A festive buzz fills the villages as people prepare for Sankranthi, the biggest harvest festival in the rural areas of the State. Homes get fresh coats of paint. Families buy traditional clothes and jewellery. Farmers store paddy and other crops for the celebrations. Ch. Koteswara Rao, a farmer, said, "We pray to the Rain God to give us a bumper crop. Farmers do pujas to agriculture equipment, bullocks, bullock carts and the harvested stocks, appeasing the God to create a conducive atmosphere for farming this year." The festival mood is high with rangoli contests, kite festivals, and 'banda lagudu' (boulder pulling) events taking place. Traditional performances like 'Gangireddula Melalu', 'Haridasulu', and 'Budaga Jangalu' roam the streets offering blessings. A Haridasu from Bhadrachalam visiting Pulapalli village said, "A group of ‘Haridasulu’ will receive rice, fruits and money from residents and offer blessings. This year the response is good." Garment and jewellery stores see a heavy rush, offering discounts. Colorful kites of all sizes brighten shop fronts as the festival draws near, bringing joy and tradition to the villages.