Berhampur: Telugu community celebrated Pongal in presence of South India’s popular actor P Sai Kumar at a function in Berhampur of Odisha’s Ganjam district on Sunday.
The function was organised by Andhra Bhashabhivardhani Samajam (ABS) and about 50 Telugu social, literary and cultural organisations to celebrate ‘Sankranti Sambaraalu’ of the festival at Prakasam Hall in the city.
Sai Kumar, who has reigned in Telugu, Tamil and Kannada films for the last half a century, was brought up in Berhampur. His wife Surekha is also a native of Berhampur.
Sai Kumar, popularly known as ‘Dialogue King’, attended the festival as guest of honour and delivered some of his film dialogues to the appreciation of the gathering.
The Telugu people, wearing new dresses, greeted each other with ‘Happy Pongal’ on the occasion. Odia people also joined them in the celebration. The entire place was decorated with colourful rangolis and ‘Bhogi’ with ‘Gobbammalu’ was also performed at the evene.
On the occasion of ‘Sankranti Sambaraalu’, a traditional harvesting festival, delicious ‘Pongali’ is prepared with newly harvested rice, dal, jaggery, dry fruits, sugar and milk.
The Telugus in Ganjam participated in Sankranti celebrations in their own way by drawing spectacular rangolis, setting up bonfires and organising cultural shows. While the first day of the festival was celebrated as ‘Bhogi’ on January 14, the second day would be celebrated as ‘Pongal’ or Makar Sankranti. It will be followed by ‘Kanuma’ on January 16 and ‘Mukknam’ on January 17.
Chandra Sekhar Sahu, Berhampur MP; Bikram Kumar Panda, Berhampur MLA; Sanghamitra Dalei, Berhampur mayor and Ramesh Chandra Chyau Patnaik, Member, State Planning Board attended the function.
