Bhogi

The day before Sankranti we celebrate the eve of bhogi. While sankranti is the festival of new harvest and fills us with the promise of a new beginning bhogi is celebrated by burning the old. On the day of bhogi, everyone wakes up before sunrise and start to collect firewood and start a bonfire. The dried cowdung cakes are thrown into the bon fire and along with it the old and and unused things. In villages these bonfires are set at a specified location for the whole village to come and enjoy. Since this is a cold season this bonfire is a welcome sight to all as people sing and dance around it.

Bhogi Pandlu

There is a tradition to pour 'Bhogi pandlu' on children on this day. Every mother looks at the pretty faces of her children and thinks of them as the little krishna himself and wishes to pour bhogi pandlu over them and enjoy the festivities. The children are given head bath and are dressed in new clothes, a 'tilakam' is adored on their fore head and make them offer obeisance to God. The image of Sri Krishna is prayed to and placed, a oil lamp is lit infront of the image and the children are seated beside the image. Mangala harati is sang before the children, then bhogi padlu are poured first over the image of Sri Krishna and then three times over the children.

Bhogi Pandla Songs