Bhishma fell to the arrows of Arjuna. With his boon to choose the time of his death, he waited on a bed of arrows to depart from this world only during this period. It is believed that those who die in this period have no rebirth. One month preceding Sankranti is called Dhanurmasam and is also an auspicious period. People wake up early, complete their morning ablutions and go around the streets singing devotional songs.
Houses are whitewashed and farmers clean their warehouses.
These artistic floral designs are drawn on the floor with rice flour or fine powder of limestone. These patterns are decorated with colors and adorned with marigold placed on cowdung balls. During this month, the cow, revered by Hindus, is worshipped. In fact, water mixed with cow dung, considered to be a disinfectant, is sprinkled in the front yards before the rangoli is drawn. Dried cowdung cakes are burned on the Bhogi day.