సంక్రాంతి పండుగకు సంకెళ్ళలోని వాళ్ళూ వస్తారు.

sankranti pandugaku sankellaloni vallu vastaru.

Translation

Even those in shackles (chains) come home for the Sankranti festival.

Meaning

This proverb highlights the immense cultural and emotional significance of the Sankranti festival in Telugu culture. It implies that the pull of the festival is so strong that everyone makes an effort to return to their hometown or family, suggesting that even people with extreme constraints or busy schedules find a way to be with their loved ones during this time.

Related Phrases

Floods in Visakha - Clouds in Sankranti

This proverb refers to things that are highly unlikely or completely out of season. Floods in the month of Vishakha (April/May) and cloudy skies during Sankranti (mid-January) are rare occurrences. It is used to describe unpredictable events or to express skepticism about something happening when it is not expected.

A festival in the middle of a loss

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone finds a small reason to celebrate or gains a minor benefit amidst a significant loss or a wasteful expenditure. It refers to making the best of a bad situation or finding a silver lining in a calamity.

Handcuffs for the co-wife, weddings for me.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where one person rejoices or seeks personal gain from the misfortune or imprisonment of their rival or enemy. It highlights a lack of empathy and the presence of malicious joy (schadenfreude) in competitive relationships.

Jangamas for Shivarathri, Haridasus for Sankranti

This expression refers to the specific roles or people who appear during certain occasions. It implies that everything has its own right time and place. Just as Saivite monks (Jangamulu) are prominent during Shivarathri and Vaishnavite devotees (Haridasulu) are seen during Sankranti, certain actions or individuals are relevant only during specific circumstances or seasons.

Shackles for the kite before Sankranti

This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone who is usually free or mischievous is suddenly restricted or disciplined just before a major event or their peak time. It refers to the traditional practice of catching or grounding kites (birds of prey) before the kite-flying festival of Sankranti to prevent them from interfering.

O grandfather! Sankrânti [has arrived] catch it! catch it! Sankrânti is the transit of the sun from Sagittarius to Capricornus, when the Hindus celebrate the Pongal feast.—This is chaff ; old people observe the feast very scrupulously.

This expression is used to mock someone who is eagerly waiting for or anticipating something that is still far away, or to describe someone who is overly anxious for a future event. It implies that the person is being impatient about something that will happen in its own time.

Each will perish by their own sin

This expression is used to signify that people will eventually face the consequences of their own bad actions or karma. It is often said when someone is acting unjustly, implying that there is no need for others to intervene as divine justice or fate will take its course.

An extra expense on top of a festival expense

This expression is used to describe a situation where an unexpected or unnecessary additional expense occurs at a time when one is already spending heavily, typically during a celebration or crisis. It signifies the burden of 'wasteful' costs added to already high costs.

Fetters set with gems. Fetters still.

This expression refers to a situation where someone is trapped or restricted by luxury, wealth, or high status. It implies that even if constraints are beautiful or expensive, they are still shackles that take away one's freedom. It is often used to describe high-paying but stressful jobs or restrictive royal/elite lifestyles.

They agree to a penalty but not to a festival.

This expression is used to describe people who are willing to spend money on useless things, penalties, or unnecessary losses but hesitate or refuse to spend money on something auspicious, joyful, or beneficial. It highlights poor priorities and the irony of people's spending habits.