Makara Sankranti celebrated in city

Mysuru: Makara Sankranti, the first festival of the year was celebrated with joy and enthusiasm, across the district on Tuesday.

The festival, mainly involving womenfolk, saw the women and girl children dressed in new clothes, distributing the packets of ellu-bella (mix of til and jaggery, along with roasted ground nuts and a piece of sugarcane), marking the significance of the festival.

Like any other festival, that won’t be complete without the theists worshipping the Gods and Goddesses, the people were seen rushing towards the temples, mainly those of Shiva, Mahadeshwara and Ganapati Temples, seeking the divine intervention in fulfilling their wishes on Sankranti day. Majority of the temples witnessed a heavy rush, as those who had bought new vehicles, had lined up their vehicles for puja.

With this, the automobile industry that had witnessed a slump due to Dhanurmasa (from Dec. 16, 2024), was back on a roll, with those willing to own new vehicles, buying them for Sankranti, hoping for prosperity.

The ghettos in the city like Agrahara, K.G. Koppal, Kumbar Koppal, Paduvarahalli, Ittigegud, M.G. Koppal, Janatha Nagar, Nazarbad, among several others to name a few, where the cattle-rearers still eke out their living by selling milk, saw the cows and oxen decorated in turmeric colour, with their horns painted in different hues, after bathing them.

The ritual of Kichchu Haayisuvudu (Jumping Across the Fireline), where the dried grass is set on fire and the cows and oxen are made to jump over the fire, with the cattle-rearers running along with the cattles, holding them with the ropes, was celebrated in most of these localities.

Siddalingapura off Mysuru-Bengaluru Road in Mysuru taluk, where the Kichchu Haayisuvudu ritual is celebrated on a big scale on the service road, with hundreds of cattle brought from the neighbouring villages, saw a huge turnout of locals and tourists alike, driving from Bengaluru, along with cameras, only to capture the moments on their lens.

While in the villages, the farm produces, grass and other essentials were spread and offered a traditional puja, besides taking out the procession of village deities.

Sri Ayyappaswamy Temple at the foot of Chamundi Hill, that attracts a sea of devotees on Sankranti festival, witnessed Laksha Deepotsava with hundreds of Ayyappa Maladharis taking part in the annual ritual.

MLAs G.T. Devegowda and T.S. Srivatsa inaugurated the ceremony. Sri Ayyappaswamy Temple Committee President Srinivas, Haridas, Surendra, former President Mamballi Papegowda and others were present during the occasion.