Mon Jan 13 00:00:00 UTC 2025: ## Bhogi Festival: Cleansing Fires and New Beginnings Mark Sankranti Celebrations
**Hyderabad, January 12, 2025** – The vibrant Sankranti festival, a major celebration in South India, began today with Bhogi, a day dedicated to cleansing and new beginnings. Bhogi marks the first day of the four-day festival, which also includes Sankranti, Kanuma, and Mukkanuma. Observed with great devotion, Bhogi involves the symbolic burning of unwanted items in bonfires, signifying the discarding of negativity from the past year.
According to tradition, the bonfires, known as “Bhogi mantalu,” are fueled with old belongings, dry stalks (“gobbammalu”), and the wood of various medicinal plants, including mango. Some believe adding cow dung cakes and ghee to the fire creates a powerful wind, while others see it as a way to honor Agni (the fire god) and Vayu (the wind god). The practice is also linked to a mythological tale of vanquishing the demon, Ruru, representing the eradication of harmful microorganisms and negative qualities.
Children eagerly participate in the festivities, receiving “Bhogi pandlu” (Bhogi sweets), and many homes display “bommala koluvu” (decorative dolls). Evening rituals include lighting the fires and performing specific ceremonies.
Astrologers suggest various remedies to ward off ill fortune, including circling a bundle of camphor, white mustard seeds, and Gomati chakra around the bonfire before tossing it into the flames. They also recommend applying the ashes from the bonfire to the forehead, chest, and hands and chanting the mantra “Shriya micchethu huthasanath” eleven times to invite prosperity.
The Bhogi festival is not merely a symbolic burning of the old but also a vibrant celebration of renewal and the hope for a prosperous year ahead. The festival is a reminder of the cyclical nature of life, where letting go of the past makes way for new beginnings and opportunities.
First Piper 