The State government has plans to celebrate “Bathukamma” festival, which reflects the Telangana tradition, in a grand manner in all district headquarters, towns, municipalities and villages.
At a video conference with the district Collectors today from the Secretariat, Tourism & Culture secretary B Venkatesham and Advisor to Government K V Ramanachary directed the Collectors to gear up and make all arrangements to celebrate the Bathukamma festival all over the State. “The festivities should be more effective and be conducted in a grand manner than last year by illuminating all important structures and traffic junctions to suit the occasion”, they said.
Directing the district Collectors to prepare tableaux to suit the occasion to be reverberated with festive fervour and culture involving children and women, they said Rs 10 lakh will be released to every district to conduct the event in the municipalities and villages. Stating that guidelines will be issued in a couple of days, the district Collectors were told to display Bathukamma mascot and logos at all government and private establishments across the State without fail”. The model logo design will be circulated by the Culture department soon”.
They also said a grand procession of Bathukammas will be conducted from L B Stadium to Tank bund in which 100 women and 100 women artistes from each district would participate on October 21. Each district will send a Bathukamma tableau showcasing the culture and traditions of the district to participate in the procession. The district Collectors were asked to identify a village in their districts to promote an ideal village with ‘home stay’ facility for foreign tourists to attract international tourists. The government would offer Rs One lakh cash prize for the best tableau, Rs 75, 000 for the second best and Rs 50, 000 for the third.
The festival focuses on promotion, enhancement of and amalgamation of elements like women, flowers, nature, water and girl child which would promote the well-being of people in villages and towns. The district administrations were directed to provide basic amenities like drinking water, lighting, security, bandobust, parking, traffic management etc for the effective and grand celebrations of the festival.
The purpose of the video conference was to enthuse the Collectors to make wholehearted efforts for successful projection of Bathukamma festival as an icon of Telangana spirit in the districts and villages alike. Among others who participated in the video conference were M Harikrishna, Director, Culture and others. (NSS)