My Aunt’s Bathukamma Festival

In my childhood, my mother would go to my grandparents’ village for the Navaratri festival, starting with the first day of Ashwiyujam, the month of the lunar calendar. We would stay in the village till the Dassera festival and return to the town. My father would join us on the tenth day, the Dassera festival.

This village is a remote one without any road or rail connection. One must walk 12 km to the nearest bus stand or railway station or by a bullock cart.

My uncle came in a bullock cart to receive us at the bus stand.

Bathukamma and Dassera are two festivals which come during October every year. This festival lasts ten days—nine for the Navaratri (Bathukamma) festival and one day for Dassera. The last day of Nava Rathri is Saddula Bathukamma—the Navaratri festival for the Goddess Kali Matha. The Hindu scriptures consider the Goddess as the creator of this universe. The Goddess has several names, such as Kali, Jagadamba, Vishalakshi, Durga Matha etc.

Bathakamma is the festival of flowers. Girls and married women play Bathukamma. All plants will give flowers during this period. In preparing Bathukamma, flowers from all types of plants will be helpful. These flowers are from the field plants. People play Bathukamma for all nine days.

Men and children collect the flowers daily for the preparation of Bathukamma. White celosia (wool) is dipped in red, blue, and green. All the flowers are arranged in circular plates in a circular shape with big flowers at the base tapering to the top with light small flowers at the top. The plate size and height of this arrangement depend on one’s status in society, the availability of flowers and the capability to carry the same up to the playing ground. Every day, for the first eight days, the girls and women gather at a nearby place or the temple, put their flowers decorated Bathukammas at a central place, with the largest one at the centre and others surrounding it in a circle, and play going around these with songs for about an hour. After that, they distribute nine varieties of pulses and sesame powder mixed with jaggery balls and dispersed.

My mother was twenty-five years old then, and my aunt of twenty years and both were recently married. They dressed in pure silk sarees with matching blouses, gold necklaces, chains, earrings and nose rings/pieces, decorated their faces decoration was with Ponds talcum powder, and their long hair braid was decorated with flowers; they looked beautiful with their age, body structure, and medium height.

They started with their flower-decorated Bathukammas at the play area, about two km from the hillock. The surplus water from the village agricultural tank overflowed to form a big pond below the hillock. There was a large plain area near the pond for the people to play. The village authorities cleared it of weeds and other vegetation for this celebration.

All the village women and children come with their Bathukammas to that place. The girls also prepare Bathukammas. They get dressed in a new saree or the best available dress. It will be the best day of the year for young unmarried girls and boys to have a glance. All the women and girls wear the gold/silver ornaments of their capacity.

Men were to keep their distance from the play area, but children were allowed. The last day, i.e. on Durgastami day, Saddula Bathukamma, is celebrated in a big way. All the women form several groups and play. One or two would sing Bathukamma songs in every group, and others join the chorus. They play till the Sunset and return home. After the play, people place the Bathukammas into the waters. They distribute homemade sweets among themselves and disperse.

On other days, people play at their homes or go to the temple of Lord Hanuman in the village.

The men will wait to pick up their women. This festival is after the monsoon season, so the two km path to the play place will be muddy. People will not be in a hurry while going to play and move slowly, observing others and discussing. When returning, it will be Sunset, and as all the people are coming back at the same time, they will be in large numbers and hurrying to reach home. It usually rains on this day, and all the women get drenched while returning home. The path becomes murky.

Despite these difficulties, it was an enjoyable festival for all women. They walked barefoot. People were not using chappals in those days.

On returning home, all wash their feet to enter the house. At that time, Aunt noticed her right foot’s second-toe silver ring was missing. It was loosely fit; hence, it got slipped out. The married woman wears these silver rings on both feet. She became anxious. She went outside the house and searched for it. My Mother and uncle joined in the search with torch lights. It was already dark at night, with no electric lights or mobile phones. They could not trace the silver ring. All came home in an upset mood. My Aunt thought that the festival ended on a bad omen.

My mother told my uncle, not to worry. She told Aunt, “My dear sister-in-law, I can get your silver ring, but on one condition.” 

Aunt asked my mother, “Have you found it? Please give it to me. I will give you a  sumptuous dinner, my dear Sister-in-law.”

My Mother to Aunt, “My dear, sweet sister-in-law, I am not interested in your sumptuous dinner. It is a different one altogether. You have to give  a gift to my brother, your husband.”

Aunt to my mother, “He is my husband; what more I can offer him.”

My Mother, “It Is A simple one. You can easily do it.”

At this juncture, my uncle got interested and told Aunt, “She says it is simple. Why don’t you accept the condition.”

Aunt said, my dear Sister-in-law, “Okay, what is the condition?”

My Mother told my aunt, “My dear Sister-in-law, you have to kiss my brother now before all of us.”

With these words, Aunt’s face reddened with shyness, looking down and drawing circles with the right toe on the ground. She looked more beautiful with her shyness. It is not even six months since Aunt and Uncle got married. In those years, the wife would not come face-to-face with her husband in the house during that time.

In a low voice and shy, aunt stood there and said, “No, I can’t do it.”

My mother said, “Okay, I will take the ring with me to the town. You come and collect  it from me.”

Aunt said, “Okay,  I will fulfil your wish. She swiftly moved towards Uncle and was about to hug.”

My mother and uncle were surprised.

Then, my mother closed my eyes and took me inside the room.

We have not seen whether aunt kissed uncle, uncle kissed aunt, or they both kissed together. It is for the reader to imagine. When we came from the room, we found them standing side by side, smiling.

Mother gave a silver ring to uncle; he sat on the floor, took her right foot into his hands, kissed the foot, and slowly and lovingly put it on the second toe as he did on the marriage day.

While returning from Bathukamma, Mother was behind Aunt and found a silver ring in the murky waters. She picked it up and played this game.

My mother hugged her sweet, young sister-in-law.

Uncle was joyful over the kiss from his beautiful wife clad in a pure silk saree on this festive day. He was internally thankful to my mother and his wife.

After Dassera, we returned to the town.

PRABHAKAR MUSIPATLA