Festivals

Deepavali, the festival of lights, celebrates the victory of light over darkness. In Andhra Pradesh and Telangana the main day is Naraka Chaturdashi, remembering the fall of Narakasura before Satyabhama and Krishna, followed by Lakshmi puja and rows of lamps.

Karthika Masam, the holiest month of the year for Telugu devotees, is sacred to Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu. It is observed with dawn river baths, daily lamps, Karthika Somavaram fasts, Vana Bhojanalu under the usiri tree and Pancharama darshan, and peaks on Karthika Pournami with the Jwala Thoranam.

Nagula Chavithi is the Telugu festival of serpent worship. Families go to a putta (anthill) early in the morning, pour milk and offer turmeric, kumkum, flowers and chalimidi to the Naga devatas, praying above all for the well-being of their children. It is kept in Karthika and as Naga Panchami in Shravana.

Subrahmanya Shashti – Subbarayudu Shashti in the Telugu lands – is the great festival of Lord Subrahmanya Swamy on Margashira Shukla Shashti. Devotees fast, worship the Lord in his serpent form, pour milk at anthills and pray for the well-being of their children, and the Subrahmanya temples hold their grandest celebrations.

Dhanurmasam is the sacred month when the Sun is in Dhanus. Vishnu temples wake the Lord with Andal's Tiruppavai in the early dawn – at Tirumala it takes the place of the Suprabhatam – and offer pongal as prasadam. The month ends on Bhogi with Goda Kalyanam, the divine wedding of Andal and Lord Ranganatha.

Vaikuntha Ekadasi, called Mukkoti Ekadasi in the Telugu states, is the day the gates of Vaikuntha are believed to open. Vishnu temples open their northern gate for Uttara Dwara Darshanam, drawing lakhs of devotees to Tirumala, Bhadrachalam, Yadadri and Dwaraka Tirumala.

Makara Sankranti, the great harvest festival of the Telugu states, is celebrated over three days – Bhogi, Sankranti and Kanuma – with Bhogi bonfires, muggulu, Haridasulu, Gangireddulu, kite flying and the Kanuma worship of cattle.

On Kanuma, the villages of Konaseema carry their tall, colourful prabhas – representing the eleven Rudras – across paddy fields and canals to Jaggannathathota near Mosalapalli, where, by tradition, the Ekadasa Rudras meet. The centuries-old Prabhala Theertham has been declared a State festival of Andhra Pradesh.

Sri Panchami, also called Vasant Panchami, is the festival of Goddess Saraswati, the giver of knowledge, speech and the arts. Families worship the Goddess along with books and pens, and many children begin their education with Aksharabhyasam – above all at the Gnana Saraswathi temple in Basara.

Ratha Saptami, the birthday of Surya, the Sun God, is celebrated on Magha Shukla Saptami with a sunrise bath under seven jilledu leaves and worship of the Sun. Tirumala holds a one-day Brahmotsavam on seven vahanams, and Arasavalli's Sun temple draws lakhs.

The Sammakka Saralamma Jatara at Medaram in Mulugu district is the great biennial festival of the Koya tribal community, honouring the mother and daughter goddesses Sammakka and Saralamma. Over four days in Magha, millions of devotees come to the forest village to offer bangaram – jaggery – and seek the goddesses' blessings.

Maha Shivaratri, the great night of Lord Shiva, is observed with fasting, night-long jagarana and abhishekam to the Shiva Lingam. In the Telugu states, lakhs gather at Srisailam, Kotappakonda and Keesaragutta.