Each minute of our life is a lesson but most of us fail to read it. I thought I would just add my daily lessons & the lessons that I learned by seeing the people around here. So it may be useful for you and as memories for me.

Article by Prawin…

Every Indian heart feels so proud to say I am INDIAN. We can find Indians at every part of world. Indians living outside India celebrates every Indian festival and make it as best opportunity to unite with other Indians living in that states or country, irrespective of religion, caste, financial status etc. I really feel so excited and happy to see people gathering for events on occasion of festivals.

Each fall — September, October and November in the United Kingdom, Germany, United States — Hundreds of German, Americans celebrate one of Hinduism’s most important festivals, Batukamma, Diwali,  or the Festival of Lights. Like every-other year this year German woman joined to celebrate the India Batukamma festival. This year more than 200 families joined in Germany and they played and danced for over nine hours. There is overwhelming participation from Indian woman and Indian students.

Importance of the environment was known to all but there is a small negligence towards it. There are some people who are really working for protection of the environment and bringing awareness, in South India people of Telangana state and some of AndhraPradesh celebrates a Floral Festival to remember the importance and treating the Nature as the goddess with a hope that ‘protection of environment is protecting our selves’, in Telugu the festival is called as ‘Bathukamma’ which mean ‘Live Forever’, they pray to the goddess (Environment) to live forever with the people.

Floral Festival (Bathukamma) is recognized as the Telangana’s (a newly emerged state in India) major festival and the government is also promoting the festival and its importance all over the world. It is a festival of environment hence, the state also making awareness to protect the environment. Telugu people who are staying in different countries like Germany, United States, United Kingdom, Dubai, Singapore etc., are also celebrating the festival and expanding the culture to the World

Various organizations working for revival and sustenance of Indian culture and festivals in different parts of the world irrespective of religion are competing with each other to celebrate the festival inviting Public figures, Ministers and politicians of various parties and also adding glamour to it ensuring the participation of film and television stars.

2019 Bathukamma Sambaralu, organized by the Telangana/Telugu Association of Germany (TAG) recently helped many families to unite and created a wonderful family environment. Similar programs were organized at Dallas, Houston, Washington DC, Raleigh in North Carolina, Los Angeles, Dubai, Sydney, Melbourne and other places across world. All these places saw droves of young and middle-aged women, decked up traditionally arriving with their flamboyant flower stacks that embodied Goddess MahaGowri, who is revered as life-giver and symbolise the womanhood going by Telangana folklore.

“It has become a part of our life here and the effort is to revive, retain and pass on our culture to the next generation,” said Dr. Malthi Rao (Director of TTC, Indian Embassy). “Earlier, individual groups used to celebrate but now its on a bigger platform and the enthusiasm is unbelievable,” she said

Dr. Susanna Kahlefeld (Grüne Partei MLA, Neukölln), conveyed his wishes to all the Indian families living across all states in Germany.

Families that fail to participate in such events don’t forget to celebrate at nearby lakes in small groups singing Bathukamma songs, they learnt as children back home. “I haven’t missed the festival since the last six years. I make Bathukamma at home and immerse it in the nearby lake along with a few friends,” says a proud Telangana Woman, a resident of Munich in Germany.

TAG volunteers, Raghu Chaliganti, Jairam Naidu, Vilwanathan Krishnamurthy etc who are active in Germany Telugu Forum have been organizing the events to celebrate Indian festivals and they says people participation , interest is immense and the numbers have been swelling every year.

Finally I would like to convey my sincere thanks to all the Indian, German families who joined here for making Bathukamma celebrations and for making its as such a wonderful & memorable event. This amazing response will definitely boost us to organize more and more cultural events for our Indian community. 

Very special thanks to our Honorable Guests Dr. Malthi Rao, Dr. Susanna Kahlefeld  a million thanks to all the TAG volunteers, Raghu Ch, Mr. Jairam Naidu & Mr. Vilwanathan Krishnamurthy (Ganesh Temple President and Vice-President) for their support like every year.

We request you to share your thoughts/impression in the below comments without hesitation to us either personally or on our FB page. Looking forward to meeting you all very soon again!

Once again thank you all and wish you all a Happy Bathukamma and upcoming Dussehra, Diwali, Christmas and so on. Wish you to celebrate everyday and moment of life making other Indians proud.

Please feel free to share your story and any lessons you learned, you experienced, you came across in your life in the comments below.