Sankranti memories: How food, kites and village rituals shape festive nostalgia

Sankranti arrives as a pause at the start of the year — a festival rooted in harvest, homecoming and shared rituals. It is remembered through simple, tactile moments: kites cutting through winter skies, fresh muggus traced at dawn, journeys back to villages, and meals shaped by the season’s first produce. For many, these memories form the emotional grammar of Sankranti, carried forward even as celebrations shift from fields and terraces to apartments and city streets.

Nandini Reddy
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Nandini Reddy, director

“I was brought up by my maternal family in Telangana, so Sankranti was largely about kites. I remember being on the terrace with friends and family, flying kites all day with music playing. Trips to Charminar to buy kites and manja were part of the ritual, as was running through lanes to catch drifting kites. I learnt early how to tie the string, roll the charkha, and manage different kinds of pench.”

Actor Thiruveer
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

P. Thiruveer, actor

“I was born in Mamidpally, Nizamabad district, and moved to Hyderabad’s Old City after Class VI. My city memories of Sankranti revolve around building Gobbemma — collecting fresh cow dung, garika grass, and regi pandulu. In the village, the festival stretched over three days. Fresh bengal gram drying outside homes signalled Sankranti, meant for bobbatlu. I also remember nuvvulu rotte. On Kanuma, my father and I would walk to the village square to collect our share of mutton, measured by kuppa, carried home in a tiffin box. This year is special — it is our first Sankranti with our baby. In apartment life, I miss chariot muggu and asking the local English expert to write ‘Happy Sankranti’.”

Madhu Reddy, permaculture farmer

“Our apartment was among the first five-storeyed buildings in the area, so neighbours and friends gathered on our terrace to fly kites. I remember repairing torn kites with home-made glue, careful not to add weight. Food memories are bobbatlu and sakinalu. I grew up in Delhi and Goa, so Sankranti blends with Lohri — rewdi, bonfires, roasting hara channa, and long conversations about home.”

Rajeshwar Reddy, artist

“Sankranti brings families together and celebrates Nature’s bounty. I grew up in Vizianagaram, where decorated bulls, detailed muggus, and shared food marked the festival. My father, a folk artist, painted a new Sankranti scene every year — people, animals, food, and games — hung up as part of the celebration.”

Annapurna Madipadiga

Depiction of Prabhala Theertham by E Rohini Kumar

Annapurna Madipadiga, art curator

“My father moved from Sakuru in East Godavari to Hyderabad for studies, but after turning 60, he built a house in the village. Every Sankranti, we return to meet cousins and extended family. My mother would make pottikka buttalu, a dish we ate only then. Our small village, dotted with coconut farms, turns festive during Prabhala Theertham, when colourful structures are carried between villages. These traditions continue. I also have a painting by my father, E. Rohini Kumar, that captures the spirit of the festival.”