Tag Archives: navratri

Bathukamma festival: Colourful flower show illuminates India Gate in Delhi [Photos]

Posted on by
Reply

Bathukamma festival represents the culture and identity of the people of Telangana and involves the worship of Maha Gauri – “Life Giver” in the form of Gauri Devi.

Ministry of Culture organized the celebration of Bathukamma festival being at Kartavyapath, India Gate, New Delhi, today. The event was attended by Union Minister for Culture, Tourism G Kishan Reddy, MoS Tourism Shri Ajay Bhatt and senior women officers in the administrative and law enforcement, and women HODs of different Government departments.

Bathukamma Festival is an annual celebration in Telangana that goes on for nine days and overlaps with the festival of Navratri. The festival is celebrated with colourful exotic flowers of the region and symbolises the collective spirit of the people of Telangana. This year Bathukamma celebrations are taking place from 25th of September till the 3rd of October.

This festival is to pray to the Goddess for the health and achievements of each family. Young women of the Hindu household get to pray to the Goddess for a life partner of their choice. Bathukamma means “The Mother Goddess comes to life”. It represents the culture and identity of the people of Telangana and involves the worship of Maha Gauri – “Life Giver” in the form of Gauri Devi (patron goddess of womanhood).

 

The festival involves young women arranging flowers in stacks and making rangoli to start the celebrations. The men also help celebrate this festival, by aiding in the preparations like by collecting different flowers such as Marigold, Lotus, Senna. Some of the women dip a few flowers in vibrant colours and then arrange them in a wide plate and stack them in a pile.The rituals of this festival are performed by the Hindu women, especially young girls, who gather around in large numbers in their local areas during the evening time. Forming a circle, they then perform the ritual which involves them singing a folk song and revolving around the Bathukamma, all the while clapping their hands and walking in synchronised steps. This entire performance is to invoke the blessings of the goddess for good health and prosperity for their families.

PM greets people on the auspicious occasion of Navratri; Wishes happiness, prosperity, health

Posted on by
Reply

The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi has greeted people on the auspicious occasion of Navratri. On the beginning of Navratri, Modi also prayed to Goddess Shailaputri and wished happiness, health and fortune the grace of the goddess.

In a series of tweets, the Prime Minister tweeted;

“शक्ति की उपासना के महापर्व नवरात्रि की आप सभी को बहुत-बहुत शुभकामनाएं। आस्था और विश्वास का यह पावन अवसर हर किसी के जीवन में नई ऊर्जा और नए उत्साह का संचार करे। जय माता दी!”

“वन्दे वाञ्छितलाभाय चन्द्रार्धकृतशेखराम्‌।

वृषारूढां शूलधरां शैलपुत्रीं यशस्विनीम्‌ ।।

देवी शैलपुत्री की आराधना के साथ आज से नवरात्रि का शुभारंभ हो रहा है। मेरी कामना है कि उनकी कृपा से हर किसी का जीवन सुख, सौभाग्य और आरोग्य से परिपूर्ण हो।”

 

APSRTC to operate 1,081 special buses to clear Dasara rush; Available buses on APSRTC website

Posted on by
Reply

Sep 19 (IANS) The Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) will operate 1,081 special buses to clear festival rush before and after Dasara.

The buses will be operated from September 29 to October 10. The state-run transport operator announced on Monday that the buses will run from Vijayawada to various places in Andhra Pradesh and also to neighbouring states.

The special buses will run from Vijayawada to Visakhapatnam, Rajamahendravaram, Kakinada, Tirupati, Rayalaseema district, Amalapuram, Bhadrachalam and other destinations in Andhra Pradesh.

Dasara:/Iana

Officials said special buses will also be operated to Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Chennai. Most of the buses will be operated from and to Hyderabad as a large number of people living there travel to their villages in Andhra Pradesh to celebrate Dasara.

The corporation will not charge extra fare for the special buses. Last year the APSRTC had charged 1.5 times more than the normal ticket prices. It had come under criticism for charging extra.

Reservation facility will also be available for the special buses. Details of these buses will be available on APSRTC website.

APSRTC Bus/Ians

Vijayadashami is scheduled to be celebrated on October 5. Every year, lakhs of people from various cities in Cnd also Hyderabad, Bangalore and Chennai travel to their native places for the festival.