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ATA celebrates Bathukamma & Dasara in Chicago

09.10.2011

American Telugu Association (ATA) and Telugu Association of Greater Chicago (TAGC) have organized Bathukamma and Dasara celebrations in the SVS Balaji Temple Aurora on 10th of September. About 500 people from Chicago and neighboring areas and who originally hailed from different areas of Andhra Pradesh have attended and celebrated the festivals from 11am to 8pm.

All the guests were served sumptuous lunch catered by four different Chicago area restaurants. After lunch, women & kids dressed up in traditional and colorful clothes have danced to melodious Bathukamma songs. Women who attended the event have brought in colorfully decorated Bathukammas as a part of the celebrations. After the completion of Gouramma pooja, amidst band all the women, men and kids have walked together to float the Bathukammas in the pond. In the evening all the participants have performed pooja to the Jammi tree under the direction of temple priest sri.subhadracharyulu. The priest has later distributed kankanams and jammi leafs to all the participants. A number of games were conducted for kids of all ages and adults. The prizes were distributed by Sri.Hanmanth Reddy and Sri.GLN Reddy. A number of the participants have commented that the celebrations have really reminded them of back home India and have at times far exceeded celebrations.

ATA President-Elect Karunakar Madhavaram, TAGC President-Elect Kalyan Anandula and Coordinator Srinivas Sarikonda have thanked the donors, volunteers and community leaders who have helped pulled off the event in a short one week span. Community leaders have thanked the coordinators for organizing a great event and introducing a very ancient tradition in a festive atmosphere to the kids in U.S.A. ATA Public Relations Chair Chalma Reddy and TAGC Public Relations Chair Amar Nettem jointly released the press note.