Global Hindu Heritage Foundation is committed to teach about the festivals, the meaning behind these festivals, the source of these festivals and how they are celebrated. Thus, we will make sure that our children will appreciate the richness of our culture. Sankranti is one such festival. Sankranti festival is an agricultural festival. Farmer's Festival By the time of Sankranti, the new grains grown by the farmers reach the house and the barns are full. Farmers celebrate Sankranti and Kanuma festivals as thanks for that. Cattle are worshiped in the name of Kanumu festival and Gobbemmas (made of cow dung) are worshiped in the form of Dhanyalakshmi (Goddess of Grains), who are responsible for the harvest of crops.
Sankranti is a lovely festival for Telugu people. Astronomy says that the Sun moves through 12 signs during the year at the rate of one sign per month. At the time of this transit, when the Sun enters Capricorn from Sagittarius in January of the English year, it is called Makara Sankranti or Makara Sankranti. People consider it a sacred period. Because in the two Ayanas we have, Surya ends the Dakshinayana period and enters the Uttarayana period. It starts on Sankranti day itself. So, the elders decided that this is Uttarayana Punyakalam. That is why it is said that during the Mahabharata war, Bhishma stayed on Ampasaya and only after the arrival of this Uttarayana pious period did he left his body.
Inspired by Balarama and Krishna:
During the Dwapara Yuga, Lord Balarama Sri Krishna enriched the Bharata Khanda with dairy and crops. If Balarama became the Halikudai (farmer) and nurtured the mother of the earth and made agriculture a festival, Lord Krishna helped the Gopalu (Yadav) family to develop and contribute to Eruvaka (commencement of cultivation). He also encouraged milk, curd, butter (dairy) products. Cattle, which plays a vital role in the production of food grains, has been associated with people's lives. Mythologists say that Sankranti emerged as a festival of agricultural products from that spirit.
Order of Sankranti Festival:
When Sankranthi is celebrated, everyone remembers Rangoli.  Sankirtanas of Haridas. This festival is also known as Pedpadunga. It falls in the month of Pushya (January). During this time, money and blessings reach the houses of the farmers. People live with dairy crops and peace. During this time Sankranti festival is celebrated for three consecutive days. The first day is “Kamabhogi”, the second day is “Sankranti”, the third day is “Kanuma” (cattle festival) and some celebrate the fourth day as “Mukkanumu”. At this time, every house is lit up with a new splendor, with household premises decorated with Paushyalakshmi.
First Day is Bhogi:
In the villages bonfires are lit at the intersection of four roads early in the morning. Fires are lit to remove the evils of the village and the house, diseases, and sufferings. Also, rituals are done in the houses displaying toys, pouring Bhogi fruits on the heads of small children and taking dishes.
Second Day of Sankranti:
Sankranti is the festival of Telugu people, where you can hear soulful folk songs like Gogulu Pooche Gogulu Pooche O Lattagummadi, singing, kerinthas and savvadus. As the crops come in hand, the farmers feel so happy by looking at the grains of the crops in their houses. Sankranti festival is traditionally celebrated in conventional culture. Preparations for this festival starts one month before. That is when Dhanur month starts. From the close of Sankranthi month i.e. from 14th and 15th of December, Rangavallu and festival noise in the villages and towns will gather momentum. Griha Lakshmi wakes up early in the morning and sweeps the driveways of their houses, sprinkles them with water mixed with cowdung and then makes muggs and lays gobbemmas. Haridasa's nagara sankirtanas take people into ecstasy of devotion to God. Sannai Melas of Gangireddus , Kommu Dasars, Jangama Devars and Budabukkalas entertain the village with their art forms and bring splendor and entertainment to the Sankranthi festival. Villages are filled with celebrations with edla pandas, weightlifting pandas, chicken pandas, kabaddi sports and kite flying.
Gobblis are decorated in the middle of muggles placed in different ways in front of every house. They are made of cow dung and flowers like gourd, ball, chemanti thangedu are placed on them and new grains are poured on them and worshiped. "Ratham Muggu" is performed on the last day of the muggu (rangoli) that is placed in front of the house for months. From the month of Kartik to the end of Sankranthi, all the roads are filled with colorful garlands and the splendor of Sankranthi shines. It is during this period that is during the Hemanta season that Gobbi flowers (December flowers), marigolds and marigolds bloom profusely. Mango trees are starting to flower. That is why on Sankranti you will see marigold arches instead of mango arches in any house. The branches of the mango tree are not broken.
Third Day Kanumu Festival:
Kanumu festival is celebrated on the third day. Kanumu means cattle. A day of mainly cattle worship. Worshiping the animals and birds that are useful for our life with gratitude is the greatness of Sanatana Dharma, like other religions, there is no pride in Sanatana Dharma that this entire creation is made for the sake of human beings. Hindu Dharma teaches that the same right exists in everything that the rest of the living beings have the same right as we have on this earth. That is why the practice of worshiping cows, which are the offspring of cows, came into being with Eruvaka. In this background, every day Kanumu cleans the pastures where the cattle are kept. The cattle are washed in the village pond, after which their horns are painted with turmeric and saffron, a drop of nose is put on their foreheads and decorated with beautiful marigolds, and they are worshipped.
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