The Telugu community in Jamshedpur celebrated the Sankranti festival with great religious enthusiasm on Thursday. This three-day harvest festival began on Wednesday with Bhogi Manta, a traditional bonfire ceremony.
Traditional Rituals and Beliefs
Community members decorated their homes beautifully with rangoli designs, fresh flowers, and mango leaves. They lit fire pits as part of the Bhogi tradition. Many people bathed in water heated over these bonfires, believing it holds medicinal properties.
Jammi Bhaskar, a Telugu community leader and coordinator of the Jharkhand State Religious Trust for East Singhbhum, explained this practice. "There's a common belief that water heated on the bhogi fire pit has the power to cure diseases," he said.
Prayers and Offerings
Devotees offered prayers to various deities throughout the festival. They prepared special delicacies using freshly harvested ingredients. On Thursday, which marked the second day of celebrations, many people offered prayers to the Sun God.
They also honored their ancestors with traditional food offerings. These included rice, kheer, dal, mixed vegetables, and various sweet dishes. Later in the day, families dressed in new clothes visited temples together to offer their prayers.
Community Gatherings at Temples
The Andhra Bhakta Sree Rama Mandiram in Bistupur served as the main celebration venue. The temple witnessed large crowds of devotees and celebrants. People from all backgrounds joined together in prayer at this location.
Married women at the temple participated in a special ritual. They distributed haldi (turmeric powder) and kumkum (vermilion powder) among themselves. This act served as both a greeting and a blessing for each other's well-being and their husbands' long lives.
The celebrations concluded with temple visitors receiving pulihora (tamarind rice) as prasadam.
Historical Significance of Local Temples
Shakar Rao, former president of the temple committee, shared insights about local religious sites. "Ram Mandiram remains a popular religious place for the Telugu community people of the city since its foundation year in 1919," he noted.
Rao added that people also visit other important temples on this special day. These include Sri Venkateswara temple in Sidhgora, Kali Mata temple in Tinplate, and Bhubaneshwari temple in Telco.
The Sankranti festival will conclude with Kanuma celebrations on Friday, completing the three-day harvest festival observance in Jamshedpur.
