MLA candidates celebrate Diwali at graveyard in Karimnagar

The candidates participated in the Diwali celebrations along with the family members of the deceased on Sunday night

Karimnagar: MLA candidates, who are leaving no stone unturned to attract voters, made an effort to appease voters of a community by celebrating Diwali along with them in a graveyard in Karimnagar town.

In a unique practice, people from dalit communities celebrate Diwali festival at the Karkanagadda cemetery. Besides bursting crackers, people pay tributes to their departed family members by offering different types of dishes, which they used to like when they were alive.

---

The candidates participated in the Diwali celebrations along with the family members of the deceased on Sunday night. Besides mainstream political parties’ aspirants, others also participated in celebrations.

BC Welfare and Civil Supplies Minister and BRS candidate Gangula Kamalakar, Karimnagar MP and BJP aspirant Bandi Sanjay Kumar and others visited the graveyard and participated in the celebrations.

Speaking on the occasion, Kamalakar said that the unique tradition of celebrating Diwali at the graveyard was being continued for the last six decades. Every year, the government was making all arrangements at the cemetery for the convenience of the community, he informed.

The community people celebrate Diwali with joy and enthusiasm at the Karkanagadda graveyard every year.

Family members of the deceased painted and decorated the graves of their loved ones by arranging flowers and lamps. In the evening, they brought food items to the cemetery. While some of them came with vegetarian food, others offered different types of non-vegetarian dishes.

Moreover, some of them also offered liquor, toddy, beedi, cigarette, and gutka packets, which the deceased used to drink or consume when they were alive.

Keeping the celebrations in mind, Karimnagar Municipal Corporation authorities made arrangements at the graveyard. Besides cleaning up the cemetery, lighting, drinking water and other arrangements were made by the corporation.

Speaking to Telangana Today, a private employee, Sadananam said that they offer food items and celebrate Diwali at the graveyard in memory of their loved ones.

Failing to tell the exact reason for celebrating Diwali at the graveyard, he said that they were continuing the decades old practice, which was started by their elders.