Quick answer: Bathukamma 2026 runs from Saturday 10 October to Sunday 18 October, ending with Saddula Bathukamma at Tank Bund and across Telangana on 18 October. Dussehra (Vijayadashami) follows on Tuesday 20 October, with Jammi Puja, Ayudha Puja and Alai Balai greetings.

Every autumn Telangana celebrates its own floral festival, Bathukamma, which leads straight into Dussehra (Vijayadashami). In 2026, Bathukamma runs from Saturday 10 October to Sunday 18 October, following the Telangana government schedule, and ends with the grand Saddula Bathukamma on 18 October. Dussehra follows on Tuesday 20 October.

The season brings together devotion to Goddess Gauri (a form of Parvati and Durga), the celebration of nature, women's traditions and the victory of good over evil.

What is Bathukamma?

Bathukamma means "Mother, come alive" or "May the Mother live long". It is Telangana's official state festival and a joyful expression of womanhood, nature worship and community bonding. Women build conical stacks of seasonal wildflowers on a brass plate (tambalam), especially the yellow tangedu (tanner's cassia) and gunugu (celosia), along with marigold, chrysanthemum and lotus. They place a small turmeric Gauramma on top and gather each evening to sing folk songs and dance in circles.

The festival begins on Mahalaya Amavasya and runs for nine days alongside Sharad Navratri. Saddula Bathukamma, the last and biggest day, falls on Durgashtami eve; in 2026 the Ashtami tithi begins at sunset on 18 October, which is why the Telangana schedule ends on that Sunday.

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The nine days of Bathukamma 2026

Each day has its own name, taken from the traditional food offering (naivedyam) prepared that day:

DayDate (2026)NameTraditional offering
1Sat 10 OctEngili Pula BathukammaSesame seeds with rice flour or broken rice (nookalu)
2Sun 11 OctAtukula BathukammaFlattened rice (atukulu) with jaggery
3Mon 12 OctMuddapappu BathukammaSoft-cooked lentils with milk and jaggery
4Tue 13 OctNanabiyyam BathukammaSoaked rice with milk and jaggery
5Wed 14 OctAtla BathukammaSmall dosas or pancakes (atlu)
6Thu 15 OctAligina BathukammaUsually no offering; a rest day
7Fri 16 OctVepakayala BathukammaRice-flour shapes made to look like neem fruits
8Sat 17 OctVennamuddala BathukammaSesame, butter or ghee and jaggery
9Sun 18 Oct**Saddula Bathukamma**Five kinds of rice (saddulu): curd, tamarind, lemon, coconut and sesame

How Bathukamma is celebrated across Telangana

During the day, women and girls collect flowers and arrange them in layered conical towers that resemble temple gopurams, with the turmeric Gauramma on top. In the evening, dressed in bright sarees and jewellery, they gather in courtyards, village squares and community spaces. They circle the Bathukammas, clap in rhythm and sing traditional Bathukamma paatalu (folk songs), often call-and-response songs that tell stories of the Goddess, of family life and of the village.

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On the final day, Saddula Bathukamma (Sunday 18 October), the biggest gatherings take place. In Hyderabad, the state celebration at Tank Bund is reported to begin around 4 PM, when women carry their Bathukammas in procession from the Martyrs' Memorial (Amaraveerula Smaraka Kendram) opposite the Secretariat to Tank Bund. Celebrations are reported to continue until about 10 PM, followed by immersion (nimajjanam) at the Bathukamma Ghat near Children's Park and along Necklace Road. Across the districts, women immerse their Bathukammas in local tanks, lakes and ponds, and then share the saddulu with family and neighbours.

The state government organises large events through the season, including cultural programmes at Ravindra Bharathi, floral displays at major junctions and festivities at tourism spots across Telangana. Expect traffic diversions around Tank Bund on Saddula day.

From Bathukamma to Dussehra

Just two days after Saddula Bathukamma comes Dussehra (Vijayadashami) on Tuesday 20 October. In Telangana the shift from one festival to the next feels natural:

  • Jammi (Shami) Puja: families worship the Jammi tree in the evening and exchange its leaves as symbolic "gold", recalling the Pandavas who hid their weapons in a Shami tree.
  • Ayudha Puja: tools, vehicles, books and instruments are cleaned, marked with turmeric and kumkum and worshipped.
  • Alai Balai: friends and relatives embrace and exchange Dasara greetings, and elders bless the young.
  • Palapitta darshan: spotting the Palapitta (Indian roller), Telangana's state bird, on Dasara is considered very auspicious.

Temples across the state draw large crowds for special pujas and darshan. Devi temples such as Bhadrakali in Warangal and Ujjaini Mahankali in Secunderabad are especially busy through Navratri and on Vijayadashami, and major shrines such as the Sri Raja Rajeshwara Swamy temple at Vemulawada and the Anjaneya Swamy temple at Kondagattu also see heavy festival footfall. Check each temple's own announcements for darshan timings.

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Cultural significance

Bathukamma honours the divine feminine, the bloom of nature after the monsoon and the strength of Telangana's women. Because the flowers used, such as tangedu and gunugu, grow wild after the rains, the festival also celebrates the land itself; the immersion returns the flowers to the tanks and lakes that sustain village life. It strengthens community bonds through song, dance and shared food.

Dussehra then carries the message of dharma triumphing over adharma. Together, the two festivals make the season a powerful blend of devotion, ecology and cultural pride.

How to experience it in 2026

  • Join a neighbourhood or village Bathukamma gathering in the evening; visitors are welcome to watch and, when invited, to join the circle.
  • Attend Saddula Bathukamma at Tank Bund, Hyderabad, on 18 October, and plan for crowds, road closures and traffic diversions.
  • Visit a local temple on Dussehra (20 October) for Jammi Puja and the evening aarti.
  • Wear traditional clothes and take part in the songs and dances; the celebrations are open and welcoming.
  • Outside India, many Telugu associations hold Bathukamma and Dasara events on the nearest weekend; see the links below.

This festive season in Telangana is more than ritual: it is a living celebration of life, nature and victory. Whether you are in Hyderabad, Warangal or a village courtyard, the scent of tangedu flowers and the rhythm of Bathukamma songs fill the air.

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Happy Bathukamma and Dussehra 2026! Jai Telangana | Jai Mata Di

Frequently asked questions

When is Bathukamma 2026?

Bathukamma 2026 runs for nine days, from Saturday 10 October (Engili Pula Bathukamma) to Sunday 18 October (Saddula Bathukamma), following the Telangana government schedule.

When is Saddula Bathukamma 2026?

Saddula Bathukamma is on Sunday 18 October 2026. In Hyderabad the state celebration at Tank Bund is reported to begin around 4 PM, with immersion at the Bathukamma Ghat and on Necklace Road.

When is Dussehra 2026 in Telangana?

Dussehra (Vijayadashami) is on Tuesday 20 October 2026, two days after Saddula Bathukamma. Families perform Jammi Puja in the evening and exchange Jammi leaves as "gold".

What does Bathukamma mean?

Bathukamma means "Mother, come alive" or "May the Mother live long". The festival honours Goddess Gauri and is Telangana's official state festival.

Which flowers are used to make a Bathukamma?

Seasonal wildflowers, especially yellow tangedu (tanner's cassia) and gunugu (celosia), along with marigold, chrysanthemum and lotus, are stacked in a cone on a brass plate and topped with a turmeric Gauramma.

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What are the five saddulu offered on Saddula Bathukamma?

Five kinds of rice are traditionally offered and shared on the last day: curd rice, tamarind rice, lemon rice, coconut rice and sesame rice.

Editor's note (18 October 2026)

Owner-supplied article, checked against HinduTone's Bathukamma and Dussehra pages. Bathukamma dates follow the Telangana government schedule (10 to 18 October 2026); the Dussehra date follows Drik Panchang for India. Tank Bund timings are as reported and may change, so follow official announcements and traffic advisories from the Hyderabad police.