Hyderabad: The entire state of Telangana was immersed in vibrant festivities on Saturday, as it marked the beginning of the nine-day 'Bathukamma' festival.
Bathukamma, the floral festival of Telangana, begins on Mahalaya Amavasya, also known as Pithra Amavasya, with Engili Poola Bathukamma.
The first day of Bathukamma is celebrated with the naivedyam (offering) prepared of sesame seeds with rice flour.
The festival ends with 'Saddula Bathukamma' also known as Durgashtami, when women dressed in the gleaming hues of their traditional attire form a circle and dance around the Bathukamma.
The Bathukamma is a tastefully arranged stack of seven concentric layers in a conical mound made of different flowers, which is eventually immersed in a water body.
Food lovers eagerly look forward to this day, as five different preparations of rice are served - curd rice, tamarind rice, lemon rice, coconut rice, and sesame rice.
All through the nine days, women clean their courtyard and apply cow dung on the floor, which is then decorated with rangoli made of rice flour.
The men, on the other hand, keep themselves busy collecting flowers for the preparations. The main varieties of flowers used are Celosia, Senna, Marigold, Lotus, Cucurbita, and Cucumis.
The festival is a historic celebration highlighting the importance of women in the society, and also represents the cultural spirit of the state.
Read: T'gana begins distribution of sarees for Bathukamma fest
