Kakinada: Almanac experts want the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) and the state government to change the official dates for the Bhogi, Sankranti and Kanuma festivals from January 14, 15 and 16 to January 13, 14 and 15.
President of the Andhra Pradesh Almanac Authors’ Association Hanumanthavajjula Subrahmanya Sarma said that the festivals were primarily agrarian festivals and farmers and agriculturists placed great significance on them.
Many devotees visit Tirumala for darshan of Lord Venkateswara on these days and the TTD should thus fix appropriate and scientific dates for the festivals. Sources say that there is widespread confusion this year regarding the exact dates of Bhogi, Sankranti and Kanuma as different almanacs have divergent opinions.
According to one school of thought (Poorva Paddathi — old tradition) Bhogi, Sankranti and Kanuma fall on January 14, 15 and 16. Srisaila Devasthanam and TTD have also declared the festivals on those dates.
However, majority of almanac pundits, including some followers of Poorva Paddathi and Drugganitham are of the opinion that the festivals fall on January 13, 14 and 15.
Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham (Pidaparthi Bhaskara Subrahmanya Sastry), Rashtriya Almanac Calendar (Union government), Jeer Peetham (Nallanchakravarthula Krishnamachari — Poorva Paddathi), Srikalahasthi Devasthanam (Mululgu Ramalingeswara Siddanthi), Bharatha Bhoomi (Gorthi Pattabhi Sastry), Grahabhoomi (Srinivasa Gargeya), Subhakala Thithi (Karuparthi Naga Malleswara Rao), Viswadarshini (Hanumanthavajjula Subrahmanya Sarma) and others have mentioned that this year the festivals fall on January 13, 14 and 15.
“The Drigganitham is accepted by the Centre and the TTD should change the dates of the festivals and hold them from January 13,” said Gorthi Pattabhi Sastry, former president of APAAA.
Eminent almanac writer Srinivasa Gargeya also said that the TTD should declare January 13 and 14 as Bhogi and Sankranti as the sun enters the Makara constellation by 1.31 pm on January 14 and it is known as Sankranti. The day before, January 13, should be declared as Bhogi. The almanac authors have thus urged the government and the TTD to clear the confusion.
