Hyderabad: The Telangana Government has reportedly postponed the Guinness World Record Bathukamma Festival to September 29 and the venue shifted from LB Stadium to Saroornagar Stadium.
Originally slated to be held on September 28, the event was called off citing rain forecast and large turnout expected for the celebrations.
This nine-day festival, starting on September 21 and ending on September 30 with Saddula Bathukamma, is not just about flowers but also about life, womanhood, and the spirit of community.
Event aims to surpass 2023 Onam Festival record in Kerala
The state aims to break the previous Guinness World Record set during the 2023 Onam festival in Thrissur, Kerala, where 7,027 women performed a synchronised Thiruvathira dance.
Around 10,000 women will participate in Bathukamma celebrations alongside a 60-foot-tall Bathukamma, the tallest ever during the event at Saroornagar Stadium.
What is Bathukamma?
The word Bathukamma comes from two Telugu words: Bathuku meaning life, and Amma meaning mother. Together, it signifies “Mother, come alive.” The festival is dedicated to the Goddess Gauri, who represents life and fertility. Women and girls create beautiful stacks of seasonal flowers, arranged in layers to resemble a temple tower, with a turmeric idol called Gauramma placed on top.
The celebrations begin with households cleaning their courtyards and decorating them with rangoli patterns. Women collect flowers from gardens and fields, carefully arranging them in seven or more layers. Each day of the nine-day festival has its own rituals and food offerings. The final day, Saddula Bathukamma, is the grandest, with large gatherings and immersions in major lakes like Hussain Sagar.
