cultural event organized by the Telugu community in Saint-Hubert, Quebec, Canada.

Paul Awasthi

“The Telugu community in Montreal organized the Bhogi and Sankranti festival for the Indian community in Saint-Hubert, Quebec. Mrs. Swati Buddiraju, along with her team, including Mrs. Vijaya, Lavanya, Priya, Harika, Shalini, Shravanti, and Anusha, initiated the celebration.

This year, many participants from the Indian community attended the MTP ceremony in Saint-Hubert, with Mayor Doreen Assaad Brossard and Canadian politician Frank Baylis as the chief guests.

Sankranti is a harvest festival that marks the sun’s transition into the Makar Rashi (Capricorn) and is also known as ‘Makar Sankranti.’ Several other organization leaders and the Indo-Canadian Organization team participated in the event to celebrate the festival with the vast community.

Swati has been organizing this free event since 2018. This year, food was served by Cafe Hyderabad, Indian Fusion, Our Place, Abhiruchi, and Punjab Canteen. During Sankranti, Telugu families throw ‘Bhogi Pallu’ (fruits) on children to ward off evil spirits, illness, and to bring prosperity. Women perform Kolatam (traditional Indian dance) to thank Mother Earth.

Sankranti is a vibrant and joyful celebration that brings families together, symbolizes emotion, and expresses gratitude within the community. This event was organized for free with the cooperation of our community.”