Rayagada: A family in Rayagada has become the talk of the town after inviting their future son-in-law for a grand feast during Pongal, the main festival of the Telugu community, and serving him with an impressive 76 dishes. The family of B Suryanarayana and Swapna, who live near Jagannath temple in Rayagada, hosted their daughter’s fiancé with a lavish meal served on banana leaves on the final day of Pongal, known as Kanuma.
The feast included plain rice, biryani, four types of non-vegetarian dishes, various curries, fried delicacies like ‘vadas’, papads, numerous sweets, and a variety of fruits, all adding up to 76 items. B Suryanarayana’s daughter is set to marry G Srinath, an engineer and the son of G Balakrishna and G Sarita of Muniguda in Rayagada district, in coming March. The Telugu festival of Pongal is celebrated over three days: Bhogi on the first day, Pongal or Makar Sankranti on the second day, and Kanuma on the third day.
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Traditionally, during Kanuma, families host grand meals and invite relatives and close friends to partake in the festivities as part of a reunion. As per custom, inviting the daughter’s husband or fiancé during the Pongal festival is an integral part of the celebrations in Telugu culture.