Sankranti ("solstice") marks the end of winter and the beginning of spring. It is celebrated as a harvest festival all across India, although different states in India celebrate the festival in different ways.
Sankranti is celebrated every year in January based on the Hindu lunar calendar. After Sankranti, the days begin to get longer again. In Andhra Pradesh, sankranti is a four-day celebration. It is celebrated with colorful chalk designs on the ground called muggulu, kite flying, carnivals, cockfights (chicken fights), and lots of food!
Sankranti is a school holiday as well. Children celebrate by flying kites. I have been told that this part of the tradition comes from the fact that it is the first day of spring in India, so people are encouraged to be outside and enjoy the longer daylight hours and Vitamin D.
We spent Sankranti by attending a local carnival where there was cockfighting, which is a popular gambling game in South India. It is actually illegal! I didn't really enjoy watching the cockfighting since it's quite brutal and I am happy that the number of cockfights has decreased since it was made illegal. I think those numbers will continue to decrease in the future, too. Cockfighting is chicken fighting, and people bet on which chicken will win. It's not very nice!
