People purchase yellu-bella at Gandhi Bazaar, as they gear up for Sankranti on Tuesday.
Credit: DH PHOTO/SK DINESH
Bengaluru: Bengalureans are ushering in the festive spirit of the harvest season as multiple celebrations like Makar Sankranti and Lohri bring diverse communities together in mid-January.
The city's cosmopolitan nature ensures that festivals from various parts of India are celebrated with enthusiasm, blending local traditions with those of non-local communities.
Aparna Chintamani, a freelance translator from Basavanagudi, described Sankranti as a celebration of nature’s bounty.
“I remember visiting Gandhi Bazaar to buy small mud pots to fill with yellu-bella to share with my friends and relatives. It’s a time to express gratitude to the earth, the sun, and nature for nurturing us,” she said.
Aparna also recalled witnessing traditional rituals like cattle jumping over fire near the old Nanda Theatre to ward off evil eyes and cure infestations. “My grandmother always said festivals are about sharing what we have and spreading gratitude and harmony,” she reflected.
For Deepta Venkaswamy, a resident of Whitefield, Sankranti evokes joyful traditions like shopping for sugar candy, yellu-bella, sugarcane, and new clothes, and decorating homes, making offerings to God, and sharing them with loved ones.
“Elders would bless us, saying yellu-bella thindu valle maathadu (eat yellu-bella and speak good words),” she said.
Punjab’s Lohri festival is another highlight of the season.
Upasna Malhotra, from South Bangalore, explained that Lohri is one of Punjab’s most significant celebrations, especially for newborns and newlyweds. “Lohri marks the reaping of rabi crops and bids farewell to winter,” she said.
Upasna noted that in Bengaluru, Punjabis celebrate Lohri with grandeur, often joined by locals who embrace the festivities. “Traditional celebrations include singing, dancing, kite flying, and sharing seasonal treats like jaggery, revdi, and til gachak,” she added.
Jishnu, a redident of Hormavu Agara who celebrates Lohri, observed its similarity to Sankranti as both mark the end of the winter harvest. “The sun god plays a major role, so we burn effigies to honour the Agni Devata,” he explained.