colorful fest of farmers........... Sankranthi

Sankranti is a festival that signifies the beginning of the harvest season for the farmers of India. The Tamil version is called Pongal. Since the festival is celebrated in the mid winter, the food prepared for this festival are such that they keep the body warm and give high energy. Laddu of til made with Jaggery (Gul)is specialty of the festival.In Maharshtra it is called 'Tilgul', but the place where it is celebrated with much pomp is Andhra Pradesh, where the festival is celebrated for 3 days and is more of a cultural festival unlike an auspicious day as in other parts of India.

It is three day festival in Andhra Pradesh,

• Bhogi Panduga (Bhogi Pongal)
• SANKRANTI (Surya Pongal)
• Kanuma Panduga (Kanuma Pongal)

The auspicious day of Sankranthi is celebrated typically in Andhra Pradesh, the festival is celebrated for three days. It is this time you can watch the cultural greatness of Andhra Pradesh at its best. Every village and town in Andhra Pradesh is decorated with drawings in front of their houses. Woman enjoys making of these drawings it a lot and every year they try to out do themselves. All the new in-laws are invited and many delicious sweets are prepared. Budabukkalavallu, Haridaslulu, Gangireddulavallu, and people decorated in mythological roles come to visit each and every house during this festival and they will be honored.

Cock fight is one of the most prominent events of this festival. The first day of festival is Bhogi, in the night people light up fire with several old articles in their houses. The next day is Sankranti the big festival, on this day every one wear a new dress and pray to their favorite god and offer him all the sweets and dishes they prepare for the day and eat, many guests are invited for lunch on this day. On this day cock-fighting is a favorite pass time, and people bet in huge amounts and see that it is not known to police as it is a banned game in Andhra Pradesh. And on the third day it is Kanuma after eating too much of sweets on the festival day people eat meat on this day. Sankranti is however celebrated all over India.

Makar Sankranti is one of the most auspicious day for Hindus, and is celebrated in almost all parts of the country in myriad cultural forms, with great devotion, fervor & gaiety. Lakhs of people take a dip in places like Ganga Sagar & Prayag and pray to Lord Sun. It is celebrated with pomp in southern parts of the country as Pongal, and in Punjab is celebrated as Lohri & Maghi. Gujarati's not only look reverentially up to the sun, but also offer thousands of their colorful oblations in the form of beautiful kites all over the skyline. They may be trying to reach up to their glorious God or bring about greater proximity with the one who represents the best. It is a day for which Bhishma Pitamah kept waiting to leave his mortal coil...