Bathukamma fest is 800 years old

Hyderabad-based epigraphists have found that the Bathukamma festival is 800 years old. An inscription discovered in Bathukes warasthanam, a trikuta (triple-peak) temple, in Vadapalli in Nalgonda district, reveals that Bathukamma Ghat was constructed eight centuries ago.

According to archaeologist and epigraphist Dr Dhyavanapalli Satyanarayana, the inscription was found in the temple where the River Krishna meets the River Musi, which indicates that people at the time of the Kakatiya king Ganapati Deva, used to immerse local flowers for a period of nine days, a practice that is now part of TS culture and identity.

The inscription of 1211 AD was found in the temple constructed by a family of the name of Meluguntu, in memory of their parents Kode and Mylasani who lived during Ganapati Deva’s time. The inscription speaks about donation of the land for the temple.

Vadapalli served as a port for the Kakatiyas as it is where the Krishna River leads to the sea via today’s coastal AP. So far, Bathukamma’s historical significance has been quoted from folklore. This inscription establishes that the festival has been celebrated across communities and is not folklore. The family donated velipolam (land) for the temple. The temple deity also derived its name from Bathukamma.

This year, Bathukamma celebrations begin on September 22 and conclude on the Dasara day.