HYDERABAD: With the three-day harvest festival -- Sankranti -- set to be celebrated from January 14 in Telangana and neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, thousands of Hyderabad residents left for their native places by public transport and private vehicles on Saturday.

The Secunderabad-headquartered South Central Railway is running special trains to clear extra rush of passengers, while the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) is also operating special services to meet the demand.

The Hyderabad-Vijayawada highway witnessed a heavy rush of cars today as the city residents began leaving for their hometowns to celebrate the festival.

The three-day festival is celebrated as Bhogi, Makara Sankranti and Kanuma.

While bonfires are lit early in the morning on Bhogi, cattle are worshipped on Kanuma day.

Sankranti sees thousands of those who migrate to other places in search of a livelihood visiting their native places. Many come from foreign countries as well to celebrate the festival in their hometowns.

Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, Union Minister and state BJP president G Kishan Reddy, BRS president and former chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and other leaders conveyed greetings to people on the occasion of Sankranti.