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Hindu
festivals such as Dasara, Deepavali, Sri Ramanavami,
Krishna Janmastami, Vinayaka Chavithi (Ganesh Chaturthi)
and Maha Sivarathri are celebrated in the State.
Similarly, Muslim festivals such as Bakrid and Id-ul-Fitr
and Christian festivals like Christmas, Easter and
New Year's Day are also celebrated with gaiety.
But the celebrations of Ugadi (Telugu New Year's
day), Sankranti, Dasara, and Vinayaka Chavithi in
the state are unique.
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| Bathkamma |
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Bathkamma
is special to the Telangana region. In the month
long festival, Goddess Bathkamma's idol is  worshipped
and is made to float on the rivers and lakes. A
widely known festival in Telengana area that falls
on Asvija Shuddha Dasami (Sep/Oct) is Bathkamma
Panduga. It is women in memory of a Vaisya married
woman, celebrated for nine days by married who was
killed by her own brother at the instigation of
his wife. The murdered woman is believed to have
manifested herself in her grave as a flowering tree.
The cities is celebrated at the onset of summer
to Mahankali Jathara, a procession in the twin propitiate
the local village deities so that pestilence does
not strike.These festivals are celebrated with joy
and gaiety with night-long bouts of dancing, singing,
and feasting.
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| Sankranti |
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In
January, Sankranti also known as the harvest festival,
marks the entry of the sun into the northern hemisphere.
The day, held auspicious by Hindus, is marked by
worship of the Sun God and kite flying. Houses are
decorated with rangolis. Seasonal celebrations,
temple festivals, tribal traditions are joyful occasions.
Makara Sankranti, a 3-day festival in mid January,
marks the reaping of a harvest. It is also the festival
of kites.
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| Ugadi |
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Ugadi
occuring in March/April is the Telugu New Year.
On this day, houses are cleaned, painted and a 'toran'
of mango leaves is strung in front of each house.
Ugadi is another occasion of elaborate rituals and
ceremonies.
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| Mahashivaratri |
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Mahasivaratri
in February-March is a time to solemnly invoke Lord
Shiva through fasts and chants. The Sri  Kalahasteeswara
temple at Kalahasti and the Bhraramaramba - Mallikarjunaswamy
temple at Srisailam are thronged by pilgrims during
this festival.
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| Diwali |
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Diwali,
the festival of lights revolves around the worship
of the Goddess of wealth - Lakshmi and the  whole
of Andhra Pradesh explodes in a riot of colour and
noise.
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Tribal
festival
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Tribal
festivals retain much of the religious traditions
even today. Feasting is followed by dancing and
it is this that enthralls both the participant and
the on looker.
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| Chandana
Yatra |
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The
temple festival Chandana Yatra in March-April in
Simhachalam is a time to pay homage to the reigning
deity Narasimha who is covered with Chandanam (sandal
paste). Pilgrims gather to view the idol smeared
and decorated in all glory. Rajahmundry is the venue
of the Pushkaram, held on the banks of the river
Godavari, once in 12 years. The Ramanavami is celebrated
with religious fervour at the Sri SitaRamachandraswamy
temple annually, in March-April at Bhadrachalam
near Warangal. 'Bonalu'
festival is a festival of colours and poetry. Women
decked in beautiful attire rally around Devi Mahankali
represented by flowers jewelled on a pot.
Vinayaka Chaturthi the festival of the pot bellied,
elephant headed son of Shiva, is celebrated with
great fervour.
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