Chicago Telngana Association’s Festival
The Chicago Telangana Association (CHITA) celebrated its annual Bathukamma Festival.
“This is the 17th year we are celebrating. It’s a privilege that CHITA organization, which was started in Naperville. It’s a not-for-profit organization for promoting culture. And we have the privilege of being the first one to celebrate Bathukamma in all of North America,” said volunteer Lakshmi Yellanki.
Bathukamma
“Bathukamma. ‘Bathuku’ means life, and ‘amma’ is mother. So it’s like women celebrating life. And it’s the start of the festive season. And we celebrate life with flowers. The flowers are arranged and inside we put the leaves. And then we make a cone out of this. We all come together dressed and all the women will put the bathukammas in the center and then go around the bathukammas,” said Yellanki.
Keeping Traditions Alive
“It’s our heritage and it’s a way for us to follow our traditions. And it’s celebrating life so it doesn’t matter where it is. It’s getting together and having fun.”
Naperville News 17’s Aysha Ashley Househ reports.