After a brief hiatus, families return home

Visakhapatnam: As most schools and colleges remained closed for Sankranti vacation till January 19, the working class considers the extended weekend a great getaway from the daily grind. Aligning with their wards’ vacation time, a majority of employees took a break from work and spent time with their families, planning for short trips. However, with the vacation coming to an end, many of them reached Visakhapatnam on Sunday as they intend to resume work after the much-required break.

Those who went to their hometowns mention that it is nothing but therapeutic to spend time with family and the loved ones that too during the beginning of the year. “Work has become extremely stressful these days. Taking a break from work is something I look forward to. And the family time spent in the past few days will keep me recharged for a long time,” shares N. Murali Krishna, an employee working in a private organisation after returning from Bengaluru.

While some planned to head to their hometowns to celebrate Pongal with parents, others decided to relax and unwind, making short trips to nearby destinations.

For some, vacation time is meant to plan for parties. “We invited relatives home for Sankranti festival. The feast dished out during at-home parties was something that all of us could involve and take turns. Such combined celebration has turned out to be rare nowadays,” says G Krishnaveni, who is working in a garment showroom.

Along with a fleet of trains, private buses and RTC buses plied with full capacity on Sunday as a number of families returned home after a brief hiatus.