Preparations by Gulf Telangana NRIs in full swing ahead of Bathukamma

The Telangana diaspora in Gulf countries is gearing up to celebrate Bathukamma with grand events. Dubai leads the festivities, while Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, and Qatar host celebrations, marking cultural unity and the first-ever public observance in Jeddah.

Dubai: Arrangements are in full swing for the Bathukamma festival by the Telangana NRI community in a grand manner across the Gulf countries.

Thanks to the separate statehood agitation, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has brought the cultural spirit of Bathukamma among the Telangana Diaspora abroad. Dubai, fondly known as mini-Telangana by its diaspora, is leading in the region with multiple events of the floral festival. Some prominent Telangana folk singers are set to perform their shows in the events.

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This year, woman parliamentarian DK Aruna will be chief guest for the festival to be held next week in Dubai. Besides Aruna, Nizamabad MP D. Aravind and Telangana BJP President N. Ramachander Rao are also scheduled to attend Bathukamma festival in Dubai on September 27.

GTCWA, the oldest and maiden Telangana NRI organisation in Dubai, is set to celebrate Bathukamma on Sunday. “We are the first one who introduced Bathukamma into Dubai some 17 years ago and since then we have been celebrating it in a purely family traditional pattern”, says president Juvvadi Srinivas Rao and secretary Salahuddin.

ETCA, another Telangana community association in Dubai, is also celebrating the festival the same day, according to organisers.

Telugu Association of Dubai (TAD) is planning to conduct a festival after a gap of a year on September 26, where it is expected to draw large crowds, said president Mohammed Masiuddin and Secretary Dinesh.

In Abu Dhabi, Telangana Friends Association has made all arrangements to celebrate the festival on September 27, according to president Raja Srinivas Rao.

In Saudi Arabia for the first time, JTM, a Telugu community organisation, is set to celebrate Bathukamma festival at the Indian consulate in Jeddah.

“We feel excited to celebrate our festival for the first time in public view at the consulate”, commented Swarna Srinivas, native of Rajanna Sircilla district and resident of Jeddah.

In Bahrain, the Telangana festival is being celebrated along with the Andhra Pradesh community in a local park on Friday and similarly in Saudi Arabia’s Dammam, the Telangana community is also sharing the festive spirit with their counterparts from Andhra Pradesh as it is set to celebrate together with Dasara.

In Oman, Telangana Wing of ISC is set to celebrate the festival in a grand manner whereas different community organisations celebrate the festival separately in Qatar.