A marathon procession of lakhs of women dressed in their best heading towards Padmakshi and Thousand Pillar temples in Hanamkonda and Bhadrakali temple in Warangal town was an impressive end to the nine-day Bathukamma festivities.
An equal number of men, both young and old, turned up to witness the grand finale of the festivities.
Women, mostly dressed in the traditional langa voni, immersed the Bathukammas in water bodies on the precincts of the temples.
The police had cordoned off the roads for vehicles, earmarking lanes, bylanes and main thoroughfares for women who congregated at temples in large numbers.
No festive fervour
Hundreds of women participated in Bathukamma festivities with a heavy heart at Vemulaghat on Thursday. Worried over being forced out of their village for Mallannasagar reservoir, the women prayed to goddess Parvathi asking her to help them tide over this phase. Maa Ooru Maggavele Uyyalo, Sarkaru manasu marchu Uyyalo went their prayer. “We have nowhere to go. We have two water bodies that fulfil our water requirement for agriculture. In the last one year, we have not celebrated any festival wholeheartedly. Being forced to vacate our village has given us sleepless nights,” said Gandla Lakshmi, who took part in Bathukamma celebrations.