Vijayawada soaks in the joy of Sankranti

Vijayawada: Sankranti celebrations organised by Vijayawada Municipal Corporation at the Indira Gandhi Municipal Corporation Stadium evoked good response from the people, VMC employees, corporators and others. In response to the call given by Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu to host Sankranti celebrations in every village, town and corporation in the state, the corporation arranged the celebrations in the stadium.

Municipal Commissioner J Nivas attended the celebrations in dhoti and shirt. Zilla Parishad Chairperson Gadde Anuradha, Vijayawada Central MLA Bonda Umamaheswara Rao, Deputy Mayor Gogula Venkata Ramana, municipal corporators, officials and a large number of people participated in the celebrations.

Interestingly, the Commissioner, MLA Bonda Umamaheswara Rao and others played traditional games and flew kites in the stadium. Traditional games are fast vanishing due to urbanisation and change of life style. The corporation made arrangements to play traditional games in order to make people to be aware of them.

Women and girls wearing traditional garments enthusiastically played tokkudu billa reminding the rural culture of the Telugu state. Bhogi mantalu was also lit in the stadium to remind the people of Bhogi. Bulls were decorated and brought to the stadium to display the long bond between existing between the humans and bulls in society.

Bulls were decorated in a traditional way as Gagireddus were brought to the stadium to exhibit in the stadium. J Nivas, Gadde Anuradha, Bonda Umamaheswara Rao, Gogula Ramana Rao and corporators greeted the people on the occasion of Bhogi.

Sankranti fete organised at Siddhartha Public School also evoked good response from the people. Several men, women and children enthusiastically participated in the celebrations reminding the rural areas of the state and vanishing traditions of Telugu people. Traditional Bhogi mantalu was also arranged in the early morning in many parts of the city.