KHAMMAM: Tirunagari Krishna, 64, who belongs to the Haridasu community, has turned a motor mechanic in Kandukur village in Vemsoor mandal of Khammam district. Haridasulu are a key part of the Sankranti festival as they go from house to house singing songs during the festival.
People believe that the rendition of Sundarakanda and Bhagavatham by Haridasulu will herald an auspicious beginning in their lives. However, in the past few years they have taken to other professions as the public patronage has declined in erstwhile Khammam district. Even ‘Gangireddulu’ or decorated bulls, another integral part of the harvest festival in both Telugu states, are on the wane due to lack of patronage.
Gangireddulu symbolise gratitude of people towards cattle which play vital role in the agrarian society in Telugu states. About 200 families of Haridasu community have settled in different places in the district. Sattupalli constituency is reported to have 50 families from the community. They are believed to have come to the district from Kerala 100 years ago.
Bandi Sudhakar Reddy, a farmer from Kandukur, said once about 20 Haridasulu were visiting the village but for the last few years no one came to his house. Without them the festival of Sankranti is not complete, he observed.