Bathukamma Festival 2021 Dates, History, Puja Vidhi And Significance

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The term Bathukamma means 'Mother Goddess Come Back to Life'. The year the festival will be celebrated from Wednesday, 6 October 2021 to Thursday, 14 October 2021. The 'festival of life' is observed in the Telangana region mostly by Hindu women. Usually, the festival is celebrated in the month of September or October. This festival is celebrated for the nine days of Navratri.

This festival begins on the day of Mahalaya Amavasya and the festivities will culminate on 'Saddula Bathukamma' or 'Pedda Bathukamma festival' on Ashwayuja Ashtami, which is known as Durgashtami. This floral festival is mostly celebrated in Telangana and is filled by Boddemma, a week-long festival. Telangana Government has also announced it as a state festival.

Bathukamma Festival 2021: Date And Ritual

This year Bathukamma festival will be celebrated from 6 October to 14 October. On this auspicious day, a beautiful flower stack is made with vibrant colours. Most of the flowers used have medicinal value and it is arranged in seven concentric layers in the shape of a cone. Goddess Maha Gauri, who is known as 'Life Giver' is worshipped on this day in the form of Bathukamma.

Further, women dress up in beautiful attires, gather and form a circle with their Bathukammas in the open grounds in the evening and sing folk songs by clapping their hands. In principle, the performance ends with one of three tributes: Uyyaala - Chandamama - Gouramma. Devotees believe that Goddess Maha Gauri will bless them with good health, prosperity and happiness for their families.

Bathukamma Festival 2021: History, Story, Puja Vidhi And Significance

The term 'naivedyam' (Prsadam) holds a great significance in Bathukamma festival. Each day has name which is related to Prasadam offered to the Goddess. Most of the food offerings are very simple to prepare and they are mostly made by either girls or women on all eight days of the festival. We have curated a list where name of each day and the Naivedyam offered are mentioned. Scroll down the article to read more:

Day 1: Engili pula Bathukamma
Day 2: Atkula Bathukamma
Day 3: Muddapappu Bathukamma
Day 4: Nanabiyyam Bathukamma
Day 5: Atla Bathukamma
Day 6: Aligina Bathukamma
Day 7: Vepakayala Bathukamma
Day 8: Vennamuddala Bathukamma
Day 9: Saddula Bathukamma

Day One: Engili Pula Bathukamma (October 6)- This is the first day of the Bathukamma festival and it falls on Mahalaya Amavasya( Pethara Amavasya in Telangana). The food which is offered during this day is Nuvvulu (Sesame seeds) with Biyyampindi (rice flour) or nookalu (coarsely ground wet rice).

Day Two: Atkula Bathukamma (October 7)- This is the second day of the Bathukamma festival and it falls on the Padyami (first day) of Ashwayuja masam. The food which is offered for Naivedyam is Sappidi pappu (Bland boiled lentils), Bellam (jaggery), and Atkulu (flattened parboiled rice).

Day Three: Muddapappu Bathukamma (October 8)- This is the third day of the Bathukamma festival and it falls on the Vidiya/second day of Ashwayuja masam. The food which is offered for Naivedyam is Muddapappu (softened boiled lentils), Milk and Bellam (jaggery).

Day Four: Nanabiyyam Bathukamma (October 9)- This is the fourth day of the Bathukamma festival and it falls on the chathurdi/fourth day of Ashwayuja masam. The food which is offered for Naivedyam is wet rice, milk and jaggery.

Day Five- Atla Bathukamma (October 10): This is the fifth day of the Bathukamma festival and it falls on the Panchami day of Ashwayuja masam. The food which is offered for Naivedyam is Uppidi pindi atlu (pancakes made from wheat lets), or Dosa.

Day Six- Aligina Bathukamma (October 11): This is the sixth day of the Bathukamma festival and it falls on the Sashti day of Ashwayuja masam. It is also called Lalita Panchami. There is no food prepared on this day. Women play Bathukamma on this day.

Day Seven- Vepakayala Bathukamma (October 12): The seventh day of the Bathukamma festival and it falls on the seventh day of Ashwayuja masam. The food which is offered for Naivedyam is Rice flour shaped into the fruits of the neem tree is deep-fried.

Day Eight: Vennamuddala Bathukamma (October 13): The eight-day of the Bathukamma festival falls on the eighth day of Ashwayuja masam. The food which is offered for Naivedyam are Nuvvulu (sesame), Venna (Butter) or Ghee (clarified butter), and Bellam (jaggery)

Day Nine: Saddula Bathukamma (October 14): The ninth day of the Bathukamma festival is celebrated on ashtami/eight-day of Ashwayuja masam, and coincides with Durgashtami. The food offered for Naivedyam are Five types of cooked rice dishes are prepared thet are Perugannam saddi (curd rice), Chinthapandu pulihora saddi (tamarind rice), Nimmakaya saddi (lemon rice), Kobbara saddi (coconut rice) and Nuvvula saddi (sesame rice).