India is a land of affection, devotion, brotherhood, a land of tradition and custom. Respecting one another’s custom and tradition we rejoice many festivals right here and it’s not improper to say it’s a land of festivals. Makar sankranti is likely one of the essential festivals in Hindu tradition which is devoted to Lord Solar. On this auspicious day, the Solar begins its northward, or uttarayan motion or strikes in direction of the northern hemisphere. So it’s referred to as Uttarayan. From Makar sankranti, days turn into longer and nights shorter, and it marks the tip of the winter. Earlier than this, the Solar was moved in direction of the southern hemisphere for which throughout winter, normally nights turn into longer than the times. It is usually marked as the start of the spring. One other perception is that on this auspicious day Solar enters the zodiac makar, or capricorn. In response to Hindu mythology and scriptures it’s believed that dakshinayan motion is God’s night time which is taken into account because the darkest interval and never an auspicious time, it’s marked as adverse. However, uttarayan motion means God’s day which may be very auspicious and really constructive. It is usually believed that on today Solar visits the home of his son Shani, who’s the swami of Makar Rashi, or capricorn. So it’s a competition that highlights the sturdy bond between a father and son. That is the non secular a part of the story. Makar Sankrati is principally noticed as a competition of harvesting, harvesting of the ravi crops. So, it is a competition which has not solely non secular, however cultural significance. It is rather a lot associated to our life.
Moreover this, the perfume of sweets, particularly sesame/ til chikkis, or tilgud, badam ladoos, coconut ladoos, aroma of melting jaggery, bonfires, yummy and wholesome khichdi, makar melas/gala’s and vibrant kites make everybody a bit nostalgic and it takes us again in our childhood days.
It’s the one competition which is widely known in a different way in numerous components of India. Makar sankranti is likely one of the auspicious and propitious days for Hindus. Because the Solar God is the image of sunshine, it takes us from darkness to nighttime. It’s a type of fewest Indian festivals to be celebrated in lots of states and yearly it falls on 14th/fifteenth January. Every state has its personal method of celebrating the competition. Kite flying, sesame chikkis, sweets and ladoos are the principle attraction of the competition. Makar gala’s are organised with numerous merrymaking and other people go to gala’s and luxuriate in loads.
Makar sankranti in Delhi and Haryana:
Makar sankranti is widely known with numerous love, devotion and household bonding in Delhi and Haryana, and there it’s referred to as Sakraat. All of the brothers go to their married sisters and reward them heat garments, sweets. The wives additionally reward their in-laws as a mark of affection and respect. It’s celebrated as a competition of affection, bonding, sharing, caring and respect for one another. Associates and relations collect in a single place and rejoice it along with a lot pleasure and enjoyable. Uttarayan in Gujrat: Makar Sankranti is widely known very specifically in Gujarat and the state additionally witnesses a particular Worldwide Kite Flying competition. After morning prayers and puja, individuals collect on terrace tops with their colourful kites. There are many kite video games and competitions go on. Phrases like "Kai po che" is alleged to taunt the dropping facet. Folks feed one another sweets like chikki manufactured from sesame seeds and peanuts and a particular preparation of Undhiyu (a mixture of winter greens). The state celebrates the competition uniquely.
Magha Saaji – Himachal Pradesh
Saaji is the native phrase for Sankranti and Magha is the title of the month, so it’s referred to as Magha Saaji. Folks welcome spring by taking a holy dip within the rivers or bathe in holy water. They go to their associates and relations, share sweets like chikki or khichdi and ghee (clarified butter). The locals additionally go to temples to supply prayers and search God’s blessings, and do a variety of charity, give donations on today. The night is widely known with singing folks songs and performing dances.
Poush Parbon – West Bengal:
Poush Parbon is widely known in West Bengal with mouth watering sweets and aroma of recent reduce/harvested rice. Til ladoo, coconut ladoos, maalpoaa are a few of the candy treats from the state. The competition falls on the final day of the Hindu month of Poush and marks the start of Magha. Therefore, it’s named after the month. Particular palm jaggery is used to arrange sweets and delicacies. Goddess Lakshmi is worshipped on the day of Sankranti. West Bengal well-known, the Ganga Sagar carnival begins. It is rather auspicious day, and other people take holy dips and are available to the confluence of river Ganges and Bay of Bengal to take holy bathe earlier than daybreak and worship Lord Shiva and Goddess Ganga.
Pongal – Tamil Nadu:
Tamil Nadu celebrates Pongal consecutively for 4 days and every day having a particular significance. On the primary day, individuals clear and embellish their homes, put on new garments and dump the undesirable outdated issues. On the second day, that’s the important Pongal day, individuals rejoice by having numerous sweets and candy rice preparations. The rice is boiled with milk and jaggery and allowed to boil over the pot. The minute the rice boils over, there’s a particular cry uttered and Pongal is widely known. The rice is obtainable to God after which shared by the individuals. The opposite two days contain worshipping the cattle and visiting the relations with sweets and presents.
In Odisha:
In Odisha, any competition is first to be celebrated at Puri in Jagannath Temple. Makar Sankranti is noticed as Uttarayana Yatra & Uttarayana Vandapanna of Lord Jagannath with numerous love, devotion and infinite religion, individuals supply a particular sort of newly harvested rice and sugarcane blended with jaggery, grated coconut, banana, crushed ginger, chenna (cheese), numerous fruits, dry fruits and milk referred to as “Makara Chaula” to supply it as prasad, or bhog to the deity, the Solar God.
Sakraat or Khichdi – Bihar and Jharkhand:
The competition is a 2-day competition in Bihar and Jharkhand the place the individuals take holy dips within the river, ponds early within the morning after which have bonfires into which they provide sesame seeds.
Sweets are ready with sesame seeds and jaggery, a particular candy tilgud manufactured from sesame seeds and jaggery. The ladies folks in villages come collectively and rejoice the competition whereas cooking khichdi which is a one pot dish ready out of rice cooked in with greens which is a really wholesome and yummy dish.
Makara Sankranti – Andhra Pradesh and Telangana:
In Andhra and Telangana, Makar Sankranti is a 4-day competition and is widely known with a variety of pleasure. The households come collectively and rejoice it with a variety of sweets and in conventional methods. The primary day is Bhoghi, second Makara Sankranti, third is Kanuma and fourth is Mukkanuma. The traditions and celebrations on every day are completely different, whereas the primary three days a strict vegetarian weight-reduction plan is adopted.
Ghughuti or Kale Kauva (Black crow) – Uttarakhand
In Uttarakhand, Makar Sankranti is widely known because the competition of welcoming the migratory birds as they imagine, it’s the season for the birds to finish their painful migration and return residence and it’s their homecoming. The locals give khichdi and different meals as charity and organise gala’s and go to one another. Sweetmeats are made out of sweetened flour (flour and jaggery/gur) deep fried in ghee by giving them completely different shapes like sword, knife, drum and so on. and people are strung collectively and an orange is put within the center and kids put on these as garlands to draw crows, birds, and supply these sweets to crows and birds as a blessing for the migratory birds on their return again to residence. Puri, vade, puwe are additionally cooked and fed to crows early within the morning. The kid who is ready to feed the crow first is taken into account as fortunate.
Suggi – Karnataka
Suggi is the harvest competition of Karnataka celebrated primarily by farmers and the ladies. The ladies go to one another’s homes in a ritual referred to as Ellu Birodhu and so they carry a plate of choices containing sesame seeds and jaggery, and different nuts like fried floor nuts and coconut, sugar-cane items and sweets with them for change. Girls additionally make rangolis exterior their properties and embellish the cattle with vibrant decorations and paint their horns.
Magha Saaji – Himachal Pradesh
Saaji is the native phrase for Sankrant and Magha is the title of the month and the sun-sign (capricorn) that commences with the arrival of the competition. The day alerts a change in seasons and other people welcome spring by taking a dip within the rivers or bathe in holy water. They go to their neighbors and share sweets like chikki or khichdi and ghee (clarified butter). The locals additionally go to temples and do a variety of charity on today. The night is widely known with folks songs and dances.
Lohri /Maghi – Punjab
The residents of Punjab bathe early within the morning and lightweight lamps with sesame oil to drive away the darkness (from life) because it brings in prosperity. In addition they have enormous bonfires within the evenings and luxuriate in their day with tune and dances. Lohri marks the start of the tip of winter, starting of spring. The competition is historically related to the harvest of the rabi crops. Lohri is seen by some to be a harvest competition. On the big day, choices of phulley (popcorn), moongphali (peanuts) and rewri (a candy delicacy made out of jaggery and sesame seed) are provided to the hearth.
Bihu in Assam: In Assam it’s celebrated as Bihu to rejoice the tip of the harvesting season as corps are prepared and saved in homes. Folks rejoice it by feasting, bonfires and making and distributing sweets.
Maghe Sankranti – Nepal
Makar Sankranti is widely known as Maghe Sankranti and like most areas, they too rejoice the competition with sesame seeds, so sesame seed has a variety of relevance in celebrating the competition. There’s a perception that years in the past, a businessman had a sack of sesame seeds which by no means appeared to finish. On digging by way of the bag, he discovered an idol of Lord Vishnu within the bag and therefore, sesame seeds grew to become auspicious and Makar Sankranti is an auspicious day to start out new work and do sacred issues.
So, Makar sankranti is widely known throughout the nation with numerous enjoyable, feasting, harvesting, gala’s, meals, sweets, spending time with associates and relations, making bonfires, doing charity, giving donations, feeding animals and birds to unfold happiness, and constructive power. Such a phenomenal competition which not solely offers the message to like the individuals round you, however to like all of the animals and birds.
Classes realized…
Makar Sankranti is a tremendous competition which is widely known all around the nation with numerous enjoyable, feasting, meals, gala’s, flying kites, folks songs and dance. It’s a competition of yummy meals, sweets, ladoos, chikkis, khichdi, and tilgud. The candy aroma of melting jaggery, sweetness of sesame seeds chikki, the yummy coconut ladoos, and the bottom nuts chikki make this competition distinctive one. Each Indian competition is an efficient instructor because it teaches us so many good issues and instills the nice values in us; it removes our ignorance and helps us immensely to turn into an excellent human being. So, we should perceive the message behind every competition.
Makar Sankranti is a PAN India competition. It marks the tip of the winter and starting of the spring. Solar begins the uttarayan motion, or strikes in direction of the northern hemisphere, so from Makar Sankranti days turn into longer and nights turn into shorter. Let’s know the explanations behind the rituals adopted in Makar sankranti:
Kite Flying: Makar sankranti is widely known in several methods in numerous components of the nation. Nonetheless, kite flying is frequent in Makar Sankranti. Folks collect on terrace tops to fly kites. Flying kites require a variety of run, rush, stroll and physique actions which is nice train for our physique. Publicity to early rays of solar whereas flying kites is useful for our physique. Solar rays are the wealthy supply of Vitamin-D which cures pores and skin ailments and different ailments attributable to chilly Winter. The message may be very clear that &”depart the sedentary way of life and do train on a regular basis” as it is going to maintain you cheerful and wholesome.
Consuming tilgud ladoos/ sweets manufactured from sesame seeds and jaggery, badam and coconut ladoos: Firstly, consuming and sharing sweets with one another spreads love, happiness and positivity. Moreover, sesame seeds are wealthy supply of Vitamam-E which retains the physique heat and gives, good quantity of oil that works as an excellent moisturizer for the physique. Coconut and floor nuts are additionally wealthy sources of Vitamin- E which must be eaten throughout winter.
Consuming Khichdi: Makar sankranti can be celebrated as Khichdi competition. Khichdi is ready and fed to individuals. Khichdi is a really yummy and wholesome one pot Indian dish which is manufactured from rice, pulses cooked with so many greens and it’s very wholesome to eat greens steamed together with rice. Khichdi is ready with rice, ghee, pulses, greens, Indian herbs and dry fruits which makes it a brilliant energy pack dish. It’s a lesson realized that “at all times eat wholesome to remain wholesome”. Consuming meals ready with much less oil, steam cooked meals and including leafy, inexperienced recent greens to your weight-reduction plan retains us wholesome.
Kale kauva (black crow): Makar sankranti can be celebrated as Kale Kauva, which accurately means “black crow”. It’s celebrated in Uttarakhand to point out love in direction of birds as they return from their painful migration. So getting ready sweetmeats, khichdi, puri, and vade individuals feed the crows and different birds. It teaches us to be form in direction of the harmless birds round us and to not trigger any hurt to the harmless birds.
Donations and charity: One of the crucial particular features of this competition is to do charity and assist the needy and poor. Folks donate numerous objects to the underprivileged like heat garments, blankets, meals, metallic utensils and so forth. For Hindus, donation is a crucial a part of one’s non secular obligation as every individual has the obligation in direction of the society, in direction of the entire world and all of the residing beings, apart from his circle of relatives.
Feeding Poors, Birds and animals: To many individuals, Makara Sankranti ushers within the New 12 months. The corn that’s newly-harvested is cooked for the primary time on that day. Servants, farmers and the poor are fed and clothed and given cash as donations. On the subsequent day, the cow, which is thought to be the image of the Holy Mom, is worshipped. Then there may be the feeding of birds and animals.
Friendship: Makar Sankranti can be the competition to strengthen the bond of friendship and other people promise to turn into associates with one another perpetually. In Odisha, individuals make “Makara Chaula” that’s newly harvested raw rice blended with milk, ghee, honey, jaggery, grated coconut fruits, dry fruits , chhena (cottage cheese) and so on. as maintaining a healthy diet on this altering season may be very a lot needed. Consuming this “Makara Chaula” the 2 individuals bind one another within the bond of friendship perpetually. If two women turn into associates, they name one another “Makara” and don’t name one another by names; and if two males they name one another “Maharshad”. Therefore,it’s a tremendous competition to rejoice the bond of friendship.
Bonfires/ Burning Fires: On Makar sankranti individuals make bonfires, sing and dance round it, throw tils/sesame seeds, popcorns, puffed rice, sugar canes into the hearth providing it to God and pray the Solar God and Hearth God to offer heat to the planet, to all of the human beings, animals, birds, and crops to maintain them secure on this chilly winter and supply heat in order that crops will develop correctly. In some components of the nation individuals clear and embellish their homes and no matter rejected, unused outdated stuff, and rubbish are discovered, they burn it within the hearth.
Therefore, this competition teaches us to be unselfish, to tread the trail of affection, purity, forgiveness and kindness.
Disclaimer
Views expressed above are the writer’s personal.
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