City College Celebrates Bathukamma

City College Celebrates Bathukamma

HYDERABAD: The exuberant girls dressed up in the colourful half sarees tapping their feet to the tunes of the Bathukamma songs – this is what the scene looked with students celebrating Bathukamma of Kasturba Gandhi College for Women, West Marredpally.

The festivities inside the premises of this college took place for the first time, after the festival has been declared as the state festival. “As it is now a state festival, it has got closer to our heart now,” said Anitha Reddy, principal of the college. She also pointed out that formation of separate state is positive.

“I am sure that the separation will help in development of both the states.”

Bathukamma which is centrally a women’s festival that takes detailed artwork and precision to set up. Vidya Rani, former principal of the college, explained the significance of Bathukamma to students and said, “The festival is meant to strengthen the women in the family. The reason why Bathukamma flowers are immersed in water is because the flowers have medicinal values and they will purify the water.”

And once the set up is done, women dance around it, singing songs that have been penned centuries ago. They are tuned with a vibrance and worded in such a way that the essence of values and lessons in daily life come to the fore.  

Dr Gouthami, lecturer at AV College was invited to the event. And she shared the same with the students. “The songs are made in such a way that they help in teaching the life’s values. The festival gives people from all the communities an opportunity to come together.”

Students were also highly enthusiastic about the celebrations and participated with zeal. Apart from just setting up the flowers, there was also a competition where students were encouraged to make beautiful Bathukammas and the best was selected as the winner.

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