Eruvaka Pournami: When bulls are worshipped at beginning of crop sowing season

Telangana farmers celebrate Eruvaka Pournami with rituals for bulls and crop sowing, but participation is declining.

Farmers in some parts of Telangana have celebrated Eruvaka or Erokka Pournami on Wednesday (June 12, 2025) marking the beginning of the farm activity for crop sowing, and worshiped bulls used in ploughing. On the occasion, farmers gave bath to the cattle, embellished their horns, fed them with local dishes, prepared farm implements like plows and ceremoniously ploughed fields. Bullock cart procession was also taken out in some villages. 

A farmer from Cheriyala village of Sangareddy, Pocharam Ramulu said that after waking up in the morning, they take bulls to a nearby lake or other water body to wash them. “Later, their horns are painted with colours. And, we give them polelu (sweet dish), pulgam (made of Sorghum), raw eggs, oil, panakam (a drink made of jaggery, pepper and other ingredients). Farm related work, cleaning fields of earlier crop remnants and leveling begins,” 

C. Sailu, Peerampalli village in Vikarabad said that the celebrations are held to worship bulls and mark the sowing season. Turmeric bulbs are crushed and fed to them. Yokes too are cleaned.

“From 4 to 5 p.m., the edlu (bulls) are taken to fields, fed polelu and they are worshipped. On this day, neither bulls or farmers work. It is a holiday for both. If someone does not have a bull or cow at home, they ask others in the village to bring the cattle to worship at home,” said Mr. Sailu 

Bonthu Rambabu, Telangana State Joint Secretary of Rythu Sangham said, “In simple words, it [Eruvaka Pournami] is the beginning of Kharif season.”

However, people in some parts of the State said that relatively fewer people are celebrating the festival now. Mr. Sailu said that instead of a procession only of bullock carts, some people follow a few carts in tractors, cars or bikes.