Engili Pula Bathukamma (Bathukamma begins) 2026

Engili Pula Bathukamma is the first day of Bathukamma, the flower festival of Telangana. It falls on Bhadrapada Amavasya (Mahalaya Amavasya). From this day, women build colourful flower stacks called Bathukamma for nine days, singing and dancing around them, and the festival ends with Saddula Bathukamma on Durgashtami.

Why "Engili Pula"?

One explanation is that the flowers for the first day are picked the previous day and kept overnight in water, so they are called engili (used) flowers. Another links the name to Mahalaya Amavasya, when Bathukamma is played after tarpanam and the meal for ancestors. Either way, from this day villages across Telangana come alive with flowers.

Who Is Bathukamma?

Bathukamma means "Mother, come alive" or "the Mother who gives life". Women worship Goddess Gauri in this form. Many folk legends describe the festival's origin. At its heart it honours nature, flowers and the village tanks that fill up at the end of the monsoon. Bathukamma is recognised as the state festival of Telangana.

How to Make the Bathukamma

• Collect seasonal flowers such as tangedu, gunugu, banti, chamanti, pumpkin flowers and others.
• Spread pumpkin leaves on a wide plate (tambalam) and stack the flowers in circular layers into a cone.
• Place Gauramma made of turmeric on top and light a lamp.
• On day one, many places offer naivedyam made from sesame, rice flour and nookalu (broken rice).
• In the evening, women circle the Bathukammas, clapping and singing, and then immerse them in a nearby tank.

Songs and the Nine Days

Songs like "Bathukamma Bathukamma Uyyalo" carry stories of gods, village life and women's joys and sorrows. Married daughters traditionally come home for the festival. Each day has a name and offering, commonly Engili Pula, Atukula, Muddapappu, Nanabiyyam, Atla, Aligina, Vepakayala, Vennamuddala and Saddula Bathukamma, with small regional differences.

May Bathukamma Talli make every home blossom like her flowers.