Telugu Association of Dallas Hosts Grand Bathukamma Celebrations
FRISCO, TX — The grounds at the Frisco event venue turned into a sea of marigolds and color this past weekend as the Telugu Association of Dallas (TAD) hosted one of the largest Bathukamma celebrations in North Texas. Organizers estimate more than 2,000 families attended across the two-day event, making it among the biggest Telugu cultural gatherings in the region this year.
The centerpiece of the festival was the traditional Bathukamma — the cone-shaped floral stacks women build layer by layer with seasonal flowers. Dozens of these arrangements lined the venue, each one a small work of art. In the evenings, women and girls in colorful sarees and half-sarees circled the arrangements, singing traditional Bathukamma songs and performing the rhythmic clap dance that gives the festival its heartbeat.
Beyond the flower ritual, the weekend featured a full slate of cultural programs. Children from local Telugu schools performed dances and skits, a folk music troupe entertained the crowds, and food stalls served everything from pulihora and garelu to sweets like ariselu and bobbatlu. Volunteers said the food lines were among the longest of the weekend.
For many families, the event was also about passing tradition to the next generation. "My daughter was born here, and this is how she learns what Bathukamma means," said one Plano mother of two, as her children arranged flowers beside their grandmother. Organizers ran a kids' workshop explaining the festival's meaning and the names of the flowers used.
TAD volunteers coordinated parking, security, and cleanup with help from the city. Organizers thanked sponsors from the local Telugu business community and said planning for next year's celebration — expected to be even bigger — begins in the spring.