Pic Bath01 Flowers arranged as temple’s gopura called Bathukamma (https://shorturl.at/cio57)
Bathukamma Navaratrulu (బతుకమ్మ నవరాత్రులు)
(14.10.2023)
-Rohit Kumar Parmar [1]
Bathukamma Navaratrulu, a nine-day vibrant and colourful festival is celebrated in Telangana (also as the state festival) and parts of Andhra Pradesh, and by the respective diaspora. The festival dates coincide with Navratri celebrated in other parts of India. Bathukamma is a harvest festival signifying gratitude to mother earth and marks the end of Varsha Ruthu (Monsoon/Rainy Season) and the beginning of 'Sharad' (శరద్) or 'Sharath Ruthu' (శరద్ రీతూ i.e., winter).
Bathukamma in Telugu – (Bathuku -live or come back to life and Amma -Mother Goddess), means `Goddess comes back to life’, and is dedicated to Goddess Maha Gauri as Bathukamma, the patron goddess of womanhood, celebrated by women.
The mythological story is the `Daksha Yagnam’ incident from Shiva Purana. Sati (Parvati/Maha Gauri) and Shiva arrive unwelcome to Daksha’s Yagnam and are insulted, as a result Sati sacrifices herself. Daksha Prajaapathi, a descendant of Brahma is the father of Sati. Sati married Shiva against Daksha Prajaapathi’s wishes. The belief is that Sati returns every year as a blessing from nature in the form of various flowers.
A second mythological story is that King Dharmangada (of Chola Dynasty) and his Queen Satyavathi, who had lost many sons at war, prayed to goddess for a daughter. Pleased with their prayers, goddess Lakshmi was born as their daughter. As a girl, she survived many mishaps and was named `Bathukamma’.
The two stories highlight the society’s response to recognize/restore the status of women, which is nowadays done by enacting ineffective laws.
Bathukamma starts on Bhadrapada Amavasya (or Mahalaya, the last day of pitra paksha), corresponding to September/October of the Gregorian Calendar and the nine day festivities culminate on `Saddula Bathukamma’ or `Pedda Bathukamma’ on Ashwayuja Ashtami or on Durgashtami, two days before Dussehra.
Cultural activities like dance, music and theatre mark the celebrations. Street plays called ‘jataras’ are also performed.
Kolattam, a dance played with special decorated sticks (as in Dandiya) called Kolalu, is also performed on folk songs, during Bathukamma. Kolattam a dyeing dance form is still performed, but not with the same vigour as in the 1970s and 1980s.
Pic Bath02 Women playing Kolattam during Bathukamma
Goddess Bathukamma symbolises nature, is a bestower of good health and prosperity, giver of strength and courage to women. Several localities and roads, are named after her in cities and towns in Telangana. There is a statute of Bathukamma in Warangal, Telangana.
Bathukamma is a floral festival for women celebrating the beauty and eternal glory of Goddess Gauri -the ultimate patron of womanhood.
On the dark moonless night of the Mahalaya Amavasya, women gather and make flower arrangements. Flowers with exceptional medicinal qualities mentioned in Charaka Samhita and Ayurveda, are plucked and artistically arranged on large plates/frames of bamboo/wood in seven concentric layers in the shape of a cone. A symbolic idol of Goddess Parvati/Gauri, made from turmeric, shaped as a ball called 'Guramma' is placed alongside a pumpkin flower. The arrangement resembles a temple’s gopura or floral mountains, also called Bathukamma.
Pic Bath03 Flowers and prayer ingredients on separate thalis
The flowers used are `Gunugu’, (గునుగు Silver Cock’s comb – Celosia agrentea), `Thangedu’ (తంగేడు Cassia auriculata), `Banthi’ (బంతి Marigold), `Chaamanthi’ (చామంతి Chrysanthemum), `Taamara’ (తామర Lotus), `Gummadi’ (గుమ్మడి Pumpkin flowers), `Dosakaya Puvvu’ (దోసకాయ Cucumber flower), `Gaddi Puvvu’ (గడ్డి పువ్వు moss/grass rose or portulaca) and `Vaama Puvvu’ (వమ్మ పువ్వు Ajwain/Celery). The flowers used include flowers of vegetable plants with medicinal qualities, which is unique.
Pic Bath04 Bathukamma Flowers
The Bathukamma/floral mountains are placed on fresh Rangoli (Moggulu) [2] on the ground and lamps are lit around it. Prayers are chanted, coconuts as offering are broken and agarbathi/dhup/other fragrance lit, to sanctify the air around `Bathukamma’.
Amidst the fragrance of these flowers and agarbathi/dhup/other fragrance, ladies dance circumambulating the Bathukamma singing songs, based on a woman's life, her relationships, joys and sorrows, etc. The folk songs (available on the net) are sung from sunset till the early hours of the night.
The Bathukamma/floral mountains are set afloat after worshipping Goddess Gauri with flowers and sweets in a prominent/nearby river on the ninth and last day. [3] Before setting them afloat, the turmeric balls (Guramma) are removed and used by married woman to apply a paste on their 'mangalsutra', praying to Goddess to protect her husband and marriage.
Pic Bath05 Women carrying Bathukamma on their head
Women and young girls, wear traditional colourful saris, jewellery and gather in large numbers with their Bathukammas in open areas in the neighbourhood. Young girls wear the traditional `Langa Oni’ (half saree), common in South India during rituals.
Married women exchange/apply kumkum and turmeric on each other’s face after the Bathukamma is set afloat in water. This is similar to Sindur khela in Bengal on the last day of Durga Puja/Dashmi.
Indian festivals are not complete without tasty foods especially sweets prepared from local produce during harvest season - corn, jaggery, sesame seeds, cashew nuts, gram offered to the goddess, before partaking them.
Bathukamma is a Nine Days Festival with each day having a name linked to the type of `Naivedyam’ (Prasadam) offered. These are listed and detailed below
Day One:
The first day (Engili Pula Bathukamma) falls on Mahalaya Amavasya, known as Pethara Amavasya in Telangana region. Food offered for Naivedyam (Prasadam) is Nuvvulu (నువ్వులు Sesame seeds) with biyyampindi (బియ్యం, rice flour) or nookalu (coarsely ground wet rice). Devotees also pay homage to their ancestors on Mahalaya as in other parts of India. There is cleaning of the house/courtyards and making rangoli art (Moggulu) on the ground.
Day Two:
The second day (Atkula Bathukamma) falls on the Padyami (first day of Ashwin month). [4] Food offered for Naivedyam (Prasadam) is Sappidi pappu (Bland boiled lentils), Bellam (jaggery), and Atkulu (flattened parboiled rice).
Day Three:
The third day (Muddapappu Bathukamma) falls on Ashwayuja Dwitiya (second day of Ashwin month). Food offered for Naivedyam (Prasadam) is Muddapappu (softened boiled lentils), Rice, Milk and Bellam (jaggery).
Day Four:
The fourth day (Nanabiyyam Bathukamma) falls on Ashwayuja Trithiya (third day of Ashwin month). Food offered for Naivedyam (Prasadam) is Nananesina biyyam (wet rice), Milk, and Bellam (jaggery).
Day Five:
The fifth day (Atla Bathukamma) falls on Ashwayuja Chathurthi (fourth day of Ashwin month), food offered for Naivedyam (Prasadam) are Uppidi pindi atlu (dosa made from wheat or roti type of food), or Dosa (దోశ).
Day Six:
The sixth day (Aligina Bathukamma) falls on Ashwayuja Panchami (fifth day of Ashwin month) when no food offering is made. It is believed that Goddess Gowri is hurt/unwell. The day is also celebrated as Lalitha Panchami.
Day Seven:
The seventh day (Vepakayala Bathukamma) falls on Ashwayuja Shashti (sixth day of Ashwin masam). Food offered for Naivedyam (Prasadam) is Rice flour shaped as fruits of neem tree and deep-fried.
Day Eight:
The eight-day (Vennamuddala Bathukamma) falls on Ashwayuja Sapthami (seventh day of Ashwin month). Food offered for Naivedyam (Prasadam) is Nuvvulu (sesame), Venna (Butter) or Ghee (clarified butter), and Bellam (jaggery) balls (నువ్వుల లడ్డులు)
Day Nine:
The ninth day (Saddula Bathukamma) falls on Ashwayuja Ashtami (eight-day of Ashwin month), coinciding with Durgashtami. Food offered is five types of rice –
Curd rice (Perugannam saddi, పెరుగన్నం సద్ది),
Tamarind rice (Chinthapandu pulihora saddi చింతపండు పులిహోర సద్ది),
Sesame rice (Nuvvula saddi నువ్వుల సద్ది),
Coconut rice (Kobbara annam saddi కొబ్బరి అన్నం సద్ది) and
Lemon rice (Nimmakaya pulihora saddi, నిమ్మకాయ పులిహోర సద్ది).
The different types of rice are popular as individual items.
A special sweet dish called maleeda made up of jaggery is made for this festival and is distributed among all post-puja.
Pic Bath06 Maleeda Laddos
[1] Author, Freelance, Indian Economic Service, Senior Economic Adviser (Retired), Government of India, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and former Adviser (P 4) UNDP, Yemen has in posts on his website (https://rohitkparmar.wixsite.com/site), LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohit-kumar-parmar-841b4724) YouTube channel (https://youtube.com/@rohitkparmar), twitter (https://twitter.com/rohitkparmar?s=09), Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/rohit.parmar.5268750/), been writing/sharing varied topics and can be reached at rohitkparmar@yahoo.com. [2] Moggulu/ Muggulu is a form of art using rice flour, chalk, chalk powder or rock powder sometimes with natural and/or synthetic colours, normally on the floor of the entrance of the house. [3] There are versions in which the immersion of Bathukkama is a daily ritual. [4] Except the first day (which is in Bhadrapada), Bathukamma is celebrated in the month of Ashwin.
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