HYDERABAD: Sankranti is all about embarking on new goals with renewed hope and energy. Refusing to let Omicron take that joy away, folks in the city are all about celebrating the day, while maintaining social distance. Here’s how Hyderabadis are enjoying the harvest festival
Elahe Hiptoola, producer
Sankranti is incomplete without flying kites, and this is exactly what Elahe did on Friday. She was posted a photo of herself flying a kite on a rooftop
Dr. Andrew Fleming, British Deputy High Commissioner to AP & TS
Dr. Andrew Fleming shared a video of his Sankranti greetings in broken Telugu that Hyderabadis found adorable. “The sweetness of sugarcane, the purity of milk, the colours of a flying kite — may all these blessings be with you. Sankranti Subhakankshalu (Happy Sankranti),” he said. A day ago, he encouraged children to be outside, flying their kites to celebrate the harvest festival. “Parents — encourage them, drivers — take care!,” said Andrew, who is recuperating from Covid
Jayesh Ranjan, IT Principal Secretary
Jayesh Ranjan is glad to see the positivity in the city despite the various variants plaguing Hyderabadis. “I visited some temples to do my prayers today (Friday) and was touched to see how we’ve been celebrating the day while maintaining distance,” he says. He was looking forward to celebrating India winning the match, but it lost. He hopes to catch up on some movies, interesting traditional Sankranti food and spend time with friends and family during this long weekend. “However, there’s no escaping work even during the festival. I look forward to a happy, content, prosperous and resilient 2022,” he says
Samrat Reddy, actor-model
Samrat’s photodump on Instagram was simply adorable. Dressed in a kurta and posing with his pet, his post won hearts on the gram. “Few of our Bhogi pics. Happy Bhogi festival to you and your family,” he captioned it
Roll Rida, rapper
For Roll, Sankranti came early, with his songs from the films Hero and Rowdy Boys receiving a great response. Not to forget, Icon star Allu Arjun also appreciated his work. “This year, like always, the day would start with my song — the Patang song. It’s so humbling to hear people across the city play and dance to the song. Though the kites from different terraces in the city will meet in the skies, my friends and I will maintain social distance. I’m also excited to see a part of me on the big screen when Hero releases,” he says
Sudha Reddy, philanthropist
Sudha took to Instagram to post glimpses of how she and her family have been celebrating the festival. “Bhogi is the first day of the Pongal festival, and symbolises the discarding of the old to make room for the new. At dawn, people light bonfires as a symbol of transformation,” she wrote alongside a series of photos that show her with her family by a bonfire. “Here’s wishing you and your loved ones a happy Bhogi and a prosperous Pongal!” she concluded