Festivals

Bathukamma, the state festival of Telangana, is a nine-day women's flower festival. Each evening women arrange seasonal flowers into towering Bathukammas, sing and dance in circles around them, and on Saddula Bathukamma lay them gently into the water.

Deepavali, the festival of lights, celebrates the victory of light over darkness. In Andhra Pradesh and Telangana the main day is Naraka Chaturdashi, remembering the fall of Narakasura before Satyabhama and Krishna, followed by Lakshmi puja and rows of lamps.

Hanuman Jayanti celebrates the appearance of Sri Anjaneya Swamy, the mighty devotee of Lord Rama. In Andhra Pradesh and Telangana it is kept on Vaishakha Bahula Dashami, when Hanuman Deeksha devotees complete their vow at temples such as Kondagattu and Karmanghat; much of India celebrates it on Chaitra Purnima.

The Peddagattu (Gollagattu) Jatara at Durajpally near Suryapet is the great biennial festival of Sri Lingamanthula Swamy and his sister Choudamma, the family deities of the Golla (Yadava) community. For about five days, lakhs of devotees of every background gather on the hillock with drums, bonams and vows – the second-largest jatara in Telangana after Medaram.