Holding on to traditions.

Few weeks’ earlier Telangana Foundation has organized Bathukamma celebrations in NJ. This is one of the events they are organizing since few years now and it is a candid feeling to see all the arrangements of flowers and going round in a group around them. The event exemplifies the significance of holding to the traditions and passing it over to our next generation. I am glad that these events are being organized and were successful over seas.

I think Dasara is the festival and gala meant for towns and villages. There is no equivalent atmosphere to celebrate it in cities. I remember the boring days of Dasara in Hyderabad during 90’s when our family had to celebrate it there. I encountered people whose family tradition had Bathukamma but they just wanted to get it over with it by placing a few petals in the saucer and immersing in a small container of water within the portico of the house. It could have been due to the limited resources in the city or due to our inherent shyness and introvert nature of Telanganites. Probably my family would have done the same if we had tradition of Bathukamma and had to celebrate it in the city.

Thanks to Telangana movement for taking out that introvert nature from the people and making Bathukamma an event to cherish and celebrate no matter where you live. This year’s credit for success should go to KCR’s Kavitha, for mobilizing and giving that confidence and push to the people.

I hope we will hold on to this and many other traditions even after we achieve the goal of independent State. I also hope we won’t get carried away with it so much that we end up incorporating non – green paraphernalia into it as we did with Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations.

Few Snapshots of the event in NJ