Nine Days Of Bathukamma Festival

 

For the nine days, in the evening, women, especially young girls, gather in large numbers with their Bathukammas in open areas of their locality. All women will form a circle around the Bathukamma and start singing folk songs by clapping their hands and revolving around the Bathukamma, synchronizing steps and clapping in unison to provide a splendorous look to the festivities. Women seek good health, prosperity, and happiness for their families. The songs are to invoke the blessings of various goddesses.

Each day has a name mainly signifying the type of "naivedyam" (food offering) offered. Most of the naivedyam (food offerings) offered are very simple to prepare, and usually, young children or young girls are mainly involved in the preparation of the offerings for the first eight days of the festival. The last day, called saddula Bathukamma is when all the women take part in the preparation.

 Engili pula Bathukamma

The first day of the festival falls on Mahalaya Amavasya, also known as Pethara Amavasya in the Telangana region. Food offering/Naivedyam: Nuvvulu(Sesame seeds) with biyyampindi(rice flour) or nookalu(coarsely ground wet rice).

 Atkula Bathukamma 

The second day is called Atkula bathukamma and falls on the Padyami(first day) of Ashwayuja Masam. Food offering/Naivedyam: Sappidi Pappu(Bland boiled lentils), bellam(jaggery), and atkulu (flattened parboiled rice)

 Muddapappu Bathukamma  

The third day of Bathukamma falls on Vidiya/second day of Ashwayuja Masam. Food offering/Naivedyam: muddapappu (softened boiled lentils), milk and bellam(jaggery)

 Nanabiyyam Bathukamma 

The fourth day falls on the thadiya/third day of Ashwayuja Masam. Food offering/Naivedyam: nananesina biyyam(wet rice), milk, and bellam(jaggery)

 Atla Bathukamma

The fifth day falls on the Chaturthi/fourth day of Ashwayuja Masam. Food offering/Naivedyam: uppidi Pindi at( pancakes made from wheat lets), or Dosa

 Aligina Bathukamma 

The sixth day falls on the Panchami/fifth day of Ashwayuja Masam. No food offering is made.

 Vepakayala Bathukamma 

The seventh day falls on the sashti/sixth day of Ashwayuja Masam. Food offering/Naivedyam: rice flour shaped into the fruits of the neem tree is deep-fried.

 Vennamuddala Bathukamma 

The eighth day falls on the Saptami/seventh day of Ashwayuja Masam. Food offering/Naivedyam: nuvvulu(sesame), Venna(Butter) or ghee(clarified butter), and bellam(jaggery)

 Saddula Bathukamma

 The ninth day of bathukamma is celebrated on the Ashtami/eighth day of Ashwayuja Masam and coincides with Durgashtami. Food offering/Naivedyam: Five types of cooked rice dishes: perugannam saddi(curd rice), chinthapandu pulihora saddi(tamarind rice), nimmakaya saddi(lemon rice), kobbara saddi(coconut rice) and nuvvula saddi(sesame rice).