CM Revanth Reddy extends Saddula Bathukamma wishes to Telangana women
Synopsis
Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy greeted the women of Telangana on Saddula Bathukamma — the culminating day of the nine-day floral festival — on 18 October 2026, honouring their role as cultural custodians of this distinctly Telangana tradition.
Key Takeaways
Revanth Reddy posted Saddula Bathukamma greetings in Telugu on 18 October 2026 .
Bathukamma is a nine-day floral festival celebrated predominantly by women in Telangana .
Saddula Bathukamma is the grand final day of the festival, involving the ceremonial immersion of the floral arrangement.
Revanth Reddy addressed Telangana women specifically as 'Telangana aada biddalu' — daughters of Telangana — underlining their cultural custodianship.
Bathukamma was elevated as a state-level festival symbol after Telangana's formation in 2014 , with successive governments backing large public celebrations.
As Telangana's women arranged vivid floral stacks and offered prayers to Goddess Gauramma, Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy marked the culminating day of the nine-day Bathukamma festival with warm wishes on Sunday, 18 October 2026.
Posting in Telugu, the Chief Minister wrote: 'తీరొక్క పూలను తెచ్చి… నిష్ఠగా బతుకమ్మను పేర్చి… భక్తితో గౌరమ్మను కొలిచే… తెలంగాణ ఆడబిడ్డలందరికీ… సద్దుల బతుకమ్మ శుభాకాంక్షలు.' In English: 'To all the daughters of Telangana who bring an array of flowers, arrange the Bathukamma with devotion, and worship Gauramma with reverence — heartfelt wishes on Saddula Bathukamma.'
What Saddula Bathukamma means for Telangana
Bathukamma is a nine-day floral festival unique to Telangana, celebrated predominantly by women. Participants stack seasonal wildflowers — especially tangedu and gunugu — in concentric, tapering tiers around a central Gauramma idol, then sing folk songs and circle the arrangement in a group dance before immersing it in a water body. Saddula Bathukamma, which falls on the final day of the festival, is the grandest of the nine celebrations and carries special ritual significance as the farewell immersion.
State leaders and the cultural calendar
Elected leaders across India's states routinely mark major regional festivals on social media, and Revanth Reddy — who also serves as the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president — has made the amplification of Telangana's distinct cultural identity a visible thread in his public communication. Bathukamma was recognised as the state flower festival after Telangana was carved out as a separate state in 2014, and successive governments have backed large, state-sponsored celebrations to underscore that distinctiveness.
For Telangana's women, the festival is not merely ritual — it is a rare public space that belongs entirely to them: the songs, the choreography, the flower-gathering at dawn, the communal immersion. When a sitting Chief Minister addresses them specifically as 'Telangana aada biddalu' — the daughters of Telangana — it carries an explicit acknowledgement of their cultural custodianship.
State-supported Bathukamma events and related cultural programmes announced around this period are worth watching for scale and policy backing from the government.
Point of View
The Chief Minister reinforces a sense of state identity that has been central to Telangana's political narrative since 2014. Bathukamma sits at the intersection of gender, regionalism, and cultural pride, making it a politically resonant occasion beyond mere ritual. For a Congress-led government working to consolidate its base in a state where Telangana identity politics run deep, publicly honouring the festival is as much about governance legitimacy as it is about cultural sensitivity. Expect state-sponsored Bathukamma events to grow in scale as the government looks to own this cultural space ahead of future electoral cycles.
NationPress
18 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Saddula Bathukamma?
Saddula Bathukamma is the grand final day of the nine-day Bathukamma floral festival celebrated in Telangana. Women arrange stacks of seasonal wildflowers, worship Goddess Gauramma, and then ceremonially immerse the floral arrangement in a water body.
When is Bathukamma celebrated in 2026?
Saddula Bathukamma, the culminating day of the festival, fell on 18 October 2026 this year. The nine-day festival precedes this final immersion day.
What did CM Revanth Reddy say on Bathukamma?
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy posted in Telugu, extending wishes to all women of Telangana who gather flowers, devotedly arrange Bathukamma, and worship Gauramma with reverence.
Why is Bathukamma important to Telangana?
Bathukamma is one of Telangana's most distinctive regional festivals, celebrated primarily by women. It became a prominent cultural symbol after Telangana was formed as a separate state in 2014, and successive state governments have supported large public celebrations to highlight Telangana's unique identity.
Who is A. Revanth Reddy?
A. Revanth Reddy is the Chief Minister of Telangana and the president of the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC).
