As the sun transits from the southern hemisphere to the north, it’s time for celebration because the end of winter is nigh and farmers can look forward to fresh beginnings. The harvest festival is celebrated in various States in different forms with different customs. Sweets, kites and rangolis are integral to Makara Sankranthi. But in South India, the festival gives a unique space to cattle. From worshipping the animals to making them race and trying to tame them, the festival features a range of ways the animals are treated.
In Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, bulls colourfully decorated with flowers and garments, called Gangireddu , mark the beginning of Sankranthi festivities. The Gangireddu community take their decorated bull house to house seeking alms. Bulls are also made to perform in front of an audience, who pray for good fortunes and harvest. Bull races are also common here during the festival.
In Karnataka, the festivities become hardcore when cows and bulls are made to walk through fire. The age-old Kicchu Hayisuvudu ritual is believed to bring good fortune for the people and protect them from harm. The animals are given extra care during the day of the ritual. At night, they are decorated with garlands and bells before forcing them through raging flames.
Tamil Nadu marks the Pongal festival with the famous and much-debated sport of Jallikattu . Young men attempt to tame a bull, trained all year to avoid capture, in an arena in an attempt to gain ‘glory’. While the way the animals are treated often attracts criticism, they do form a crucial aspect of the festival for a majority and they can’t imagine a Makara Sankranthi without the presence of the animals.
(Text by Vighnesh P. Venkitesh)
Photo: K. BHAGYA PRAKASH
Rite of fire: Decorated bulls and cows made to walk on fire as a ritual on the occasion of Makara Sankranti in Bengaluru.
Photo: KOMMURI SRINIVAS
Running the show: A bull race on the occasion of the Sankranti festival in Prakasam district in Andhra Pradesh.