Makara Sankrati

This is the Suggi ( ) or harvest festival for farmers of Karnataka. On this auspicious day, girls wear new clothes to visit near and dear ones with a Sankranti offering in a plate andexchange the same with other families. This ritual is called “Ellu Birodhu.” Here the platewould normally contain “Ellu” (white sesame seeds) mixed with fried groundnuts, neatlycut
dry coconut and fine cut bella (jaggery). The mixture is called “Ellu-Bella” ( ). Theplate contains shaped sugar candy moulds (Sakkare Acchu, ) with a piece of
sugarcane. There is a saying in Kannada “ellu bella thindu olle maathadi” that translates to’eat the mixture of sesame seeds and jaggery and speak only good.’ This festival signifies theharvest of the season, since sugarcane is predominant in these parts. Ellu Bella, Ellu Unde, bananas, sugarcane, red berries, haldi and kumkum and small gift items useful in everydaylives are often exchanged among women in Karnataka. During the occasion, newly marriedwomen give away bananas for five years to married women from the first year of her
marriage. Kite flying, drawing rangolis, giving away of red berries known as Yalchi kai aresome of the intrinsic parts of the festival. Another vital ritual in rural Karnataka is the displayof decorated cows and bulls and their procession is done and they are also made to cross afire and this custom is known as “Kichchu Haayisuvudu”.