Parks and gardens throughout Hubballi came alive with vibrant celebrations as families enthusiastically gathered to mark Makar Sankranti. Popular locations like Unkal Lake Garden, Indira Gandhi Glass House, Nrupatunga Betta, and numerous smaller parks buzzed with festive energy. Families shared laughter, stories, and traditional meals under the open sky.
A Feast of Tradition in the Open Air
Families brought an impressive array of homemade dishes to the parks. The spread included rotis, chutney pudi, sweet madli made from wheat and jaggery, ennegai brinjal curry, sesame holige, spicy karindi chutney, curd, curd rice, and palav. Susmita Hongal from Sirur Park explained that celebrating Sankranti outdoors has become a cherished family ritual. She said, "We select a different spot each year for our family lunch. Eating together in the park, surrounded by nature and enjoying all these special dishes, creates immense happiness for everyone."
Honoring North Karnataka Culinary Heritage
Anitha Meti, a resident of Raj Nagar, emphasized the significance of traditional North Karnataka cuisine during the festival. "Jolad Roti Utta holds a very special place for us. We prepare Butti Utta alongside jaggery-based sweets, various gravies, chutneys, and other delicacies. Celebrating with friends and relatives multiplies the festive joy," she noted.
Pongal Celebrations Add to the Festive Tapestry
Meanwhile, over one hundred Tamil families celebrated Pongal with great pomp and tradition at Good Shed Road. They prepared sweet Pongal using rice, milk or water, jaggery, and aromatic spices like cumin, pepper, and ghee. This dish symbolizes gratitude for a prosperous harvest and is traditionally offered to the Sun God.
Samman Kumar Manuswamy shared that his family, now in its fifth generation in Hubballi, has observed Pongal for many decades. "Approximately one hundred members gathered, along with people from other communities. We cooked sweet Pongal using eight kilograms of rice and offered it to the Sun. Afterwards, we distributed it as prasad to everyone present," he stated. He added that the event beautifully reflected the communal harmony within the city.
Sankranti Celebrations Extend to Belagavi District
In Belagavi district, the Sogala Someshwara fair took place with great fanfare along the banks of the Malaprabha River in Bailhongal taluk. The floating chariot utsav, or teppotsavam, on the river formed the main attraction of the fair. Thousands of devotees participated, taking holy dips and seeking darshan of the deity.
A similar floating chariot festival occurred on Wednesday in the Malaprabha River near Kumareshwar Alur Mutt in Munavalli. Devotees also took holy dips at the Gangambika temple near MK Hubballi and near Chikkahattiholi village in Khanapur taluk, continuing the sacred traditions associated with the harvest festival.
