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NORTH AMERICAN Newsline OCTOBER 14, 2022 | The Indian Eye 28

TAGC celebrates Bathukamma, Jammi

Pooja and Dusshera

OUR BUREAU
Chicago, IL
AGC Telugu Association of Greater Chicago cele-
brated Bathukamma, Jammi Pooja and Dusshera cel-
Tebrations with more than 800-plus guests on Oct 2nd
2022 at SVS Balaji Temple Aurora, IL.
Under the TAGC leadership, Bathukamma team
took the initiative to make this event a grand success with
uniqueness, all along maintaining the traditions. The team
decided to purchase Chanderi pattu sarees to celebrate
the festival with more enthusiasm. About 200 women wore
matching sarees and brought color and uniqueness to set
a record among all other Bathukamma celebrations across
the world. This initiative was done to support impoverished
weavers in South India and help them financially.
Venue was decorated with colorful flowers with help of
florist Amritha. TAGC President and Board offered saree,
flowers, pasupu & kumkum to goddess Parvathi at the tem-
ple after the event.
TAGC President Uma Avadhuta welcomed all the
guests with a brief introduction about the significance of
the festival. Uma Avadhuta, Bathukamma chair Vinitha
Podduturi along with co-chairs Pooja, Madhavi and Pra-
naya started the event with diya lighting. Delicious vege-
tarian lunch coordinated by Food Chairs Srinivas Adepu
and Ramakanth Jonnala with a wide variety was offered
to women and all guests. Event started with a prayer song
and continued with playing Bathukamma until 5:30 PM.
Well renowned folk singer Niharika came to sing songs and
encourage the women to do it with proper steps. Women
played Bathukamma with energy and passion till the end
of the event. One of the highlighted programs is a special
Kolatam by 60+ ladies in a coordinated fashion. Along
with adults teenagers kolatam was highlight of the program.
Kids participation and involvement in making Bathukam-
ma were appreciated by the audience. At the end of the
event, all the Bathukamma’s were taken as a procession and
were immersed in a pond close by with the help of TAGC
men board members and volunteers. TAGC president Uma
Avadhuta along with members, sponsors and ATS Leader-
ship team presented the gifts to Bathukamma competition
winners and Raffle winners. Return gift ammavari idol to all
ladies who attended the event was appreciated by everyone.
TAGC raised funds to support WEWA for support-
ing education to economically backward students in India.
More than 400 participants had donated funds and partici-
pated in this good cause. After Bathukamma immersion, all
the families participated in Shammi/Jammi puja conducted
by Balaji temple priest on the occasion of Dusshera.
President appreciated the whole Bathukamma team,
BOD’s and long-time volunteers for their contribution in
making the celebration a grand success and emphasized the
importance of these festival celebrations for preserving the
culture for younger generations and also thanked Ameri-
can Telangana Society team, SVS Balaji temple manage-
ment Ramesh garu, Sponsors for the event and Media part-
ners. Vinitha thanked sponsor Manjula jewelers for raffle
sponsorship.
--Asian Media USA

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