Visakhapatnam: Bhogi is an important festival in AP. Almost every village in North Andhra Pradesh celebrates this festival, but two villages in the joint Vizianagaram district have not been celebrating the Bhogi for the past hundred years. According to the villagers, they are staying away from the Bhogi festival due to the tragedy that happened long ago during the bonfire of the Bhogi.
Basangi in Jiyyammavalasa mandal and Kallikota in Komarada mandal do not celebrate the Bhogi festival. About a hundred years ago, a bull considered the incarnation of God, Simhadri Appanna, caught fire and died in a bonfire of the Bhogi in Basangi. In the same year, the village also had to face many kinds of tragedies. A bull named Basavanna, which was also considered divine, died due to a Bhogi fire. Since then, the villagers have been staying away from the Bhogi.
A similar incident happened in Kallikota village, too. When villagers lit up the bonfire of the Bhogi, two cattle near the fire broke the ropes and jumped into the fire. Both died on the spot. Since then, villagers haven’t celebrated the Bhogi festival, considering the festival inauspicious.
After repeated tragedies, people from two villages haven’t celebrated the Bhogi for generations. District PRO Ramesh says, “Now youth want to celebrate the Bhogi festival in these two villages. But the elders warn them and ask them to stay away from the Bhogi. As per the villagers, animals are very important. If they lose them, they won’t forget them that easily.”
