Indian Festivals >> Makar Sakranti

SANKRANTI is an important festival for Telugus and people in rural Andhra look forward to this harvest festival, which has different attractions for different people. With crops harvested people have both money and leisure to make merry with. Farmers give new clothes and grain to the laborers who work for them.

Houses are spruced up, cattle are bathed and decorated. Womenfolk vie with each other displaying their skills drawing a variety of eye-catching and artistic `muggulu' (floral patterns on the floor) in their neatly swept front yards sprinkled with cow-dung water.

The chirpy voices of young girls clad in traditional colorful `langa-voni' and putting `gobbemmalu' (cow dung balls decked with marigold or pumpkin flowers) on the muggulu and singing `gobbellu' enliven the surroundings.

Housewives are busy preparing mouth-watering delicacies and preserving them from the prowling children.

Gangireddulu, buda-budakkalu and daasarlu going around singing songs and collecting gifts and alms are a common sights.


The celebrations last for 3 to 4 days, the first day is Bhogi, the second day being Sankranti and the third day as Kanuma. The fourth day, Mukkanuma, is also celebrated by some. Bhogi, the first day is marked with gaiety. People wake up early to put up a bon fire (Bhogi manta) with all the agricultural wastes and firewood to keep warm during this last lap of winter. This is followed by a traditional oil bath after which new clothes are worn

Sankranti is an important festival for Telugus and people in rural Andhra look forward to this harvest festival, which has different attractions for different people. With crops harvested people have both money and leisure to make merry with. Farmers give new clothes and grain to the laborers who work for them.

Houses are spruced up, cattle are bathed and decorated. Womenfolk vie with each other displaying their skills drawing a variety of eye-catching and artistic `muggulu' (floral patterns on the floor) in their neatly swept front yards sprinkled with cow-dung water.

The chirpy voices of young girls clad in traditional colorful `langa-voni' and putting `gobbemmalu' (cow dung balls decked with marigold or pumpkin flowers) on the muggulu and singing `gobbellu' enliven the surroundings.

Housewives are busy preparing mouth-watering delicacies and preserving them from the prowling children.

Gangireddulu, buda-budakkalu and daasarlu going around singing songs and collecting gifts and alms are a common sights.


The celebrations last for 3 to 4 days, the first day is Bhogi, the second day being Sankranti and the third day as Kanuma. The fourth day, Mukkanuma, is also celebrated by some. Bhogi, the first day is marked with gaiety. People wake up early to put up a bon fire (Bhogi manta) with all the agricultural wastes and firewood to keep warm during this last lap of winter. This is followed by a traditional oil bath after which new clothes are worn.

SANKRANTI

The Sun enters the Makara raasi (the zodiac sign of Capricorn - the goat), on Sankranti day, signifying the onset of Uttarayana Punyakalam. Traditionally, this period is considered an auspicious time and the veteran Bhishma of Mahabharata chose to die during this period. Bhishma fell to the arrows of Arjuna. With his boon to choose the time of his death, he waited on a bed of arrows to depart from this world only during this period. It is believed that those who die in this period have no rebirth.

One month preceding Sankranti is called Dhanurmasam and is also an auspicious period. People wake up early, complete their morning ablutions and go around the streets singing devotional songs. Houses are whitewashed and farmers clean their warehouses. Colorful Rangoli / muggulu are drawn in the front yards of every house during this month. These artistic floral designs are drawn on the floor with rice flour or fine powder of limestone. These patterns are decorated with colors and adorned with marigold placed on cowdung balls. Colorfully dressed young girls go round them singing songs (gobbi patalu).

Daasarlu, Haridaasulu (traditional folklore singers), Jangam devarulu, and Gangireddulu ( men who train canopied oxen to dance in front of houses during Sankranti) are given some gifts of grain and clothes for singing and having the oxen dance. Pooja is performed in temples and devotees are given pongali (cooked sweet rice) as prasadam. During this month, the cow, revered by Hindus, is worshipped. In fact, water mixed with cow dung, considered to be a disinfectant, is sprinkled in the front yards before the rangoli is drawn. Dried cowdung cakes are burned on the Bhogi day. This fire is called Bhogimanta and all unwanted things are also thrown in this fire.

People take oil bath early in the morning and wear new clothes. Special sweets are prepared. Many families arrange Bommala Koluvu (a doll show) and invite their friends in the evening on Sankranti day. On this day people give alms to the poor and never say "no" to any body. Good food and sweet dishes are cooked and there is festivity everywhere.

KANUMA - FESTIVITIES WITH ANIMALS

The third day is Kanuma. It is a celebration by an agrarian community that thankfully acknowledges the participation of the animals mainly bulls in ploughing the fields and assisting the farmers in raising a good crop. The animals are decorated and are included in some races, both to entertain and to boost their endurance capacity. These races include cock fights, bull fights and ram fights. All the three days, rich and poor alike, have a good time.