeswari Devi’.
Celebrations are also observed in the old temple on the shores of River Krishna known as the Durga Malleshwar Swami in Vijayawada district.
Significance of Telugu Navratri celebrations
Bathukamma celebrates the bond between humans and earth and water. On the other hand, Dasara celebrates the victory of good over evil. Both festivals mark the indomitable power of women and herald the collective spirit of the Telugu people.
