A Sankranti story
The day begins bright and colourful
with pathways leading to homes decorated in colourful muggu.
Pretty much everyone wakes up early to decorate the pathways and entrances to their homes.
But, it cannot be just any ordinary muggu today. It has to be decorated with gobbemma’s :
(Trivia – Gobbemma or Gobbillu are considered as incarnation of Goddess Gauri, and are essentially cones/balls shaped out of cow manure. These are decorated with turmeric, kumkuma and flowers. )
Neighbours try to outdo each others Sankranti decorations, and so, they get creative. Like, including objects to signify the pongal pot
or, incorporating the ratham , without actually drawing one 🙂
Once the homes are decorated and pongal prepared, everyone gets ready for the evening’s festivities in their traditional best.
Makeshift kite shops pop up on each street
and there is a constant flow of shoppers picking up kites by the dozen.
Children can be found clutching onto kites through the day.
Come evening, the ‘sound systems’ are set up and loudspeakers play the latest Bollywood and Tollywood numbers
as everyone alights on the roofs of their homes, all set for kite flying.