Bhogi celebrated with gusto

Tirupati: Bhogi was celebrated with religious fervour and traditional zeal throughout the district on Monday. People woke up in the wee hours to make bonfire as per the custom in front of their houses, apartments and other places.

The Minister for IT and Panchayat Raj N Lokesh has participated in the event along with his family members before dawn at their house in Naravaripalle in Chandragiri mandal.

Speaking on the occasion, the Minister said that the village culture and traditions reflect during the Sankranti festival and it can be called as festival of nature, farmers and animals.

He wished the people on the occasion of festival and said that everyone should be wealthy and healthy and reap a good harvest this year. Lokesh said that, the aspirations of people should be as high as the kites, who fly against all odds with the air.

People should also take kites as inspiration and take various situations as challenge and fight back to reach higher goals, he further said and exhorted district officials, public representatives and people to strive hard to keep the district at number one position in development activities. Later, he left for Tirumala with some of the family members to have darshan of Lord Venkateswara.

Tollywood hero and Hindupur MLA N Balakrishna has reached the village a little later and conveyed his Sankranti greetings to the Telugu people. The flower and sweet shops were buzzed with activity in the pilgrim city and women enthusiastically participated in drawing Rangolis showcasing their talent and exhibiting the culture.

They kept Gobbemmas (made of Cow dung) in the middle of Rangolis and danced to the tune of ‘Gobbiayalo…Gobbiayalo’. People have exchanged pleasantries with neighbours and visited temples following the custom.