Sankranti Celebrations Begin Across Nizamabad, Kamareddy
People visited temples in large numbers to offer prayers and seek darshan of the deities.
Nizamabad:Sankranti celebrations began on a grand scale in Nizamabad and Kamareddy districts on Wednesday. Bhogi was celebrated on Wednesday, while Sankranti and Kanuma will be observed on Thursday and Friday.
People visited temples in large numbers to offer prayers and seek darshan of the deities. With educational institutions closed for the festival, students returned to their homes to take part in the celebrations.
Every household was decorated with muggulu (rangoli) as part of the Sankranti festivities. Colourful designs adorned entrances, and several organisations conducted competitions. Kite flying in residential colonies added to the festive atmosphere, leading to a surge in the sale of kites and manja.
The undivided Nizamabad district has a sizeable population of Maharashtrians, Gujaratis and Rajasthanis. Around 16,000 families from other states are also celebrating Sankranti in their respective traditional ways. Sales of festival-related food items increased significantly in Nizamabad, Bodhan, Kamareddy, Armoor, Banswada and other towns.
Sweet shops and home-based food outlets witnessed heavy demand. Traditional Sankranti items such as chakralu, ringulu, appadalu and other delicacies were sold in large quantities. Both handmade and packaged semya were also in demand at various places.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, Ch. Ramakrishna, a hotel owner, said they had been producing large quantities of Sankranti food items for the past 15 days to meet the festive demand. He said special food items were also being sent to countries such as the US, the UK, Australia and Gulf nations. Ramakrishna added that increased competition among traders had helped keep prices of festival food items in check.
Meanwhile, police officials cautioned people against the use of banned Chinese manja while flying kites. They warned that anyone found using or selling the illegal material would face action. Police teams have been conducting inspections in market areas to monitor the sale of kites, manja and related materials.
