Bhogi 2021: What bhogi means? How is it celebrated?

New Delhi, Jan 13: Bhogi is the first day of four-day Pongal festival known as Makar Sankranti. It is majorly celebrated in the southern states of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

Why do we celebrate bhogi?:

Bhogi is the day dedicated to Lord Indra-the deity of rain and clouds. Farmers worship Indra to seek his blessings for a good harvest that would bring wealth and prosperity to them. Hence this day is also known as Indran.

How is Bhogi celebrated?

Women wear new clothes and chant mantras around the holy fire. They clean their house and draw rangoli of colors and flowers in front of their house. People also decorate their house with marigold garlands and mango leaves.

Bhogi celebrations:

Bhogi celebrations in Andhra Pradesh have common rituals involving of lighting the bon fire in times, when all old articles in the house mostly the cloth items are used for feeding the fire which ritual goes till early morning hours.

On Bhogi day and the following three days, the homes will wear a festive look, front yards decorated with rangoli, in the midst of which yellow flowers are kept, to give fragrances and color.

Sugar Cane plants are tied in front of the house, so also the green plants with the roots of turmeric, indicating the sweetness and auspiciousness of the season.

VP Naidu celebrates Bhogi with family in Goa

Vice President Venkaiah Naidu early on Wednesday celebrated Bhogi with his family at Raj Bhawan in Goa. Bhogi marks the beginning of the four-day Pongal festival. "Bhogi is the festival of change. Derelict articles and negative ideas are discarded and a new energy is welcomed into people's homes. It is symbolised by lighting a bonfire or Bhogi Mantalu," the official Twitter handle of the Vice President tweeted.