The effervescent spirit of Sankranti filled the school premises of Sri Prakash Vidyaniketan with students taking part in a host of traditional programmes to celebrate the festival on Sunday. As most schools have a three-day vacation, the festival is celebrated early for students to get a glimpse of traditional Sankranti celebrations.
The festivities began with the entry of the ‘Basavannas’, the uniquely attired alms-seekers with ornately decorated ox.
Dressed up in traditional attire, a group of children presented the ancient story-telling art of ‘Burrakatha’ and also highlighted the changing dynamics of this age-old tradition.
Contests
Students and parents participated with great enthusiasm in ‘rangoli’ and ‘Sankranti Suruchulu’ competitions. Festive special sweets such as ‘rava laddu’ and ‘sunnundalu’ were prepared by the students.
“This is my first try in making ‘rava laddu’ and I am thrilled to get good appreciation for it,” said Balivaba Jithin, a student of Class VI. The total environment in the school resembled the traditional festivities of rural Andhra Pradesh.
JAAP celebrations
It was a grand spectacle for members of the Journalist Association of Andhra Pradesh (JAAP), who participated in the Sankranti festivities at Shivaji Park.
Traditional folk performances of ‘Tapetagullu’, ‘Chekkabhajana’, and ‘Dhimsa’ captivated the audience.
Ministers — Ch. Ayyanna Patrudu and Velagapudi Ramakrishna Babu — and CMR Group MD Mavuri Venkata Ramana were present on the occasion.