Flowers, folk drums, and the rhythmic pulse of kolatam filled Amberpet's Municipal Ground in Hyderabad on Sunday, October 18, 2026, as Union Coal and Mines Minister G. Kishan Reddy joined thousands of women for the Bathukamma festival — one of Telangana's most beloved celebrations of womanhood and floral artistry.

Reddy, who also serves as the BJP's Telangana state president, described the event as a moment of immense joy. In his post he wrote: 'Ee vedulaku pedda sankhyalo tarlivi china aadabiddalu teeroka poolatho bathukammalu perchi aata-paataltho, kolatalato layabaddanga nrtyalu chestooo malli ravamma bathukamma antoo gowramma tallini aaraadhincharu' — 'Women who came in large numbers arranged Bathukamma flowers in varied patterns and, singing, dancing, performing kolatam in perfect rhythm, worshipped Goddess Gowramma chanting 'Come again, O Bathukamma'.'

What Bathukamma means — and why Amberpet showed up in force

Bathukamma is an annual floral festival unique to Telangana, celebrated almost exclusively by women. Participants build elaborate, conical flower stacks — the Bathukamma itself — layer by layer from seasonal blooms, then carry them in procession to a water body while singing folk songs and performing the circling kolatam dance. The festival culminates in the immersion of the flower towers, accompanied by the chant 'Malli ravamma Bathukamma' — 'Come back to us, Bathukamma' — addressed to Goddess Gowramma, a manifestation of Parvati worshipped for the well-being of families.

The Municipal Ground at Amberpet, a densely populated locality in central Hyderabad, hosted the celebrations with traditional drum beats, cultural performances, and women's kolatam formations that Reddy described as 'kanula panduvuga' — 'a feast for the eyes.'

BJP's cultural presence in Telangana ahead of the festival season

Reddy's participation is part of a deliberate pattern of cultural engagement by BJP's Telangana leadership. Attending Bathukamma — a festival deeply woven into Telugu women's identity — carries visible political and social weight in the state, where the BJP has been working to deepen grassroots connections after the party's 2023 assembly setback. The festival draws women across caste and class lines, making a visible ministerial presence at a constituency-level ground event a meaningful signal of cultural solidarity.

With the Bathukamma season typically spanning several days across Telangana, state-level cultural programmes and government-organised celebrations are expected to continue in the coming weeks.