Overview

• The nine-day floral festival began with an inaugural ceremony at Warangal’s Thousand Pillar Temple attended by Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and other ministers.
• Civic authorities announced preparations at hundreds of designated sites across Hyderabad, including temporary ponds, toilets, lighting and sanitation staff, even as local reports flagged hyacinth and algal growth at some immersion spots.
• The state has scheduled major programmes, including a September 28 event at LB Stadium that aims to set a world record with 10,000 women and a 60-foot Bathukamma.
• Celebrations run through September 30, culminating in Saddula Bathukamma and a planned procession and displays at Tank Bund in Hyderabad.
• Telangana diaspora groups have lined up Bathukamma events across Gulf cities such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Jeddah, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.