Bhogi

The festival Bhogi is celebrated in the names of Bhogi Pandigai, Bhogi Pallu, Lohri etc in different parts of the Country, all of them connoting the Makar Sankranti, which means the Sun entering the Zodiac sign of Makara, the sign of Capricorn, which is considered to be sacred because of the change of season, leading to Prosperity.

Bhogi being the day denoting the harvest season, major importance is given to feasts prepared at home and all the family members eating together to celebrate the function.
It is in following the day of Bhogi, the southern part of the country, particularly Tamilnadu; they celebrate the Harvest Festival, which is known as Pongal. Pongal literally means something growing in abundance and it is applied to the milk reaching the boiling point with abundance in shape, and also rice cooked with Jaggery and milk, to make a plentiful feast item. This Jaggery rice is called Sarkarai Pongal in Tamilnadu.

Bhogi is the beginning of a three day celebration in the southern parts of India, first day all homes discarding the old cloths and used items and burning them by raising a bonfire, next day the family celebrating by preparing rich feast and the third day celebrations are observed in honor of the cattle, particularly cow. The third day festival is called Mattu Pongal, also Kaanum Pongal, referred as Kanu in certain homes. The third day functions also includes a ritual observed the women folks of the family, offering food items to birds in the traditional manner, which is done for the welfare of their male siblings. This ritual is similar to Bhai Dhooj, Bhau Beej, Bhai Tika; Bhai Phota etc celebrated in the various part of the country, in different days of the year.

History

Bhogi is a festival preceding the day of Makar Sankranti day of the year, more popular in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, the celebration of which festival dates back more than 1000 years, as estimated by Epigraphic studies. This festival celebrated in Tamilnadu those days, Chola kingdom had called it Puthyeedu linking it to the harvest season, nowadays the festival being observed as Pongal.

Bhogi celebrations in Andhra Pradesh have common rituals involving of lighting the bon fire in times, when all old articles in the house mostly the cloth items are used for feeding the fire which ritual goes till early morning hours.

On Bhogi day and the following three days, the homes will wear a festive look, front yards decorated with rangoli, in the midst of which yellow flowers are kept, to give fragrances and color.

Sugar Cane plants are tied in front of the house, so also the green plants with the roots of turmeric, indicating the sweetness and auspiciousness of the season.

The Festival

Makar Sankranti, being a harvest festival, begins with enormous joy and enthusiasm among people who set bonfires on the streets using agricultural and household wastes to mark 'Bhogi', in Southern part of the country, particularly in Andhra Pradesh.

The celebrations start very early in the morning, people cleaning their houses and they  burn old things with the faith that their lives would prosper then on, while some of the people would wear new cloths on this day.

Bhogi is said to be celebrated in honor of Indira, the chief of Hindu deities, and all the people, Men, women and children go around the bonfires with prayers, some singing the traditional songs and few dancing too. These joyous moments are mostly found among people of agricultural community

In Andhra Pradesh, people  thoroughly clean  their houses, women folk form balls  out of  cow-dung called 'Gobbemma' and organize them along the Rangoli they draw for the occasion in front of their houses.

They also go for procuring freshly harvested rice, turmeric and sugarcane, decorate the houses with marigold flowers, mango leaves and other flower varieties, making the houses look festive.

Special prayers are offered in temples, after which the families prepare variety of dishes, especially Pongal, an important food item made with raw rice and dhal, some portion of it with Jaggery.

Different parts of the country, celebrate Bhogi in different styles, which include decorating the houses with Rangoli, kite flying by all ages, decoration of bulls, organizing cockfights, conducting bull-races and few other rural sports conducted in every village.

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