“Dussehra is an important festival to my family! Since I’m from Telangana, there is an overlap with Bathukamma, which is a whole experience in itself. The nine days of Bathukamma were a grand celebration in our hometown. Meeting relatives I hadn’t seen in ages, eating together, singing, and all the different traditions of the festival gave me immense joy!

There are several different renditions of mythology surrounding both festivals, but I’ve been brought up with the notion that these festivities were just to ensure the wellbeing of the world. I still remember the days my grandmother would wake me up early in the morning to gather flowers. Now they’re available in the market, but I genuinely enjoyed the process back then.

I really believe we should work towards preserving these long lost cultures, and carry them forward for the generations to come.”