Hyderabad: As Andhra Pradesh and Telangana gear up for Pedda Panduga (Makar Sankranthi), the state’s celebration of India’s most significant harvest festival, intercity travel across the state is witnessing strong momentum. Data from the redBus platform indicates that bus bookings from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana are expected to rise by 65 percent during the festive travel window, marking one of the highest increases seen across India for this period. The analysis compares bookings made between 09th and 18th January 2026 with the corresponding period last year (10th–19th January 2025), pointing to a clear acceleration in homebound and leisure-led journeys.
This surge underscores the continued importance of buses in festive mobility, particularly for travellers returning home, visiting family, or planning short regional breaks around Pedda Panduga. The trend also reflects evolving travel behaviour, with more travellers planning journeys in advance and opting for comfort-led services across high-demand intercity corridors.
Amid rising festive travel demand during Pedda Panduga, redBus is running the Discover Bharat Sale from January 8-26. The sale offers travel options across India with fares starting at Rs. 299 per seat, along with discounts of up to 50 percent on buses, trains, and hotels. Travellers can also avail additional savings through select bank and payment partner offers, enabling more affordable and convenient festive travel planning.