Monday, January 6, 2014

Makar sankranti celebration in Andhra Pradesh

Sankranti is celebrated for four days in Andhra Pradesh.


The day preceding Makar Sankranti is called Bhogi. On this day, people discard old and derelict things and buy new things, representing change or transformation. At dawn, people light a bonfire, and offer the old items to it. Symbolically, old habits, vices, attachment and materialism is also sacrificed.


Similar to the ritual in Karnataka, infants and children are showered with the Indian Jujube fruit (called "Regi Pandlu" in Andhra). Sweets in generous quantities are prepared and distributed. It is a time for families to congregate. Brothers pay special tribute to their married sisters by giving gifts as affirmation of their filial love. Landlords give gifts of food, clothes and money to their workforce. The second day is Makar Sankranti , also called "Pedda


Panduga" (which translates to "the big festival"). On this day, everyone wears new clothes, prays to God, and make offerings of traditional food to ancestors who have died.

No comments:

Post a Comment