The first Bathukamma festival in Telangana will be celebrated officially on a grand scale. Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, who reviewed the arrangements for the festival on Friday, released ` 10 crore for the same.
On Saddula Bathukamma festival, which will fall on Durgashtami day during Navaratri festival, Bathukamma will be celebrated in a rich manner on Tank Bund in the city this year. However, permanent arrangements will be made on Necklace Road for Bathukamma festival from next year onwards. The place will be named as Bathukamma Square.
The Chief Minister directed the officials to send ` 10 lakh each to all the district to celebrate Bathukamma across the State. “This time, Bathukamma will be celebrated in a manner that it should attract the attention of not only the country, but the entire world,” he said.
As Bathukamma was primarily women’s festival, Rao has decided to invite prominent women personalities across the country and also one special guest from outside the country. “I will personally invite prominent women guests,” Rao told the officials.
However, the Chief Minister said that Chief Minister of other States including Jayalalithaa, Vasudhara Raje, Ananda Ben, Mamata Benerjeee and Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, Union Ministers, women Governors, prominent women like Kiran Bedi, Medha Patkar and Arundhati Roy would be invited. The Chief Minister invited women AIS officers and also state-cadre women officers to participate in Bathukamma festival in Hyderabad.
Saddula Bathukamma will be celebrated on Tank Bund this year. A large number of women will arrange around 25,000 Bathukammas at LB Stadium and bring them in a rally to Tank Bund. This time, the government will sponsor around 10,000 Bathukammas at LB Stadium. The required flowers like ‘tangedu and gunugu’ will be brought to Hyderabad by government.
A special dais will be erected on Tank Bund, where the prominent women guests will be seated. Then, the women folk will place the Bathukammas on Tank Bund and play with songs.
“Telangana sentiment and Bathukamma festival are inseparable. So, the government has decided to celebrate the festival in a grand manner,” the Chief Minister said.
Lighting and hoardings will be put up in Delhi, Shamshabad airport and Assembly building on all the nine-days highlighting Bathukamma.
The Chief Minister directed Cultural department to jointly conduct the Bathukamma with Telangana Jagruthi organisation. TRS MP K Kavitha and other officials were present at the review.
FIRST BATHUKAMMA IN TELANGANA
- TS govt to celebrate the festival
- Tank Bund is venue
- Permanent venue – Bathukamma Square – on Necklace Road
- TS CM KCR releases `10 crore
- 25,000 Bathukammas to be prepared at LB Stadium
- Govt to supply flowers at LB Stadium
- TS govt to invite all women CMs, Union Ministers, Governors and promiment personalities
Source: newindianexpress
