City of Charlotte in US officially recognises Bathukamma festival; Declares Telangana Heritage Week

According to social media posts by the Charlotte chapter of the Global Telangana Association (GTA-Charlotte), the proclamation signed by Mayor Vi Alexander Lyles, highlights the vibrant contribution of the Telugu-speaking community and the rich cultural diversity of Telangana.

Hyderabad: In a unique acknowledgement of Telangana’s rich cultural diversity and heritage, the City of Charlotte in the State of North Carolina in the United States of America, has officially recognised the festival of Bathukamma and is celebrating the event apart from declaring a Telangana Heritage Week from October 3 to 11.

Charlotte’s Mayor, Vi Alexander Lyles, in fact, issued a proclamation to this effect, pointing out that Telangana has long been the home for diverse languages and cultures and that it stood as a “bedrock of India’s pluralism and inclusiveness’, with the history of Telangana State being almost 5,000-years-old and demonstrates many of India’s arts, cultures, traditions, and religions.

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“Whereas, the contribution of the Telugu language speaking community towards the vibrancy and vitality of the city of Charlotte and North Carolina has become significant throughout its various organizations and events; the Charlotte Telugu speaking community from Telangana State of India has enriched Charlotte’s cultural diversity. In addition, they are a key participant in North Carolina’s progress in the fields of medicine, engineering, politics, legal, culture and tradition, and community welfare; and whereas, Bathukamma Panduga, or The Festival of Life, is a nine-day floral festival of Telangana; the festival is a celebration of the inherent relationship human beings share with the vital elements of earth and water. The festival is filled with seasonal flowers on street corners, women folk dancing with joy and gaiety, and family reunions; and whereas, during the first week of October 2024, the Charlotte Telugu language speaking community of Telangana State of India from across the State of North Carolina and across our great nation will collectively celebrate Bathukamma Panduga: Therefore I, Vi Alexander Lyles, Mayor of Charlotte, do hereby proclaim October 3-11, 2024 as “Bathukamma, a flower festival, and Telangana Heritage Week,” the proclamation read.

According to social media posts by the Charlotte chapter of the Global Telangana Association (GTA-Charlotte), the proclamation signed by Mayor Vi Alexander Lyles, highlights the vibrant contribution of the Telugu-speaking community and the rich cultural diversity of Telangana.

This is not the first time that the City of Charlotte has appreciated Telugus. In May last year, the city, a major city and commercial hub in North Carolina, issued a proclamation for its citizens to observe May 28, 2023, as Telugu Heritage Day. Mayor Vi Alexander Lyles in the proclamation issued in the Official Seal of the City of Charlotte, noted that Telugu was one of the most historic and longest-surviving ethnic languages, dating back as early as the 10th century BCE, and was one of the six ‘Classical Languages’ designated by Indian Government.