Sankranti was celebrated with gaiety and religious fervour in Hyderabad on Saturday.
If the mornings saw families in colourful attire making a beeline to the temples, the afternoon witnessed a different kind of celebration. Eyes were turned to the skies as families took to kite-flying on terraces and spotting cut kites flying in the air.
Some open-air spaces like Necklace Road, NTR Stadium, Begum Bazar, Dhoolpet, Parade Ground, Musi river bed, Golconda Fort, Feelkhana and hillocks that dot the city were turned into battlegrounds with the results flying in the air.
For a change, the shopkeepers at Koka ki Tatti, Gulzar Houz and Dhoolpet had broad grins on their faces. “On Friday, it rained in many parts of the city and I was worried. Today, it is cloudy but there is no chance of rain. The buyers are coming from many parts of the city,” said a shopkeeper who had set up a lone stall near Purana Pul, as the day began.
Manja injury
The ban on synthetic glass thread known as ‘Chinese Manja’ remained only on paper as the charak or chakri was easily available. Ironically, the shops displayed notices put up by the Forest department about the dangers of Chinese manja.
The dangers of Chinese manja became evident after Kukatpally resident Charith Juluri was injured by the glass thread while returning home at 11 a.m. “I was driving slowly. If my vehicle speed was higher God alone knows what might have happened. I will take up the issue with police once I recover,” said Mr. Juluri.
