Posted by Soultheory Editorial Team
on October 07, 2026
Bathukamma 2026 begins on Mahalaya Amavasya and runs for nine evenings, ending with Saddula Bathukamma two days before Dussehra. It is Telangana's own flower festival, kept mostly by women, who stack seasonal blooms into a tall cone, place a small turmeric Gauri on top, and sing and clap in circles around it every evening. This guide gives you the 2026 dates, the name and offering for each of the nine days, how to build a Bathukamma at home, what happens on the final day, and what to wear, including where a crystal or rudraksha bracelet fits and where it does not.
When is Bathukamma 2026?
Bathukamma 2026 runs for nine days, from Engili Pula Bathukamma on Saturday 10 October to Saddula Bathukamma on Sunday, 18 October 2026, which falls on Durgashtami in the Telangana calendar. Dussehra follows on Tuesday 20 October.
One thing that confuses people every year: the Ashtami tithi starts on the morning of 18 October and runs into 19 October. Telangana keeps Saddula Bathukamma on the 18th, while many North Indian calendars keep Durga Ashtami and kanya pujan on Monday 19 October. Both are correct for their own tradition. If you also keep the North Indian Ashtami, our Durga Ashtami 2026 guide covers that day.
What is Bathukamma and why is it celebrated?
The word Bathukamma is usually read as "Mother, come alive", from the Telugu bathuku (life) and amma (mother). The festival honours Goddess Gauri, the gentle form of Parvati, and it is traditionally believed that she is invoked in the turmeric cone placed on top of every Bathukamma. You can read the history and the folk songs on the Bathukamma page on Wikipedia.
It is also a festival of the land. It comes at the end of the monsoon, when village tanks are full and wild flowers bloom on every bund. Women pick the flowers, many of which are traditionally associated with cleansing water, and give them back to the lake on the last day. Telangana declared it the official state festival in 2014.
How Bathukamma connects to Navratri and Dussehra
Bathukamma runs alongside the first nine days of Sharad Navratri. In Telangana homes, the evenings belong to Bathukamma while the mornings may hold Navratri puja, and the season closes with Dasara and the exchange of jammi (shami) leaves. For the full Navratri calendar, see our Navratri 2026 colours and rituals hub, and for the shami puja on Dasara itself, read Dussehra 2026: date and shami puja vidhi.
The 9 days of Bathukamma 2026 and the offering for each day
Each day has its own name, taken from the naivedyam (food offering) made to Gauramma that evening. All of them are simple, vegetarian, home-cooked offerings.
| Day | Date | Name | Traditional offering |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sat 10 Oct | Engili Pula Bathukamma | Sesame seeds and rice flour or broken rice |
| 2 | Sun 11 Oct | Atukula Bathukamma | Flattened rice (atukulu) with jaggery |
| 3 | Mon 12 Oct | Muddapappu Bathukamma | Soft-cooked moong dal with milk and jaggery |
| 4 | Tue 13 Oct | Nanabiyyam Bathukamma | Soaked rice with milk and jaggery |
| 5 | Wed 14 Oct | Atla Bathukamma | Small rice dosas (atlu) |
| 6 | Thu 15 Oct | Aligina Bathukamma | No offering; traditionally a rest day |
| 7 | Fri 16 Oct | Vepakayala Bathukamma | Rice-flour fritters shaped like neem fruit |
| 8 | Sat 17 Oct | Vennamuddala Bathukamma | Butter, ghee, sesame and jaggery |
| 9 | Sun 18 Oct | Saddula Bathukamma | Five kinds of mixed rice (saddulu) |
How to make a Bathukamma at home
A Bathukamma is built in a brass plate (thambalam) in rings that get smaller as they rise, so it ends up looking like a temple tower made of flowers. Start in the afternoon so the flowers are fresh for the evening.
Flowers traditionally used
- Tangedu (Senna auriculata), the bright yellow state flower of Telangana
- Gunugu (celosia), often dyed in pink, green and purple
- Banti (marigold), yellow and orange
- Chamanthi (chrysanthemum)
- Gummadi puvvu (pumpkin flowers), whose yellow bloom often marks the centre
- Tamara (lotus), where available
- Beera puvvu (ridge gourd flowers) and other seasonal wild flowers
Step by step
- Wash the brass plate and draw a small rangoli or turmeric mark beneath it.
- Lay a base of pumpkin leaves or banana leaf so the flowers do not slip.
- Trim the gunugu and tangedu stems to equal lengths and tie them into small bunches.
- Arrange the first ring of bunches around the edge, heads facing out.
- Fill the centre with loose petals and leaves to give the next ring a firm bed.
- Add ring after ring, each one a little smaller, alternating colours.
- Finish with a pumpkin flower or lotus at the top.
- Shape a small cone of wet turmeric paste. This is Gauramma. Place it on top with a little kumkum.
- Light a small diya beside the plate and keep the day's offering ready.
Saddula Bathukamma: the final day and the immersion
Saddula Bathukamma is the biggest evening. Families build their tallest Bathukamma of the season, women dress in their best silk, and whole neighbourhoods gather at the nearest temple ground or lake. The women place their Bathukammas in the middle, circle them clapping in rhythm, and sing traditional songs, often with the refrain "Bathukamma Bathukamma uyyalo".
At dusk, the Bathukammas are carried to a tank, lake or pond and gently floated away. It is traditionally believed that the flowers return Gauri to the water and carry the household's prayers with her. Afterwards, women share maleeda, a sweet of crumbled roti with jaggery, and the turmeric from the Gauramma is applied as a blessing.
What not to put in the water
Only flowers, leaves and turmeric should go into the lake. Do not immerse plastic, foil, thermocol bases, crystals or bracelets. Your bracelet stays on your wrist or in your puja box, never in the Bathukamma.
What to wear for Bathukamma 2026
Bathukamma is a dressing-up festival, and the look is traditional: silk or cotton sarees for women, langa voni (half saree) for girls, and kurtas for men who join in on Saddula night. Bright Bathukamma colours like yellow, pink, green and purple suit the season.
A few practical things, because you will be clapping and moving in a circle for an hour or more:
- Choose a light bracelet that will not catch on saree pleats or the flower plate.
- Keep your bracelet on the wrist that does not carry the Bathukamma.
- Wipe turmeric and kumkum off beads the same night, since they can stain porous stones.
- Do not let your bracelet touch the water during immersion.
- Pick one meaningful piece over a heavy stack.
- If your bracelet has been through a Pran Pratishta, keep it on through the evening as you would at any puja.
Recommended Soultheory bracelets for Bathukamma 2026
These four are in stock and fit the spirit of the festival. Each is something you can wear to the lake and keep wearing long after Dasara.
Gauri Shankar Pure Copper Rudraksha Bracelet
The Gauri Shankar bead is two rudraksha naturally joined, traditionally believed to represent Gauri and Shiva together. For a festival that honours Gauri, it is the most fitting piece in our range. View the Gauri Shankar copper bracelet.
Rose Quartz Natural Stone Bracelet
Rose quartz is traditionally associated with love, gentleness and emotional balance. Its soft pink sits beautifully with Bathukamma silks. See the Rose Quartz bracelet.
Citrine and Rosewood Crystal Bracelet Stack (Set of 3)
The warm yellow of citrine echoes tangedu and marigold, and citrine is traditionally linked with abundance. A good pick if you want a festive stack that still feels light. Shop the Citrine and Rosewood stack.
Rudraksha and Moonstone Shiv Shakti Couple Set
A couple set that pairs rudraksha with moonstone, traditionally associated with balance between two people. A thoughtful gift for a newly married couple's first Bathukamma. View the Shiv Shakti couple set.
For more gifting ideas, browse the Soultheory love collection, or see our guide to Navratri return gifts and thamboolam.
FAQ: Bathukamma 2026
When does Bathukamma start and end in 2026? Bathukamma starts with Engili Pula Bathukamma on Saturday 10 October and ends with Saddula Bathukamma on Sunday 18 October, two days before Dussehra on 20 October.
Which goddess is worshipped during Bathukamma? Goddess Gauri, the gentle form of Parvati. She is traditionally believed to be present in the small turmeric cone, called Gauramma, placed on top of the flower stack.
Why is no Bathukamma played on the sixth day? The sixth day is Aligina Bathukamma. Folk tradition says the Goddess is upset that day, so most families make no offering and do not play. Customs vary between families and villages.
Can I wear a crystal or rudraksha bracelet during Bathukamma? Yes. Wear it on the wrist that does not hold the plate, keep turmeric off the beads, and never immerse it with the flowers. A light single bracelet is easier than a heavy stack.
What is offered on Saddula Bathukamma? Five kinds of mixed rice, commonly curd rice, tamarind rice, lemon rice, coconut rice and sesame rice, along with maleeda shared after the immersion.
Important note: Information shared here reflects traditional Vedic beliefs and cultural practices. Individual experiences vary. This content is for educational and cultural purposes only - it is not medical, financial, or psychological advice. Consult qualified professionals for health, financial, or other personal decisions.
