Hyderabad: In a bid to give a boost to the local culture and tradition, Telangana government has decided to celebrate the local festival of flowers, Bathukamma, as an official festival at a grand scale.
Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, who discussed the idea with the governor E. S. L Narasimhan, said his government was extending invitations to all the top women political leaders from across the country including the women Chief Ministers Jayalalithaa, Vasundara Raje, Anandiben, Mamata Bannerji and Lok Sabha speaker Sumitra Mahajan and union ministers, including Sushma Swaraj, as it was essentially women’s festival.
Women governors and other prominent women from all walks of life will also be invited.
The chief minister also extended formal invitation to the governor to the official celebrations of the festival. The state government has earmarked Rs1billion for the festival to be held from September 24 to October 10.
At a high level review meeting attended by the state Chief Secretary Rajiv Sharma and DGP Anurag Sharma and others, the chief minister directed the administration to gear up to make the celebrations a grand success.
On the concluding day of the nine-day festival, 25,000 women will participate in a colourful procession from Lalbahadur Satdium to Tank Bund where they will perform the customary traditional dance with the colourful flower pots over their heads.
On this occasion the state government will decorate the government buildings as well as Tank Bund with colourful lights and fountains. “By next year the state government will build a Bathukamma Square, a permanent venue for the festival”, Chief Minister said. He wanted similar arrangements in all the districts of Telangana for the festival.
Ever since he came to power in June last, KCR has been laying emphasis on the promotion of Telangana culture and traditions. He alleged that all the past governments of Andhra Pradesh had deliberately ignored and weakened this culture and tradition.
As part of the Telangana movement, KCR’s daughter K. Kavita, a MP now, had been organising the Bathukamma festival under the banner of Telangana Jagruti.
