Kanuma

Kanuma

Third day of Sankranti is the day of Kanuma. People must take head bath on this day to get rid of Kanuma peeda. Here a proverb is said as ” Even crow take a dip in water “. Kanuma is a festival of animals. Sankranti is a right time for farmers to express their gratitude to their cattle which played an important role in the harvest. Hence farmers wake up early in the morning and clean their oxen. They paint their horms and decorate them with Marigold flowers. Then they feed them and give harati. ‘Go puja’ is also performed at the temples.

Some farmers go to their fields, sacrifice a goat or sheep and sprinkle the blood in their field. Some farmers take cooked rice and milk to the cattle shed offer some of it to the cattle and the remaining to their fields and scatter it there. They believe that this offering keeps the ghosts away from their crops. On this day blessings are taken from the elders. Especially married women bless each other with turmeric paste for Sowbhagyam.