Sankranti celebrated with gaiety in Telangana

Sankranti was celebrated with gaiety across Telangana on Monday, as people visited temples and offered prayers at their homes on the day.Colourful Muggu rangoli were drawn outside houses. The festivities of the three-day harvest festival of Makara Sankranti began in Telangana on Sunday with Bhogi, the first day of the festival, when bonfires were lit.

Sankranti was celebrated with gaiety across Telangana on Monday, as people visited temples and offered prayers at their homes on the day.

Colourful 'Muggu' (rangoli) were drawn outside houses. Children and youth enjoyed the day flying kites.

Traffic on Hyderabad roads was thin as thousands of residents left for their native places in other districts of Telangana and neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.

The Hyderabad-Vijayawada highway and other major roads witnessed heavy traffic during the past several days as city residents left for their hometowns and villages in their own vehicles.

The Secunderabad-headquartered South Central Railway and the state-run Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) ran special services to cope with the rush of passengers. The festivities of the three-day harvest festival of Makara Sankranti began in Telangana on Sunday with 'Bhogi', the first day of the festival, when bonfires were lit. Cow dung cakes are strung together and lit up as ash from the 'Bhogi' fire serves as a good insecticide. Sankranti is the main festival (today), followed by 'Kanuma' on Tuesday when cattle are worshipped.

Rooster fights, 'Muggu', haridasulu (people dressed in traditional attire they go to homes singing songs in praise of Lord Vishnu and accept offerings from people), gangireddulu (decorated bulls) added to colour to the Sankranti festivities.