With such a vast cultural history and proudly donning the banner of lush heritage, one can say that the state of Andhra Pradesh is undoubtedly the festive arcade of this country. There are numerous festivals and fairs which are celebrated in such grandiose in this state. These festivals honour the lives of the people, their dedication to their land, the unmatched reverence for their gods and forefathers and also bring out an array of traditions by which the people of Andhra Pradesh live by. Majority of the festivals celebrated here are religious whereas others are organized by the Government of Andhra Pradesh for tourism purposes which attract huge number of tourists and travellers from every part of the globe.
We have managed to compile some of the major festivals and fairs which are celebrated here to let you have a glimpse of what life in Andhra is all about. Come let’s put on our festive coats and dive in!
Pongal Festival
Pongal, a very famous festival which is celebrated mostly in the southern states of India, holds a special place in the state of Andhra Pradesh too. Pongal is celebrated with sheer enthusiasm and zeal by the Telegu people as well. This festival marks the harvest season. Each and every household in the state observes this four-day festival in full spirit and merriment. The festival stretches on till four days with each day holding a special significance. These four days are:Bhogi, Surya Pongal, Mattu Pongal and Kaanum Pongal. This festival is especially very significant for the farmers as they thank the deities for the harvest, the rains and for looking upon their families. A part of the harvest is offered to the deities and later shared as ‘Prasadam’. Pongal is celebrated in the month of January every year and people offer special prayers to their gods on this day, clean their houses and surroundings, prepare native dishes and local delicacies and celebrate this with much fervour.
Visakha Utsav
Visakha Utsav is another grand festival which is organized by the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation, to enhance and boost tourism in the state. This festival, similarly like the ‘Rayalaseema Food and Dance festival’, celebrates the traditions and culture of Telegu People in the form various arts, handicrafts, Musical and dance performances, local theatrics and numerous cultural activities which the people of Andhra Pradesh have observed and help evolve since centuries. The port city of Visakhapatnam, with its gorgeous beaches and vast scenic landscapes, is generally the venue for this grand, four-day long festival. Numerous local artists, who are supremely talented, come from all parts of the state and even abroad to participate and perform in this event. If one decides to visit and experience this festival in Andhra, we would suggest looking out for cultural shows, garment exhibition, traditional crafts, heritage tours, sports events and a flower show, which are the major highlights of this grand event. It is such a grand and joyous event that people from all parts of the country and the world comes to enjoy the festival of Visakha and be one in the revelry that Andhra Pradesh has to offer!
Ugadi
One of the most important festivals in the state is ‘Ugadi’ which celebrates the Telugu New Year. It falls in the month of April-May. Spring is considered as the first season of this native New Year of Andhra which is celebrated with much pomp and show. Just like Diwali, which is celebrated in the northern part of India, the people of Andhra also treat it with the same reverence and maybe more. It is considered as an auspicious day and hence one requires wearing new clothes, thoroughly clean and decorate their houses and preparing some local and native delicacies on this day to share with family and friends. The most common sweet, which is prepared in almost every Telegu home, is the‘Purampoli or Bhakshya’ which is reserved mostly for this auspicious day. People also make festoons with mango leaves (called Torana) and hang them on the doors of the house. Also, looking at traditions, the ‘Ugadi pachadi’ is a special chutney (condiment) that is made on this day and offered to the gods and goddesses whom people hold in their highest reverence. After the rituals, the 'chutney' is given to everyone as a 'Prasad'. People visit friends and family to celebrate the start of a new year and share the spirit of this festival.
Lumbini Festival
The ‘Lumbini Festival’ is another major festivals which is are celebrated with the same enthusiasm in the state of Andhra Pradesh. This festival is a Buddhist festival, which honours and commemorates the life of Gautama Buddha. The word ‘Lumbini’- which is the name of this festival, comes from the birth-place of Lord Buddha. This spiritual leader spent his life imparting lessons of peace, tranquillity and humanity to the people which over centuries has emerged to be one of the largest religions on the face of this globe. In the state of Andhra Pradesh, this festival is celebrated in the district of Nagarjunasagar for three consecutive days, in the month of December. To highlight the Buddhist culture, this festival is organized by the Department of Tourism of the Government of Andhra Pradesh and attracts a huge population of Buddhist monks and followers who flock this state to attend this festival.
Tirupati Festival
The ‘Tirupati Tirumala Brahmotsavam’ is a very significant festival for the people of Andhra Pradesh. This Nine-day long festival is conducted at the‘Tirumala Venkateswara Temple’, which is situated in the Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh and is a very revered temple for the Hindu-Telegu community. The Tirupati Brahmotsavam is celebrated in the month of September/ October. One of the major highlights of this festival is the beautiful and grand procession of Lord Venkateswara. This celebratory grand procession of Lord Venkateswara goes around the four streets of the main temple for two hours, awaiting midnight. The festival was performed as a thanks giving ceremony to the Lord. The term 'Brahmotsavam', which suggests "Brahma's Utsavam" (Lord Brahma's Festival) comes from the local myth which says that Lord Brahma had first offered his prayers to Lord Balaji in this spot, on which the temple was later built on. It is also known as the 'Tirupati festival' in Andhra Pradesh.
Rayalaseema Food and Dance Festival
Moving on from traditional festivals to the festivals which are organised by the state for its people- We come to the ‘Rayalaseema Food and Dance Festival’. Considered as one of the biggest cultural events in the state of Andhra Pradesh, the Rayalaseema Festival is celebrated to honour and highlight the art and cuisine of the state. This festival is mostly organised by the Department of Tourism, Andhra Pradesh and thousands of people can be seen participating in the same. In this event, one can witness the numerous forms of art and an array of cultural programmes which honour the lives of the people here and the traditions around which their lives revolve. Some of the art forms are also native to certain tribes which depict the cultural history of their communities and hence are a treat to watch! This festival brings out the best of Andhra cuisine and honestly, one cannot have enough of it! With hundreds of local delicacies, art forms, dance, theatre- many famous personalities of the state come here to perform and entertain the attendees. If you wish to catch this event, try and visit the state of Andhra Pradesh in the month of October.