Bhogi festival

Bhogi is the first day of Sankranthi festival.There are many other reasons why the festival is called Bhogi. Since this day provide Bhogabhagyam, wealth and luck to the people it is called Bhogi. India is a agriculture based country Harvest is brought home by the time of Sankranthi. All the houses of farmers will be full of grains.

Bhogi History :

Even in Indian history also there is an importance to the Bhogi festival. The life of Bhagavad Ramanuja explains this. This incident happened in 800 AC. There was a devotee of Vishnu by name Vishnu Chittudu in Sri Villi Puttur. He finds a girl in a Tulasi garden and named her Goda Devi. Vishnu Chittudu considers the girl as his daughter and brings her up. When she attained marriageable age, she refused to marry any other person other than the God himself. She performs Dhanurmasa vratam to marry Lord Vishnu. She writes Tiruppavai praising the God for thirty days. On the next day Lord Vishnu appears before her and asks her to come to Sri Rangam. Vishnu Chittudu takes her to Sri Rangam and gets her married to Lord Sri Ranganatha Swamy, the reigning deity of Sri Rangam. As Goda Devi enters the sanctum sanctorum, she disappears. Since that day was Bhogi, devotees perform the marriage of Goda Devi on that day.

Bhogi Rituals and customs :

On the Bhogi day people lit huge bonfires in the early mornings. All the useless things in the house are thrown in this fire. Gobbillu which were kept in the rangolis since the last one month are dried and thrown in the fire. Pongal is also cooked on this day. It is believed that if people get up early in the morning and take head bath, all the ill effects can be removed. In the evening women invite other women to their homes. Small children in the house are given new clothes. They are given Aarti and are showered Bhogi pallu which consist gooseberries, sugar cane pieces and flowers. It is believed that this procedure will protect childern  from evil forces.

Bhogi celebrations :

All the houses are cleaned and washed on the eve of Bhogi. Mango leaves and marigold flowersare used to decorate the houses. Rangolis are drawn in front of the houses and are decorated with flowers and colors. Cow-dung balls which are called Gobbillu are placed in the middle of the Muggu. Pumpkin flowers and marigolds are used in the decoration of gobbillu. Girls and women dance around these gobbillu singing songs.

2017 date : 13^th January.