The seventh-largest and tenth-most populous state of India, Andhra Pradesh, is a part of the country’s Eastern Coastal Plains. Home to a rich heritage and culture, this state is where the dance form, Kuchipudi originated. It also accommodates numerous agricultural handicrafts, foodstuffs, and textiles like Kondapalli Toys, Machilipatnam Kalamkari, Bobbili Veena, Budithi Bell and Brass Craft, Guntur Sannam, Dharmavaram Handloom Pattu Sarees and Paavadas, Mangalagiri Sarees and Fabrics, Srikalahasti Kalamkari, Uppada Jamdani Sari, and Venkatagiri Sari. The dwelling of such opulent legacy surely also shelters celebrations and festivities of similar nature. Let us discover the numerous AP Govt Holidays 2020, that the residents of this state will be celebrating in the coming year.
| Date | Day | Andhra Pradesh Holidays 2020 |
| 14 January | Wednesday | Bhogi |
| 15 January | Wednesday | Pongal |
| 16 January | Thursday | Kanuma Panduga |
| 25 March | Wednesday | Ugadi |
| 5 April | Sunday | Babu Jagjivan Ram Jayanti |
| 14 April | Tuesday | Dr Ambedkar Jayanti |
| 3 November | Tuesday | Atla Taddi |
*DTBD = Dates to be Declared
Note: The dates in this table are tentative and subject to change, as per the government norms.
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As a result of Andhra Pradesh’s rich, ancient culture and heritage, the natives of this land celebrate numerous AP Govt Holidays 2020. Let us take a look at each of these celebrations indigenous to the state:
Bhogi is the eve of Pongal and is also known by the name Bhogi Pongal. This celebration, amongst the Andhra Pradesh Holidays 2020, is devoted to Lord Indra, the king of the Lords and the deity of rain. Large bonfires commemorate prosperity and the end of winter, and this celebration is about discarding everything old and bringing in new fortune and success in the lives of the natives.
Pongal, the traditional South Indian harvest festival, is one of the significant Andhra Pradesh Holidays 2020. This celebration, falling along with Makar Sankranti, signifies the end of monsoon in this region for the year. Pongal comes from the Tamil word Ponga meaning ‘to boil’; thus, Pongal means ‘spillover’ or ‘overflowing’. Hence, these festivities from the Andhra Pradesh Holidays 2020 is a way of thanking the gods for the plentiful harvest by the people.
While the first day or Bhogi is dedicated to Lord Indra, the king of the Lords, this day is for the Sun God, Lord Surya. Kheer (a sweet dish made of rice and milk) is a standard offering for the Lord during this AP Govt Holidays 2020. Amongst the two following days, the first is for the worship of cows. On the last day, natives would wash a turmeric leaf and place the leftover sweets on it. The celebrations include bull races and sisters praying for the happiness of their brothers.
The third day of the Pongal festivities, falling the next day to Makar Sankranti is called Kanuma Panduga. This celebration, amongst the Andhra Pradesh Holidays 2020 is dedicated to the cattle, specifically cows, a significant part of the agricultural society. On this day, people will worship the animals, bathe them, decorate them with ornaments and flowers, and offer Pongal (dishes) to them. Bullfights are a part of the commemoration on this Andhra Pradesh Holidays 2020. In many places, during this festival, sisters pray for the longevity of their brothers, much like Raksha Bandhan.
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Ugadi or Yugadi, literally meaning ‘the beginning of a new age,’ is the New Year celebration amongst the Andhra Pradesh Holidays 2020. Drawing kolam (rangoli/large and colourful displays made of chalk, rock dust, rice, etc.) on the floor is a notable practice for this celebration. The festivities during this AP Govt Holidays 2020 include visiting the temple, wearing new clothes, taking a ceremonial bath and oil treatment, and more. The “pachadi” dish is a significant part of this day, a soup with numerous flavours. This dish which can be sweet and then sour, salty and then bitter, symbolises that one will face all kinds of life experiences in the year ahead.
Every year, 5 April is celebrated as “Babu Jagjivan Ram Jayanti” in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. This is the birthday of the states’ political leader Jagjivan Ram, who also had the nickname “Babuji”. The celebration, one of the AP Govt Holidays 2020, is in commemoration of the great independence leader whose career in political and social causes spans four decades.
The Labour Minister in India’s first cabinet and the Defence Minister of India during the tense days of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, he fought for the betterment of society. A leader in the fight for equality for all, even untouchables, he played a significant role in making numerous “social justice” provisions a part of the Indian Constitution. He was also instrumental in aiding India through the food crisis of 1974 as the Union Agriculture Minister. Thus, his birthday is an essential festivity amongst the Andhra Pradesh Holidays 2020.
Atla Taddi is one of the Andhra Pradesh Holidays 2020 where married women pray to and seek blessings of Goddess Gauri for a happy and long married life, while the unmarried girls seek her blessings for a suitable groom. The celebration includes a Nirjala fast (fasting without even drinking water), singing, swinging, and more.