A festival featuring traditional music and dance from India will bloom in Braybrook this Saturday.
Now in its fifth year, the free Bathukamma Festival of Flowers features vast volumes of stacked blooms representing the cultural spirit of the Telangana people.
Event organiser Praveen Kumar Thopucherla, president of the Melbourne Telangana Forum, says the nine-day festival is traditionally celebrated by Hindu women of Telangana state in central India with exotic flowers from the region.
“The Bathukamma is made from different types of flowers which are known to have medicinal values,” she said.
“Women gather in a large circle around the flowers and sing songs by making rounds around them repeatedly, building a beautiful human circle of unity, love and sisterhood.”
The festival, from 1-9pm this Saturday at Braybrook’s RecWest, will feature traditional music and dance, Indian games, children’s entertainment and talks.
Maribyrnong mayor Catherine Cumming says cultural festivals enhance the community.
“Festivals such as Bathukamma provide the opportunity for these communities to share their rich history and customs, in turn promoting inclusion, understanding and respect across cultures,” she said.
Benjamin Millar
