GATeS Celebrates 10th Annual Batukamma Festival with Verve and Spirit
(Photos: Vakiti Creations)
The 10th Batukamma festival organized by GATeS (Greater Atlanta Telangana Society) at Riverside Park, Roswell on October 17, 2015 will be remembered as a landmark event for a long time to come. It was not just the gathering—beyond 2,000 people—but also the participation and involvement of children and women from Telangana that was noteworthy, working long hours for several days ahead of the festival to showcase their talents.
It was a special afternoon, made even more pleasant thanks to sunny weather and the pleasant breeze wafting through the spacious park. The long line of Telengana women clad in colorful silks was a sight to behold, and would surely have pleased the goddess Gauri herself, the deity of Batukamma.
Dharam Vir Singh, Consul (Head of Chancery) at the Atlanta consulate, released a beautiful souvenir to commemorate the event. The comperes engaged the audiences for some 4 hours with their light banter as the program commenced. From the prayer song to the variety entertainment including folk songs by children and local artiste duo Janardhan Pannela and Srinivas Durgam, the events kept the audience happily entertained. Karthik Kodakandla (music director for the Telugu movie Bandook) sang the super hit song from the movie. He also had a special song about GATeS ten years of service and Batukamma celebrations. Bikshu Nayak from India was undoubtedly the star of the show, pepping up the participants with his enthusiasm and verve.
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The Batukammas—over 150 in number—ranging in size from small to impressively large, enthralled everyone with their color, form, and beauty. It was a tough call for the 7 judges who were assigned to select the best designed Batukammas in the competition that was one of the program highlights.
President Dr. Venkat Veeraneni and Board Chairman Dr. Sreeni Gangasani welcomed the huge gathering. The role of the innumerable individuals, sponsors, and volunteers who supported and helped make the event such a spectacular one was acknowledged with deep gratitude. The event ended with the Batukammas being immersed in the Chattahoochee River, in traditional style.
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