History
Vemulavaada Chalukya
were sub-feudatories of Raastrakoota kings. In the wars between Chola kings and
Raastrakootas these Chalukyas sided the Raastrakootas.
In 973 AD Rastrakoota
sub-feudal chalukya lord Tailapudu-2 defeated the last king Karkudu-2 of raashtrakoota
kings and established independent Kalyani Chalukya kingdom. The present
Telangana region was under his authority. After the death of Tailapudu-2 in 997
AD his son Satyaasrayudu became the king.
In the erstwhile
kingdom of Vemulavaada (present Karimnagar District), Rajarajeswara temple is popular. Rajarajeswara
received worship from Telangana people as their beloved deity.
Chola king, Paraantaka
Sundara Chola was in troubles while defending the attack from Raastrakoota
kings. Learning that Rajarajeswara will help those in troubles Paraantaka chola
turned as his devotee.
Also, he named his son
as Raja Raja. This is evident from Arikesari epigraph. Raja Raja Chola ruled
between 985-1014 AD. His son Rajendra Chola attacked as a Chief of Army and
stood victorious on Satyaasraya. As a sign of his victory he destroyed
Rajeswara’s temple and took the Bruhat (huge) Siva linga to his father as a
gift. In 1006 AD Raja Raja Chola had started building a temple to this huge
Sivalinga (Brihadeswara). In 1010 AD he installed this Linga. Chola kings also
announced in Tamil epigraphs that this Brihadeswara temple is built from the
wealth looted in the attack on Vemulavaada Chalukya kingdom.
Even now the
similarities between the Sivalinga of Vemulavaada Bheemeswaralayam and
Sivalinga of Brihadeeswaralayam of Tanjavuru can be seen. Taking away the
Sivalinga from Vemulavaada to Tanjavuru downhearted people of Telangana.
After leaving
Telangana in the form of Linga, along with an attempt to console Paarvathi
(Bruhadamma) in the temple here and to inform sorrowfulness to Cholas,
Batukamma is arranged with flowers like Meru mountain. On its top Gouramma made
with turmeric is placed and is recounted with sing and play for nine days.
Dispatching her in water and calling her back took a shape of a festival.
Batukamma name is derived from Bruhadamma. Batukamma festival is a social
denouncing movement practiced from 1000 years. Only songs are sung with mother
Goddess Parvathi’s name with comforting, who is without shiva..
Preparation
On first five days women will
clean their vakili (courtyard), cow dung mixed with water is spread in the
courtyard as a ground-base, decorate the ground-base with managala aakara or
muggu patterns or rangoli made of rice flour. For the first five days Batukamma
is prepared with cow dung. Five small lumps in cone shape are arranged in the
vakili.
Men in the house gather flowers
from the wild plains like Celosia, Senna, Marigold, Chrysanthemum, Indian
Lotus, Cucurbita leaves & flowers, Cucumis Sativus leaves & flowers,
Memecylon edule, Tridax procumbens, Trachyspermum ammi, Katla, Teku Flowers,
etc., which bloom in this season in various vibrant colors all across the
uncultivated and barren plains of the region.
Preparing a Bathukamma is a
folk art. Women start preparing Bathukamma from the afternoon. They cut the flowers
leaving the little length base, some dip Gunugu (Celosia)
flowers in various vibrant colours, some scented and arrange them on a wide
plate called Thambalam
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