Sankranti checklist: Traditions and rituals every family follows

For South Indians, Sankranti is the most memorable time of the year. The three-day festival, in some regions a four-day festival, is celebrated wholeheartedly across India, with South Indians going all out, as this is their main festival. During this festive season, Vizag bursts into colourful hues with traditional decor and colourful kite stalls set up across the city. Vizagites leave no stone unturned to make the most out of this festival. Here is a Sankranti checklist of things that every family does during Sankranti:

Sankranti is considered the best time to reconnect with family and friends. To celebrate this festival with loved ones, people from other cities, states, and even abroad fly back to their hometowns. The highest volume of international travel to India occurs between December and January, as NRIs and other travellers return home during this period.

The festive season is also a time when entire families, starting from grandparents to grandchildren, come together under one roof. In some families, celebrations are held at different homes on various days of the festival. Everyone dresses in traditional attire, enjoys cheerful family photo sessions, and spends quality time playing games like housie, board games, and cards.

Kite flying is the most awaited part of the festival, celebrated in various parts of the country, including Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Varanasi, and, of course, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Many families do it from their rooftop, while some communities organise group kite-flying activities and competitions. Many flock to the beaches to take the shenanigans on another level.

The first thing that comes to mind when thinking about this festival is definitely the food. From the delicious pulihora to the crunchy, mouth-watering garilu and from a variety of kalabura to perugu garilu, all these mouth-watering homemade delicacies are made in generous amounts to ensure there is more than enough for everyone.

Sathwika, an IT professional from Delhi and a native of Visakhapatnam, returned to her hometown to celebrate the festival with her loved ones. She says that every year, her NRI family members fly to India as it coincides with the Winter vacation abroad. She fondly notes that in her family, they come together towards the cooking and festive chores. She also humorously adds that some men in her family make better cooks than the women, citing the example of her own father and grandfather.

Most families opt to visit their native rural villages. Some also invite their dear ones from the villages here. During this time, a high number of tourists from Odhisha and West Bengal travel to Vizag to enjoy the festive shenanigans in the city. Sathwika also notes that theatres and restaurants run at maximum capacity, packed with guests and non-locals.

We are confident that if you have ticked off even half of the items on this mandatory Sankranti checklist, you have undoubtedly had a memorable Sankranti celebration and created memories that will last until next year!

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