Makar Sankranti

Held on : 14th January

Makar Sankranti, Makar Sakranti, Sankranti or Sankranthi marks the transition of the Sun into Makara rashi (Capricorn) on its celestial path. Makar Sankranti is celebrated in the Hindu Calendar month of Magha. Traditionally, this has been one of many harvest days in India. It is one of the most auspicious occasions for the Hindus though other religions celebrate it too with great devotion, fervour & gaiety. Hindus believe that Sun stands for knowledge, spiritual light and wisdom and they consider Sun as a God who symbolises victory of Light over Darkness i.e. victory of Good over evil. Owing to the vast geography and diversity of culture in India, this festival is celebrated for innumerable reasons depending on the climate, agricultural environment, cultural background and location. Most of the traditional Indian Calendar is based on lunar positions, Sankranti  is a solar event. So while dates of all Hindu festivals keep changing as per the Gregorian calendar, the date of Makar Sankranti remains constant, 14th January. Makar Sankranti festival holds special significance according to the solar calendar as the day and night are of exactly equal duration on this day. For the people of northern hemisphere, the northward path of the sun marks the period when the sun is getting closer to them. This signifies that the days will get longer and warmer after Makar Sankranti.

History - According to the Puranas (religious text) says that on this day Surya (Sun) visits the house of his son Shani(Saturn), who is the swami of Makar Rashi (Zodiac Capricorn). Though the father & son duo did not get along nicely, the Sun God made it a point to meet his son on this day. He, in fact, comes to his son’s house, for a month. This day thus symbolizes the importance of the special relationship between father & son. It is the son who has the responsibility to carry his fathers dream and the continuity of the family forward.

From Uttarayana starts the ‘day’ of Devatas, while dakshinayana is said to be the ‘night’ of devatas, so most of the auspicious things are done during this time. Uttarayana is also called as Devayana, and the next half is called Pitrayana.

Also, it was on this day when Lord Vishnu ended the ever increasing terror of the Asuras by finishing them off and burying their heads under the Mandara Parvata. So this occasion also represents the end of negativities and beginning of an era of righteous living.

The great saviour of his ancestors, Maharaja Bhagiratha, did great Tapasya to bring Gangaji down on the earth for the redemption of 60,000 sons of Maharaj Sagar, who were burnt to ashes at the Kapil Muni Ashram, near the present day Ganga Sagar. It was on this day that Bhagirath finally did tarpan with the Ganges water for his unfortunate ancestors and thereby liberated them from the curse. After visiting the Patala for the redemption of the curse of Bhagirath’s ancestors Gangaji finally merged in the Sagar. Even today a very big Ganga Sagar Mela is organized every year on this day at the confluence of River Ganges and the Bay of Bengal. Lakhs take dip in the water and do tarpan for their ancestors.

Another well-known reference of this day came when the great Warrior-hero of Mahabharata fame, Bhishma, declared his intent to leave his mortal coil on this day. He had the boon of dying at his own will from his father, so he kept lying on the bed of arrows till this day and then left his mortal coil on Makar Sankranti day. It is believed that the person, who dies during the period of Uttarayana, becomes free from transmigration. So this day is considered to be lucky day to start a journey or endeavours to the higher realms beyond.

Sikhs celebrate it as Maghi. The tenth Sikh Guru Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji tore the Beydaava written by 40 Sikhs and gave them Mukhti on this day. These 40 Sikhs later came to be known as 40 Mukhta

Events - The day preceding Makara Sankranti is called Bhogi and this is when people discard old things and concentrate on new things causing change or transformation. Sweets are prepared and distributed on this day. Families congregate and brothers pay special tribute to their married sisters by giving gifts as affirmation of their filial love. Landlords give gifts of food, clothes and money to their workforce.

• On this day in Uttar Pradesh, millions of people take a dip in places like Ganga Sagar (point where the river Ganga meets the Bay of Bengal) and Prayag and pray to the Sun God (Surya). Holy bathing takes place in places such as Allahabad, Haridwar  and Varanasi  in Uttar Pradesh.
• People in Gujarat, celebrate this day by flying beautiful kites which stands as a metaphor for reaching to their beloved God.

Sankranti is celebrated for four days in Andhra Pradesh:

Day 1 -  It is known as Bhogi. On this day at dawn people light a bonfire with wooden logs, other solid-fuels and wooden furniture at home home that are no longer useful. In many families, infants and children (usually less than three years old) are showered with fruit called "Regi Pandlu", that is the Indian jujube fruit. It is believed that doing this would protect the children from evil eye, called "Dishti" (from Sanskrit Drishthi: sight).

Day 2 - This day is known as Makara Sankranti (Pedda Panduga). Pedda Panduga literally means "The Big Festival". On this day everyone wears new clothes, pray to God, and make offerings of traditional food to elders in the family tree who died.

Day 3 - Third day is known as Kanuma which though is not widely celeberated but is still an integral part of the Sankranti culture.

Day 4 - Mukkanuma marks the end of a sort of 'Meat Fast' as preceding this day people are not supposed to eat any type of meat.  

• In Karnataka, young females (kids & teenagers) wear new clothes to visit near and dear ones with a Sankranti offering in a plate, and exchange the same with other families. This ritual is called "Ellu Birodhu." Here the plate would normally contain "Ellu" (white sesame seeds) mixed with fried groundnuts (kadale kai), neatly cut copra (kobbari) & fine cut jaggery (bella). The mixture is called "Ellu Bella". The plate also contains sugar candy moulds of various forms with a piece of sugarcane. This signifies the harvest of the season, since sugarcane is predominant in these parts. In some parts of Karnataka, a newly married woman is required to give away bananas for a period of five years to married women (muthaidhe) from the first year, but increase the number of bananas in multiples of five. There is also a tradition of some households giving away red berries "Yalchi Kai" along with the above. Another important ritual is display of cows and cattle in many colourful costumes in an open field. Cows are decorated for the occasion and taken on a procession. They are also made to cross a pyre. This ritual is common in rural Karnataka and is called "Kichchu Haisodhu."
• Makara Sankranti is celebrated in Kerala at Sabarimala  where the Makara Jyothi is visible followed by the Makara Vilakku celebrations. The 40 days anushthana by the devotees of Ayyappa ends on this day in Sabarimala with a big festival.
• In Punjab where December and January are the coldest months of the year, huge bonfires are lit on the eve of Makar Sankranti and is celebrated as Lohri. Sweets, sugarcane and rice are thrown in the bonfires, around which friends and relatives gather together. The following day, which is Sankrant, is celebrated as Maghi. Bathing in any river in the early hours on Maghi is important. Hindus light lamps with sesame oil as this is supposed to give prosperity and drive away all sins. The Punjabi's dance their famous dance known as "Bhangra".
• In Maharashtra, people exchange multi-coloured tilguls made from til (sesame seeds) and sugar and til-laddus made from til and jaggery. Gul-polis are offered for lunch. While exchanging tilguls as tokens of goodwill people greet each other saying – ‘til-gul ghya, god god bola’ meaning ‘accept these tilguls and speak sweet words’. The under-lying thought in the exchange of tilguls is to forget the past ill-feelings and hostilities and resolve to speak sweetly and remain friends. This is a special day for the women in Maharashtra when married women are invited for a get-together called ‘Haldi-Kunku’ and given gifts (utensil, clothes, etc.), which the woman of the house purchases on that day. Typically, women wear black sarees or black colour dress on this occasion. The significance of wearing a black colour dress is Sankranti comes at the peak of the winter season and a black colour wear absorbs more heat and helps keep body warm.
• In West Bengal, this day is known as Poush Sankranti after the Bengali month in which it falls. It is celebrated as a harvest festival. The freshly harvested paddy along with the date palm syrup in the form of Khejurer Gur and Patali is used in the preparation of a variety of traditional Bengali sweets made with rice flour, coconut, milk and 'khejurer gur' (palm jaggery) and known as Pithey. The Goddess Lakshmi is usually worshipped on the day of Sankranti. In Darjeeling, the festival is known as Magey Sakrati. It is distinctly associated with the worship of Lord Shiva. Traditionally, people are required to take a bath before sunrise and then commence their pooja. The food that is consumed consists primarily of sweet potatoes and various yams.
• On the day after Makara Sankranti, the animal kingdom is remembered and in particular, the cows. Young girls feed the animals, birds and fishes as a symbol of sharing.

Alternate Names - Sankranti is celebrated all over South Asia with some regional variations. Therefore It is known by different names and celebrated with different customs in different parts of Asia.

Some of the Names for Sankranti are as follows:

1. Uttarayan- Gujarat, Rajasthan  and Uttarakhand.
2. Maghi - Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab.
3. Pongal - Tamil Nadu.
4. Magh Bihu or Bhogali Bihu - Assam.
5. Shishur Saenkraat - Kashmir Valley.
6. Makara Vilakku Festival - Sabarimala Temple (Kerala).
7. Maghi (Tharu people), Maghe Sankranti or Maghe Sakrati (Other people) - Nepal.
8. Songkran - Thailand.
9. Pi Ma Lao - Laos.
10. Thingyan - Myanmar.
11. Moha Sangkran - Cambodia.

Holiday Status - It is a Local Holiday.