Kurnool: Unique Ugadi celebrations stand cancelled: Corona scare

Kurnool: Due to prevailing Covid-19 threat, the unique Ugadi festivities in the district were cancelled this year. The unique festival is celebrated at Kairuppala village in Aspari mandal wherein the people hurl cow dung cakes on one another. The celebration is called Peddanuggulata (pidakala samaram). This will be celebrated on the next day after Ugadi, the Telugu New Year.

There is a story behind the tradition. When Veerabhadra Swamy, a Lingayat, wanted to marry Kalika Devi, a woman from SC community, there were clashes between the two communities. To bring peace, the village headmen intervened and arranged the marriage. To mark the occasion, every year after Ugadi, the village heads sit together after the dung fight and perform the marriage of Veerabhadra Swamy. Villagers from the Lingayat, Reddy and Muslim communities represent Veerabhadra Swamy's side while the SC, Yadav and Kuruma communities represent Kalika's side.

Local temple committee chairman, Madhusudhan Reddy said that the celebrations were cancelled due to coronavirus. In a similar manner, the Choudeeswari Ugadi Utsavams in Kallur under Kurnool Municipal Corporation limits are conducted in a different manner. The people would first make a mud slush round the temple and donkeys would be made to go rounds in the mud, this is called "Gadidala Pradikshana". Donkeys from various places in the city would be taken as procession and later the animals are made to go around the temple wading through the mud.

After that, the donkeys would be given a good bath, decorated and even worshiped. The Kallur Cooperative Society president Mallela Pullareddy said that the celebrations have been cancelled due to covid-19.

In Kowthalam village of Yammiganur assembly segment, almanac reading session is performed at Khadar Linga Dargah every year on Ugadi day. This year it was cancelled. .

The Panchanga Sravanam will be organised at Srisailam temple in a traditional manner, the EO KS Rama Rao said. But the devotees are not allowed to listen.