Kanuma Panduga Festival

January 16, 2025

Kanuma Panduga is a vibrant festival celebrated in Andhra Pradesh, India, coinciding with the Makar Sankranti harvest celebrations. This year, it was celebrated on January 15.

About Kanuma Panduga

Kanuma Panduga marks the Sun entering the zodiac sign Capricorn, an important event in the Hindu calendar.
Unlike other festivals, it falls on the same date every year.
This harvest festival celebrates and honors cattle, treating them as sacred beings.
On this occasion, farmers decorate their cattle with paint, ornaments, and colorful clothes to show gratitude for their help in farming.
The festival includes important rituals. A key tradition is the Govardhan Puja or Gaw Puja.
Villages also host processions featuring the beautifully adorned cattle.

Deities Honored During Kanuma Panduga

During Kanuma Panduga, Lord Krishna and Gau Mata (Mother Cow) are worshipped. People offer prayers and make offerings to seek their blessings for prosperity and well-being. It commemorates Lord Krishna’s divine act of lifting Govardhan Hill to protect villagers and cattle from a devastating storm.

Key Facts About Makar Sankranti

Makar Sankranti is a Hindu festival that marks the Sun’s transition into the zodiac sign Capricorn (Makar). It is one of the few Hindu festivals based on the solar calendar.
The festival signals the end of winter and the start of longer days, coinciding with the beginning of the Hindu month of Magha.
Celebrated across India with different names and traditions, Makar Sankranti is a major harvest festival.
The day is dedicated to Surya, the Sun God. It also marks the start of the six-month auspicious Uttarayana period, significant for spiritual practices.
On this occasion, millions take a sacred dip at Sangam, the meeting point of the Ganga and Yamuna rivers, to cleanse sins and seek blessings.
Among the 12 Sankrantis in the Hindu calendar, Makar Sankranti holds the highest importance and is widely celebrated across India.

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