Sankranti is a festival that is Pan-Indian. As we move from Dhanur masam (Sagittarius) to Makara masam (Capricorn), and the Sun travels from the Southern hemisphere to the north, the auspicious time of Uttarayan is with us, heralding in the Sankranti festival. The festival is celebrated in a really big way in the two Telugu states, stretching up to a four-day period. No wonder it is called “Pedha Panduga” or big festival here. The festival promotes harmony, gratitude and bonds between human and animals.
Mahabharata has a story about Uttarayan. Pitamaha Bhishma was felled at Kurukhsetra war by innumerable arrows from Arjun couple of months before Uttarayan. He landed on a bed of arrows on the ground, a position that would have taken the life of anyone else. But Bhishma had the boon of Iccha Mrityu because of his past deeds that enabled him to choose the time and date of his death. He preferred to lie on the bed of arrows for 58 days, and wait for the auspicious period of winter solstice or the first day of Uttarayan to give up his body. Uttarayan is considered a very auspicious time, so much so that scriptures suspend celebrations like marriage for a whole month before Makara masam sets in.
Sankranthi is about gratitude – paying your respect to the Sun God, your ancestors as well as the things facilitating the harvest – your crops, cows and even your tractor. It is also the time to celebrate the fresh harvest from the fields. It is a time of happiness, the whole family tries to gather to spend a few days together. The preparations start from a few days before, with the Rangoli or Muggu (initially of rice flour, later adding colour and Gobamma or cow dung shapes as the festival progresses) taking shape in front of the houses. In the villages, ladies start making Pindi Vantalu, a delicious range of snacks including Sakinalu, Bakshalu, and Kajikayalu for the ensuing festival. Houses are cleaned, some are even painted for the festival.
Sankranthi is celebrated over three days in the Telugu
states, Bhogi, Sankranthi and Kanuma. The fourth day Mukkanuma is also
celebrated in few places. Bhogi is the last day of Dhanur masam – on this day
people decide to shed the old and negative, before embracing the new with a
positive spirit and mindset.
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In the early morning, the celebration starts with Bhogi
Mantalu or the Bhogi fire. Old clothes, old materials especially brooms are all
collected together with set to fire with wood and cowdung cakes. The family
gathers around the fire. In some parts, a little fire is brought into the puja
rooms for prayers. After the puja, the family gets together for breakfast where
many delicacies are served. Apart from
the vantalu, Idli with sambar, Pulihora are some of the delicacies eaten on
this day. Ariselu, a flat shaped sweet made of rice flour, jaggery with sesame
seed spread on top is a signature sweet of the Sankranthi period.
Bhogi Pallu is another ritual on Bhogi day. Small children
are made to sit together and elders shower them with berries, flower petals and
coins on their heads. This brings them blessings and wards of evil eyes.
Sankranthi day is the day to visit temples and offer to the
Gods. People often take a holy dip in the river offering tarpan to their
ancestors. Nomu or vrats are widely observed with elaborate pujas to the Gods
and Goddesses. Jataras or fairs are also held near many temples.
This is also the day of festive dishes; the whole family
gets together for a sumptuous Sankranthi lunch, often served on banyan leaves.
The daughters and their husbands usually join, especially the newly-weds. The
feast for the son-in-laws in Andhra villages are legendary, a typical feast at
a rich man’s residence comprises of even 50 dishes. As per the newspapers, one
rich family in coastal Andhra even welcomed their son-in-law with 365 dishes.
The main ingredients of many dishes during Sankranthi are
three – rice, sesame seeds (nuvvulu/til) and jaggery (bellam). Rice is fresh
from the harvesting season and usually the popular local rice dish is offered
to the Sun God and consumed in the Sankranthi feast. Thus it is Pongal in
Chittoor (close to Tamil Nadu), Pulagam in Rayalaseema and Pulihora in Andhra.
Sweet rice dishes such as Parmannam and Chakra Pongali are also favoured on
this day. In other states, Khichri in UP and Bihar as well as Khichdo in
Gujarat are some of the rice dishes that are worth a mention.
Sesame seeds have a story behind them. Lord Sun had a son
Shanidev, who was dark in complexion. Sun was miffed as in spite of being his
son Shani was dark, and over time a rift developed between the two. On Yamaraj’s
intervention Sun visited Shani during Makara for a rapprochement and Shani
welcomed him with black sesame seeds, a move that made Sun very happy. The
seeds were later blessed by a happy Yamaraj, and became signs of a long and
prosperous life. Thus til seeds became an integral part of Makara Sankranti as
a symbol of longevity.
Gur/jaggery is another ingredient of many Sankranthi
preparations. Gur is considered a symbol of prosperity.
It is interesting to note that til and gur are used
extensively in Makar Sankranthi celebrations all over India. Thus in Lohri
(Punjab) you have Gur Rewri, Tilgul in Maharashthra is a rage (In Marathi there
is a saying that means “Eat Tilgul and speak good”. In Bengal, Pithas are often
eaten with nolen gur, also jiggery based stuffings are used in Patisapta. Ellu
Bella in Karnataka has sesame seeds and jaggery too.
On the health side, gur and jaggery is typically food that
makes your body warm and provides immunity in winter.
The most popular festivity during Sankranthi in the Telugu
states and perhaps all over India is Kite Flying. It is popular in rural as
well as urban areas, kites are supposed to ward off evil. Kite flying
competitions are held in many places to the enjoyment of a large number of
people.
Bommala Koluvu or Golu is another tradition during
Sankranthi. Thematic and layered (step-wise) display of dolls depict Gods,
festivals, traditions and so on. This is also very big during Dasara
festivities.
Another ritual that lights up our life is that off Haridasu and Gangireddu. Bulls decorated with flowers, coloured clothings and bells known as Gangireddu are accompanied by an ethnically dressed man (Haridasu - servant of Hari) who plays nadeshwaram and sings. It is a custom for families to gift rice to Haridasu, pouring it on the vessel on his head.
On the third day, known as Kanuma, it is the time to worship
the cattle. Govardhan Puja is also celebrated on this day. Cattles are
decorated by farmers, often taken to the temple in a procession and prayers are
offered to them.
After two days of vegetarian food, Kanuma is usually the day
where lot of non-vegetarian delicacies are enjoyed. Farmers pray to their cows,
even tractors. One dish popular for Kanuma is Kodi Kura Chitti Gare, small
vadas eaten with chicken curry.
Kodi Pandem or cock fight is rampant in coastal Andhra
during Sankranthi. Cocks are assiduously prepared for the fight for months,
feeding them with cashews and other nutrients. Bets are placed on the cocks
before the fight is on. At the end of the fight, the cock that loses is handed
over to the winner, and then it is used to prepare Pandem Kura, Pandem Pachadi
that is consumed. This ritual has been banned by the High Court, but its
prevalence has not died down.
In Southern Rayalaseema, we still see Jallikattu where a bull is left in a crowd, with people trying to grab its hump. Bull races are also held in many places of the two states like Nalgonda and Ongole.
The fourth day, Mukkanuma is only celebrated in few areas. People invite their relatives to get together, and at the end of the day the migrant workers leave the villages to proceed to their places of work. There is a tinge of sadness in the evening as the grand festival has come to an end.
