Hyderabad, Sep 24 Telangana's state festival Bathukamma is all set to commence from Sunday.
Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao extended greetings to the people. He said that the Bathukamma festivities, which are held in the midst of joyous celebrations by women at their birthplaces by decorating Bathukamma with flowers, dance and singing, reflects the uniqueness of the villages.
KCR, as the chief minister is popularly known, said that the cultural extravaganza will be on display across the state during the nine-day long festival celebration.
He recalled that the Telangana government recognized Bathukamma as state festival and accorded a big importance to the Telangana culture and the self-respect of the women folk.
The chief minister said the state government is distributing sarees to one crore women at a cost of Rs 350 crore. The government is honoring women by distributing specially made one crore sarees as Bathukamma gift.
He noted that 'Bathukamma' has become a part of people's life and spread to the continents with the Telangana culture proliferating across the world.
KCR said the state government made all arrangements to celebrate the Bathukamma festival. He prayed to the goddess of nature Bathukamma to bless the people of the state with happiness and good health.
The state festival is set to be celebrated in a grand manner across Telangana from September 25 to October 3.
The main celebrations will be held on October 3 which will be celebrated as Saddula Bathukamma.
During the nine-day annual festival, women and girls sing and dance around specially arranged flowers. At the end of the festival, they immerse the specially arranged flowers called Bathukamma in local ponds.
Ever since the formation of Telangana state in 2014, Bathukamma has been celebrated as the state festival.
Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar has directed officials to illuminate important traffic islands and buildings during the festival. They have been asked to undertake improvement of roads, barricading of immersion points, provision of uninterrupted power supply and organise cultural programmes.
Swimmers will be deployed near Hussain Sagar and at all the immersion points as a precautionary measure.
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