Makar Sankranti is one of the most auspicious occasions for
the Hindus, and is celebrated in almost all parts of the country in myriad
cultural forms, with great devotion, fervour and gaiety. It is a harvest
festival. Makar Sankranti is perhaps the only Indian festival whose date always
falls on the same day every year on the 14th of January (with just a few
exceptions when it is celebrated either on 13th or 15th of January)
Makar Sankranti is the day when the glorious Sun-God begins
its ascendancy and entry into the Northern Hemisphere and thus it signifies an
event wherein the Sun-God seems to remind their children that 'Tamaso Ma Jyotir
Gamaya'- may you go higher & higher, to more & more Light and never to
Darkness.
To Hindus, the Sun stands for knowledge, spiritual light and
wisdom. Makar Sankranti signifies that we should turn away from the darkness of
delusion in which we live, and begin to enjoy a new life with bright light
within us to shine brighter and brighter. We should gradually begin to grow in
purity, wisdom, and knowledge, even as the Sun does from the Day of Makar
Sankranti.
The festival of Makar Sankranti is highly regarded by the
Hindus from North to down South. The day is known by various names and a
variety of traditions are witnessed as one explores the festival in different
states.
Most Hindu festivals follow the position of the moon and are
based on the lunar calendar. Thus, the dates of festivals change every year.
But Makar Sankranti is a festival which falls on the same day every year as it
follows the solar calender. However, once every eighty years, due to
revolution, the day is postponed by one day. Makar Sankranti is celebrated on
the 14th of January every year (sometimes on the 15th) for now. From 2050, it
is predicted that the festival will fall on the 15th January (and occasionally
on the 16th).
On Makar Sankranti, the sun enters the sun-sign of Capricorn
or Makara (the Indian rashi). Therefore the 'Makar' in the name. The word
'Sankranti' signifies the movement of the sun from one zodiac sign to another.
Thus, the name of the festival literally means the movement of the sun into
Capricorn.
As Makar Sankranti is one of the oldest solstice festivals
and falls on the equinox, day and night on this day are believed to be equally
long. Post the festival, it is officially the beginning of spring or the onset
of Indian summer and the days become longer, and nights shorter.
Though extremely popular as Makar Sankranti, the festival is
predominantly a harvest festival and is celebrated throughout India, from north
to south and east to west. While Makar Sankranti is most popular in West India,
down south, the festival is known as Pongal and in the north, it is celebrated
as Lohri. Uttarayan, Maghi, Khichdi are some other names of the same festival.
Makar Sankranti is the festival of til-gul where sesame and
jaggery laddoos or chikkis are distributed among all. They are generally
accompanied by the saying, "Til-gul ghya ani gud gud bola", which
translates to 'eat these sesame seeds and jaggery and speak sweet words'. The
festival is one of bonding where every member of society is asked to bury the
hatchet with enemies and foes and live in peace. Also, it is a superstition
that during the festival, the Sun God forgets his anger on his son Shani and
visits him. Thus, by distributing sweets, everyone is asked to spread joy
around. Also, since the festival falls in winter, eating of sesame and jaggery
is considered beneficial to health as they are warm foods. Thus, it is
specifically this sweet that's distributed as it signifies bonding and good
health.
There is a very interesting reason behind the kite-flying.
Kite-flying in olden days was generally done in the early hours of the morning,
when the sun's rays were bright but not too harsh. Also, during kite-flying,
the human body was exposed to the sun for long hours. The early morning sun is
considered beneficial for the skin and body. Since winter is also the time of a
lot of infections and sickness, by basking in the sun, Hindus believed that the
bad bacteria on their bodies would be cleared to a certain extent. Creating a
fun way of sun basking where no one would even realise they were reaping
benefits was through kite flying.
Makar Sankranti
Makar Sankranti generally marks the beginning of the Kumbh
Mela in Uttar Pradesh while in South India, in Kerala, one of the most austere
and difficult pilgrimages of Shabrimala ends on this auspicious day. Other parts
of the country too, celebrate by taking a dip in the holy rivers flowing
through states to cleanse themselves of sins. It is also believed that if you
die during Makar Sankranti, you are not reborn but go directly to heaven.
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