The story behind ‘Bathukkamma’, a pompous floral festival celebrated by the people of Telengana and a few parts of Andhra Pradesh, sounds similar to the moving Tamil folk tale of Nalla Thangal, a woman who committed suicide with her seven children due to severe poverty and the injustice meted out by her sister-in-law at Arjunapuram in Virudunagar district.
The story behind ‘Bathukkamma’, a pompous floral festival celebrated by the people of Telengana and a few parts of Andhra Pradesh, sounds similar to the moving Tamil folk tale of Nalla Thangal, a woman who committed suicide with her seven children due to severe poverty and the injustice meted out by her sister-in-law at Arjunapuram in Virudunagar district.
Though the story of Nalla Thangaal is from the village Arjunapuram in Virudunagar district, the name of her sister-in-law ‘Mooli Alangaari’ had been a popular term in the typical Kongu Tamil dialect to mean a girl, devoid of usual ornaments.
At the sight of a girl, who was without the bindi on her forehead, a woman from yesteryear Coimbatore would chide her in the typical Kongu Tamil dialect:
“Hey, going out without even wearing the bindi? Are you a Mooli Alangaari?”
Nalla Thangaal was the only affectionate younger sister of Nalla Thambi, a chief who ruled the surrounding villages of Arjunapuram. Though she was an apple of his eyes, Nalla Thangaal, one day, had to kill herself and her children to escape the pangs of hunger.
Nalla Thangal was given in marriage to Kasi Rajan, a rich man from Mana Madurai. Earlier, the couple led a joyful life with their seven children. But, soon they became victims of poverty, as monsoon failed for years and brought devastating drought to the region. Hit by severe poverty, Nalla Thangal, with her hungry children one day moved to her brother’s house to seek food and shelter. On her way, she met her brother Nalla Thambi, who was on his way to hunting. Nalla Thambi’s joy knew no bounds, as he saw his dear younger sister and her seven children. But, he told her to wait at his home and said that he would follow her soon since he had a little work on the way. As Nalla Thangal reached her brother’s home, her sister-in-law Mooli Alangaari, refused food and insulted her.
Following this, Nalla Thangal, a woman of self-esteem, threw her seven children into a well and killed herself too by jumping into the well. Legend has it that Nalla Thangal, a woman of self-respect, became a God and she is still worshiped in her temple at Arjunapuram. The well beside the temple is said to be the one, into which she threw away her children and killed herself by jumping into it.
Similar to the tale of Nalla Thangal, the story of Bathukkama also speaks about a girl, who had to leave her home due to the abuses by her sisters-in-law. The tale is found in a short story from the Tamil book Hyderabad Diary, authored by Shantha Dutt, a Tamil writer, translator, and Vice-president of Hyderabad Tamil Sangam.
“‘Bathugu’ which means ‘life’ in Telugu, is synonymous with ‘Bathukamma’, a legendary character, who is behind the famous floral festival celebrated by the people of Telengana and Andhra Pradesh” informs Shantha Dutt, an author of over twenty books including short story collections, translation literature and non-fiction.
“Badhukamma was an affectionate sister to seven elder brothers, who were great warriors. However, on a day in the absence of her brothers, she left home and committed suicide by jumping into a pond, unable to bear the abuses by her sisters-in-law. Later on, her brothers looked for her in every part of the region, but in vain. Exhausted from the travel, they felt thirsty and came near a pond, where they saw a beautiful lotus moving towards them. Attracted by its majestic appearance, they believed that the flower is nothing but the metamorphosis of their sister.
After a few days, a king, who chanced upon the lotus in the pond, got attracted by its charm, took it away and transplanted it in his palace nandavana (Flower garden). Legend has it that the lotus gave a new lease of life even to the other flowers that were withering away in the king’s garden. Thus, Bathukamma came to be called the life-giving Goddess” explains Shantha Dutt, a recipient of many awards including the Lily Devasikamani Award from Coimbatore, Tirupur Thamizh Sangam Award from Tirupur and New Century Book Award from Ettayapuram.
The writer, a native of Kanjeepuram, has been living in Hyderabad for over three decades.
“The two folktales - Nalla Thangal from Tamil and Bathukamma from Telugu, depict the possessive nature of the sisters-in-law in the yesteryear society and hint at how jealousy and hatred are born out of possessiveness.
“It is common that people adore a deity by offering her flowers. But in the Bathukamma floral festival of Telengana, the Goddess herself is a flower. Hence, the people worship the flower by offering her flowers!” avers Shantha.
Though the story of Nalla Thangaal is from the village Arjunapuram in Virudunagar district, the name of her sister-in-law ‘Mooli Alangaari’ had been a popular term in the typical Kongu Tamil dialect to mean a girl, devoid of usual ornaments.
At the sight of a girl, who was without the bindi on her forehead, a woman from yesteryear Coimbatore would chide her in the typical Kongu Tamil dialect:
“Hey, going out without even wearing the bindi? Are you a Mooli Alangaari?”
Nalla Thangaal was the only affectionate younger sister of Nalla Thambi, a chief who ruled the surrounding villages of Arjunapuram. Though she was an apple of his eyes, Nalla Thangaal, one day, had to kill herself and her children to escape the pangs of hunger.
Nalla Thangal was given in marriage to Kasi Rajan, a rich man from Mana Madurai. Earlier, the couple led a joyful life with their seven children. But, soon they became victims of poverty, as monsoon failed for years and brought devastating drought to the region. Hit by severe poverty, Nalla Thangal, with her hungry children one day moved to her brother’s house to seek food and shelter. On her way, she met her brother Nalla Thambi, who was on his way to hunting. Nalla Thambi’s joy knew no bounds, as he saw his dear younger sister and her seven children. But, he told her to wait at his home and said that he would follow her soon since he had a little work on the way. As Nalla Thangal reached her brother’s home, her sister-in-law Mooli Alangaari, refused food and insulted her.
Following this, Nalla Thangal, a woman of self-esteem, threw her seven children into a well and killed herself too by jumping into the well. Legend has it that Nalla Thangal, a woman of self-respect, became a God and she is still worshiped in her temple at Arjunapuram. The well beside the temple is said to be the one, into which she threw away her children and killed herself by jumping into it.
Similar to the tale of Nalla Thangal, the story of Bathukkama also speaks about a girl, who had to leave her home due to the abuses by her sisters-in-law. The tale is found in a short story from the Tamil book Hyderabad Diary, authored by Shantha Dutt, a Tamil writer, translator, and Vice-president of Hyderabad Tamil Sangam.
“‘Bathugu’ which means ‘life’ in Telugu, is synonymous with ‘Bathukamma’, a legendary character, who is behind the famous floral festival celebrated by the people of Telengana and Andhra Pradesh” informs Shantha Dutt, an author of over twenty books including short story collections, translation literature and non-fiction.
“Badhukamma was an affectionate sister to seven elder brothers, who were great warriors. However, on a day in the absence of her brothers, she left home and committed suicide by jumping into a pond, unable to bear the abuses by her sisters-in-law. Later on, her brothers looked for her in every part of the region, but in vain. Exhausted from the travel, they felt thirsty and came near a pond, where they saw a beautiful lotus moving towards them. Attracted by its majestic appearance, they believed that the flower is nothing but the metamorphosis of their sister.
After a few days, a king, who chanced upon the lotus in the pond, got attracted by its charm, took it away and transplanted it in his palace nandavana (Flower garden). Legend has it that the lotus gave a new lease of life even to the other flowers that were withering away in the king’s garden. Thus, Bathukamma came to be called the life-giving Goddess” explains Shantha Dutt, a recipient of many awards including the Lily Devasikamani Award from Coimbatore, Tirupur Thamizh Sangam Award from Tirupur and New Century Book Award from Ettayapuram.
The writer, a native of Kanjeepuram, has been living in Hyderabad for over three decades.
“The two folktales - Nalla Thangal from Tamil and Bathukamma from Telugu, depict the possessive nature of the sisters-in-law in the yesteryear society and hint at how jealousy and hatred are born out of possessiveness.
“It is common that people adore a deity by offering her flowers. But in the Bathukamma floral festival of Telengana, the Goddess herself is a flower. Hence, the people worship the flower by offering her flowers!” avers Shantha.