Bathukamma is Telangana's floral festival celebrated by the Hindu women of Telangana. Every year this festival is celebrated as per Hindu calendar in the Bhadrapada Amavasya, also known as Mahalaya Amavasya, usually in September–October of Gregorian calendar. The Bathukamma festival is a highly cherished state festival. Celebrated during Navarathri, the festival marks worship of the `life-giver’ Bathukamma, with the women of the region, seeking her blessings for prosperity and a fruitful year ahead.

Bathukamma celebrates the inherent relationship between earth, water and the human beings. During the entire preceding week, women make ‘boddemma’ (a deity of Gowri – mother Durga – made with earthly mud) along with Bathukamma and immerse it in the pond. This helps reinforce the ponds and helps it retain more water. Boddemma festival marks the ending of Varsha Ruthu whereas Bathukamma festival indicates the beginning of Sharath Ruthu.

Bathukamma is a beautiful flower stack, arranged with different unique seasonal flowers most of them with medicinal values, in seven concentric layers in the shape of temple gopuram. In Telugu, ‘Bathukamma' means ‘Mother Goddess come Alive’ while Goddess Maha Gauri - ‘the Life Giver’ is worshipped in the form of Bathukamma. On this special occasion women dress up in the traditional saree, accompanied by traditional jewels and other accessories.

For a period of nine days, in the evening, women, especially young girls, gather in large numbers with their Bathukammas in open areas of their locality. The women form a circle around the Bathukamma and they start singing folk songs by clapping their hands and revolving around the Bathukamma, which provides a traditional look to the festivities.

Women seek good health, prosperity and happiness for their families. The songs aid in invoking the blessings of various goddesses. By principle, the rendition ends with any one of the following three tributes Uyyaala, Chandamama or Gouramma. Colours, flowers and water are all considered intrinsic to the festival while the goddess herself is not just rooted in a shrine but actually made of flowers that signify both life and eternity in their colours and impermanence. The goddess is `created’ each year, and then immersed duly on the 10th day of the festival in ponds and lakes.

The native flowering plants, which support native insects in the pollination of native crops, are used, which in turn give better yields. The native flowering plants also have their own medicinal value with curative role in local ailments.

Here are some of the flowers used in Bathukamma, which are arranged elaborately as floral stocks, depending on the varieties available in the local areas.

• Gunugu
• Tangedu
• Pattukuchhu
• Rudraksha / Chandrakantha
• Gaddi poolu
• Chamanthi
• Gummadi
• Mandaram/ Dasana
• Katla
• Nandivardhanam
• Kanakambaralu
• Banthi
• Challagutti
• Beera
• Chitti Chamanthi
• Kashirathnam
• Malle
• Lilly
• Ganneru
• Gulabi
• Nela Gulabi

Tangedu (Cassia auriculata) has been declared as Telangana’s state flower. There are many varieties like Nela Tangedu, Adivi Tangedu, Tayidi Tangedu, Sema Tangedu. The flowers are known for their medicinal values. Tangedu flower is accorded the ritual respect equal to goddess Durga Maatha. On the last day of Bathukamma, women create floral stacks and immerse them in lakes, rivers and other water bodies, which spreads the medicinal value of these flowers.