Karimnagar: While most people celebrate Diwali by decorating their homes with lights, bursting crackers, and performing Lakshmi puja, the residents of Karkhana Gadda in Karimnagar observe the festival at graveyards.
Unlike others who avoid graveyards on Amavasya, fearing it as a time of heightened black magic, the people of Karkhana Gadda choose Ashwayuja Amavasya — the darkest night of the Hindu calendar — to celebrate Diwali on a grand scale at these sacred sites.
Mendi Srilatha Chandrasekhar, a local corporator, explained to Deccan Chronicle that this tradition has been honoured by their community for 65 years. A week before Diwali, families begin preparing by painting and decorating their ancestors' graves with flowers.
On Diwali, families gather at these graveyards in the evening, bringing offerings and preparing the favourite dishes of their departed loved ones. They conduct prayers, seek blessings from their ancestors, and then celebrate with enthusiasm, including bursting crackers.
Originally observed by the SC community, the tradition has expanded in recent years, with people from other communities also joining in.
N. Bhaskar, a resident, shared that the community believes that after death, individuals join the gods. Offering prayers on Diwali is thought to bring prosperity and health to the living and peace to the departed.
City mayor Y. Sunil Rao told Deccan Chronicle that the practice, once mainly followed by the SC community, has gradually spread across other areas. In response, the municipal corporation has arranged for sanitation, clearing, and lighting at graveyards, ensuring a respectful and convenient celebration space for all.
