‘Sankranthi Sambaralu' ends on a high note

The three-day celebrations organised by Guntur Municipal Corporation “Sankranthi Sambaralu” on the premises of NTR Municipal Stadium ended on Sunday evening on a high note.

The highlight of the festivities was a musical nite held on Saturday which was a hit among the audience.

It began with a ‘Kuchipudi' dance by Ajay Kumar of Vijayawada. The night was made memorable by some lilting numbers from dance and song troupes drawn from the district. A comedy show by Komala Sisters was among the highlights. Joint Collector A. Sharath too joined the party by rendering a verse from the classical hit number “Sankarabharanam.”

District Collector B. Ramanjaneyulu and other senior officers along with their families were present. Municipal Commissioner M.M. Naik was complimented for his planning and organisation which made the event a success.

The prize distribution ceremony was held on Sunday.

The three-day event kicked off on Friday on a ceremonial note. Competitions in cricket and badminton would be held for corporators, corporation employees and media persons. Musical chairs competition was also held for women and followed by cultural events in the evening.

Competitions in swimming, kite flying, Rangoli, traditional dress competitions, well baby show and dance baby dance shows were conducted.

On Sunday, a cycle race was held from B.R. Stadium to NTR Stadium

The festivities which came to an end on Sunday also lifted the spirits of the sweet makers. Though the build up to the festival was luke warm considering the setback to farmers, the business picked up just on time and was marked by an unprecedented demand for these traditional sweets. The most popular of the traditional sweets ‘aresalu' (sweetened rice pancake fried in ghee), was in great demand followed by other items made of rice like, ‘chakra pongali', ‘Chekkalu, ‘kobbari burelu' or ‘pala thalikalu'. “We make sure that the stock of ‘aresalu' is never exhausted. During festive season, our men work throughout the night and get them ready by morning,” said Ch. Madhu of Swagruha Foods.