Happy Ayudha Pooja and Saddula Bathukamma

In south Eight Day of Durga Mata Di Navatri is specially celebrated as Ayudha Pooja and that day is also the final day of Bathukamma also known as Saddula Bathukamma

Ayudha Puja is an integral part of the Navratri festival (festival of triumph), a Hindu festival which is traditionally celebrated in India. It is also called "Astra Puja", the synonym for Ayudha Puja. In simple terms, it means “Worship of Implements”. It is celebrated in Karnataka (in erstwhile Mysore State) as “Ayudha Puje” (Kannada: ಆಯುಧ ಪುಜೆ), in Kerala as Ayudha Puja, and in Tamil Nadu as Ayuda Pujai (Tamil:ஆயுத பூஜை) and . The festival falls on the ninth day or Navami of the bright half of Moon's cycle of 15 days (as per Almanac) in the month of September/October, and is popularly a part of the Dasara or Navaratri or Durga Puja or Golu festival. On the ninth day of the Dasara festival, weapons and tools are worshipped. In Karnataka, the celebration is for killing of the demon king Mahishasura by goddess Chamundeshwari. After slaying of the demon king, the weapons were kept out for worship. While Navaratri festival is observed all over the country but in South Indian states, where it is widely celebrated as Ayudha Puja, there are slight variations of worship procedure.

In the cross cultural development that has revolutionized the society, with modern science making a lasting impact on the scientific knowledge and industrial base in India, the ethos of the old religious order is retained by worship of computers and typewriters also during the Ayudha Puja, in the same manner as practised in the past for weapons of warfare.

Mode Of Worship
The tools and all implements of vocation are first cleaned. All the tools, machines, vehicles and other devices are then painted or well polished after which they are smeared with turmeric paste, sandalwood paste. Then, in the evening, previous to the puja day, they are placed on an earmarked platform and decorated with flowers. In the case of weapons of war, they are also cleaned, bedecked with flowers and tilak and placed in a line, adjacent to a wall. On the morning of the puja that is on the navami day, they are all worshipped along with the images of Saraswati, Lakshmi and Parvati. Books and musical instruments are also placed on the pedestal for worship. On the day of the puja, these are not to be disturbed. The day is spent in worship and contemplation.

Saddula Bathukamma

On this day, the men folk of the house go into the wild plains and gather the flowers like gunuka, tangedi, lotus, alli, katla, teku flowers which bloom in this season in various vibrant colors all across the uncultivated and barren plains of the region.

Women start preparing bathukamma from the afternoon. They cut the flowers leaving the little length base, some dip in colors, somescented and arrange them on a wide plate called as tambalamu, and stack them up in a conical mound, decorate with a pumpkin flower on top of stack.

The Bathukamma festival is celebrated for nine days and concludes on one day before of Durgastami. The main festival day is called as Saddula Bathukamma which is the last day of Bathukamma festival. On this day women gather together at lakes shore and they places all bathukamma's at one place and they dance and sing for Bathukamma songs which mean that "my dear Bathukamma give KUMKUM and TURMERIC for women and bless our family go this year and come next year untill then we will wait for you" they celebrate like this for wee hours before leaving their Bathukamma in water.

Lakes and water bodies floating with Bathukamma in the evenings is a treat to the eyes.