KURNOOL: People celebrated Telugu New Year Ugadi in a unique way in Kurnool on Wednesday. A day after Ugadi, Kairuppa villagers hurled cow dung cakes at one another as part of the Ugadi celebrations and people in Kalluru took out a procession of donkeys during the Chowdeswari Utsavams. In Kairuppala village of Aspari mandal, people celebrated Peddanuggulata, also called pidakala samara (fighting with cow dung cakes).
The villagers divided into two groups and hurled cow dung cakes at one another when a procession of Lord Veerabhadra Swamy was taken out. The dung cakes were made a month ahead of the celebration.
This celebration has a myth behind it. When Veerabhadra Swamy, a Lingayat, wanted to marry Kalika Devi, a woman from the SC community, there was a clash between the two communities. To bring about peace, the village headmen sat together and arranged the marriage and all was well again.
Continuing the tradition, the village heads sit together after the dung fight and perform the marriage of Veerabhadra Swamy. People from Lingayat, Reddy and Muslim communities represent Veerabhadra Swamy’s side while the SC, Yadav and Kuruma communities represent Kalika’s side. As many as 100 persons were injured in the traditional fight, but no one complained to the police, Aspari sub-inspector Giri Babu said. Similarly, the Chowdeswari Ugadi Utsavam in Kalluru locality of Kurnool Municipal Corporation limit was also held in a different way.
Sludge was arranged for about 3-feet depth around the Chowdeswari temple and donkeys were made to cross it. On every Ugadi, donkeys are taken on a procession to the temple from different parts of Kurnool. The animals are made to go around the temple through the sludge. After the perambulation, the donkeys are given a bath, decorated and worshiped. “It is believed that making the donkeys walk in the slush will usher in peace and prosperity in the society,” temple priest Srinivasa said.