Hindu festival · San Francisco Bay Area
Kanuma
Dates for the Bay Area
- Thursday, 15 January 2026Harvest festival
- Friday, 15 January 2027Harvest festivalnext
- Saturday, 15 January 2028Harvest festival
Why it matters
Kanuma is the third day of Telugu Saṅkrānti in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. It is devoted to cattle and gives thanks to the livestock that made the harvest possible.
Where it falls
Kanuma follows Saṅkrānti (Pedda Paṇḍuga) and falls on the same day as Tamil Māṭṭu Poṅgal. The two are separate regional observances that share a focus on cattle. Mukkanuma follows in some areas.
The story behind it
Telugu tradition connects Kanuma with Kṛṣṇa lifting Govardhana hill to shelter the cowherds and their cattle from Indra's storm, and Govardhana pūjā is performed in some places. Press accounts also present it as a day of gratitude toward animals.
Prayers and worship
In Andhra and Telangana villages, cattle are bathed, their horns painted, and decorated with ornaments, then taken to temples for worship (go-pūjā). Families pray for the animals and feed them prasādam or special meals, as in the agrarian districts of Srikakulam and Vizianagaram.
How families keep it
Decorated bulls are paraded through village streets, and there are cattle contests and rural sports. Many people who have moved to the cities return to their native villages. For many Telugu families the Kanuma meal includes chicken or mutton, though food customs vary by family and community.
What is typically offered
Cattle are fed special meals and prasādam. At home, festive dishes are prepared. Families who eat meat commonly cook chicken or mutton on this day, and sweets such as ariselu are also part of the season's table.
Visiting a temple that day
These festivals often have a strong cultural component alongside temple worship. Food and community programs may be central. Temple practices vary by region and sampradaya. Dress modestly, remove footwear where required, follow priest/volunteer directions, ask before photography, and check the temple’s event page for exact pooja, fasting and prasādam arrangements.
Sources for this page (12)
The description above is this site’s own, researched from the sources below and written in our words; each section rests on at least two of them. It has not been reviewed by Sri Kumar Gurukkal, and it describes how families commonly keep the day — your family’s tradition comes first.
- Telangana celebrates Kanuma with cattle worship, processions, rural sports (15 Jan 2025) — All India Radio News (Prasar Bharati)
- Kanuma Festival in Andhra Pradesh: Celebrating Cattle and Culture (15 Jan 2025) — The Hans India
- Kanuma teaches timeless value of gratitude during Sankranti — Deccan Chronicle
- When is Kanuma Panduga, how Telugus celebrate Kanuma in AP, Telangana (Jan 2022) — Sakshi Post
- Three-day Sankranti festivities begin in Telangana, AP (13 Jan 2018) — WION
- Makar Sankranti — Wikipedia
- Bhogi — Wikipedia
- TN celebrates 'Mattu Pongal', pays tribute to cattle (16 Jan 2026) — The Week (PTI)
- Cattle decorated, worshipped on the occasion of Kanuma — The Hindu (via inkl)
- Three Day Sankranti Festivities Begin In Telangana And AP (14 Jan 2018) — Sakshi Post
- Demand for meat and chicken enhances amid Kanuma celebrations in AP, Telangana (15 Jan 2021) — The Hans India
- Sankranti celebrations a legacy rooted in AP's traditions (12 Jan 2025) — Deccan Chronicle
Request this pooja
Ask Sri Kumar Gurukkal about a pooja for Kanuma — at your home, at a temple, or with family joining remotely. A request is an enquiry, not a booking.
Request a pooja Add 15 Jan 2027 to calendarKeep this in your calendar
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Subscribe to the festival calendar Share on WhatsAppThe 2026–27 dates were derived for the Fremont / Bay Area location from standard tithi, nakṣatra and solar-ingress rules. The 2028 date is computed by this site’s own engine from the festival’s standard definition, tested against the 2026–27 dates: 1 day after Makara Sankranti. No 2028 date has been checked against a printed almanac or reviewed by Sri Kumar Gurukkal. They can differ from a calendar computed for another city or another sampradāya. Please confirm any date on which you plan a ceremony with Sri Kumar Gurukkal. How these dates are calculated →