Bathukamma festival celebrated on grand scale in Dubai

A celebratory mood is prevailing among the Telangana expatriate community across the Gulf region as Bathukamma festivities are being organized on a grand scale

Jeddah: The Bathukamma festival marks much gaiety not only at home in India but also abroad. Prior to Telangana as a separate state, the festival was ridiculed and was difficult to celebrate publicly, now Bathukamma became an annual event among Telangana expatriates in the Gulf region.

A celebratory mood is prevailing among the Telangana expatriate community across the Gulf region as Bathukamma festivities are being organized on a grand scale.

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The United Arab Emirates is the foremost among the Gulf region in conducting Bathukamma festivities. A grand festival was held by the Telugu Association of Dubai at a local stadium on Sunday, with hundreds of families gathering at the stadium. Many families were forced to return as the venue was overcrowded, said a family that returned due to lack of space. “Although we had booked a larger stadium, Shabab Al Ahli Club, in Dubai for the floral festival yet couldn’t accommodate people,” said Vootunuri Ravi of Telugu Association.

For the first time in Dubai, we erected a 9 feet larger floral basket this year, he added. The popular folk singer Madhu Priya, who rose to fame at the age of 13 during the separate state movement, and Ashta Gangadhar, another known singer of Telangana mesmerized the audience with their folk songs of Bathukamma theme.

This year in total 9 Bathukamma events are being planned in Dubai and other emirates of UAE.