Andhra Pradesh, Telangana bask in Sankranti fervour

The three-day Makara Sankranti festivities continued in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana with 'Kanuma' being celebrated on the last day today.
Cows, bullocks and farm implements are decorated and offered prayers by farmers in villages as a thanksgiving gesture on the last day of the harvest festival today.
The festivities began on Thursday with 'Bhogi'. A traditional 'Bhogi mantalu' (bonfire) is lit on the day before dawn with cow dung cakes and old household items thrown into the fire.
The second day of the festival is Sankranti which marks the transition of the Sun into the zodiac sign of 'Makara' (capricorn) on its celestial path.

Thousands of people travelled from Hyderabad,Visakhapatnam and other cities in the two states to their native places to celebrate the festival.
Buses and trains, going to AP districts from Hyderabad, witnessed heavy rush of passengers. The Secunderabad-headquartered South Central Railway and the state-run State Road Transport Corporation arranged special buses to cater public.

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu spoke to the Railway Board Chairman for Railways to run special services, a release from his office said.
Meanwhile, the children and youth of the city were flying kites made in various hues. The Telangana government banned the sale of nylon threads coated with glass powder, popularly known as 'Chinese Manza', to save birds and others.

Cock fights were reportedly being conducted in the remote villages of East and West Godavari, Visakhapatnam and other districts of AP though they are not allowed as per court orders, according to reports reaching here.
The cockfights are conducted with the cocks having been fed on a special menu and made to fight with small knives tied to their legs. Money also changes hands on the cockfights.
The organisers of the cockfights, however, insist that the cockfights are part of the tradition like Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu.
"We would like to bring different genres of music in a
live format to people at all levels of society through series of concerts in diverse environments. The International Classical Guitar Festivals of the previous years received rave reviews. We aim to organise a bigger festival and better experience this year. Apart from the concerts, hundreds of young guitarists are also going to receive Master classes from the acclaimed musicians. It is heartening to see all the concerts are sold out at this year a week before the opening day," said Mr Sanjay Jain, Managing Director, Siddha Group [https://www.Siddhagroup.Com ].

This is a one-of-its-kind festival hosted in Asia and India. This year the festival will be held at Indian Council for Cultural Relations from 15-18 December. There will be 9 major concerts, workshops, public master classes and competition where the total prize money is $8000.
Representation has come in from countries like Vietnam, Germany, France, Indonesia, Thailand and Bangladesh.
About Siddha Group:
Home is where you discover the real you. Siddha's aim is to develop high quality homes within your budget and add to your pleasant discoveries. Since its inception in 1986, Siddha has been crafting residential and commercial spaces with a difference, to make good living affordable in Kolkata and Jaipur. The work has recently spread to Bengaluru and Mumbai.