A festival to remember

(Clockwise) Women carrying huge ‘Bathukammas’ as part of the celebrations held in the city on Tuesday. Nizamabad MP K. Kavitha participating in the festivities. Artistes practising their act ahead of their performance. Women in large numbers carrying ‘Bathukammas’ to Bathukamma Ghat.– Photo: Nagara Gopal

t was gaiety and festive fervour at the Bathukamma Ghat here on Tuesday, where the Telangana government officially celebrated the eagerly awaited ‘Festival of Flowers’ for which the State is known.

The Tank Bund was closed for vehicular traffic for a few hours as it was cordoned off for the grand event. With very few exceptions, men were not seen near the immersion point at all, as the festival is traditionally celebrated by women across the 10 districts

From about 4 p.m., there was a steady stream of women, all decked up and walking, either with the ‘Bathukamma’, holding the floral arrangement in their hands or carrying it on their heads. Thousands of them walked all the way from the Lal Bahadur Stadium to Bathukamma Ghat near the Secunderabad-end, where the old British tank sits as a tourist attraction, a distance of about 4 km. As dusk fell, the wind was pleasantly cool, caressing as it did the serene waters of the Hussainsagar before blowing over the crowd. The stage was decorated in eye-pleasing manner with the State’s official bird ‘Palapitta’ and the Bathukamma logo (floral decoration). Prominent among the VIPS who participated were Nizamabad MP Kavitha and Deputy Speaker Padma Devender Reddy.

The celebrations were put together under the brand Telangana Tourism. The men who took part included Deputy Chief Minister Mehmood Ali, Nayani Narsimha Reddy (Home), Chandulal (Tourism), Talasani Srinivas Yadav (Commercial Taxes), Deputy Chairman, Legislative Council, Neti Vidyasagar, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Commissioner Somesh Kumar, Hyderabad City Police Commissioner M. Mahender Reddy, and Hyderabad District Collector Rahul Bojja. Hundreds of balloons were released into the sky and artistes from the districts joined in the culmination of the celebrations, showcasing their art, their visit facilitated by the Department of Culture. Tableaux from Adilabad, Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy and other districts too were a part of the colourful procession. The women played ‘Kolattam’ and danced in gay abandon on Tank Bund.

Hundreds of balloons were released into the sky and artistes from the districts performed

on the occasion