Makara Sankranti is one of the most auspicious occasions for Hindus, and is celebrated in almost all parts of India and Nepal in a myriad of cultural forms, with great devotion, fervor, and gaiety. It is a harvest festival. Makara Sankranti is one of the most auspicious occasions for Hindus, and is celebrated in almost all parts of India and Nepal in a myriad of cultural forms, with great devotion, fervor, and gaiety. It is a harvest festival. Makara Sankranti is celebrated by different names in India, but the spirit remains that of joy and spreading happiness with sweets. · Makar Sankranti: Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Odisha, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal · Uttarayan: Gujarat and Rajasthan · Maghi: Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab · Lohri: Punjab · Pongal: Tamil Nadu · Magh Bihu or Bhogali Bihu: Assam Valley · Shishur Saenkraat: Kashmir Valley · Khichdi: Uttar Pradesh and western Bihar · Makara Sankramana: Karnataka · Makara Sankramanam: Andhra Pradesh In other countries too, the day is celebrated but under different names and in different ways. ● Nepal: Maghe Sankranti ● Tharu people: Maghi ● Other people: Maghe Sankranti or Maghe Sakrati ● Thailand: Songkran ● Laos: Pi Ma Lao ● Myanmar: Thingyan ● Cambodia: Moha Sangkr Makara Sankranti is perhaps the only Indian festival whose date always falls on the same day every year: 14 January, with some exceptions, when the festival is celebrated on 13 January or 15 January. Makara Sankranti is celebrated as per the Hindu calendar month of Magha. Makara Sankranti marks the transition of the Sun into Capricorn on its celestial path. There is another significance of this day i.e. the days start becoming longer and warmer and thus the chill of winter declines. Significance Of Makara Sankranti ● The Puranas say that on this day Sun visits the house of his son Shani, who is the swami of Makar Rashi. This day symbolizes the healthy relationship of father & son. It is the son who has the responsibility to carry forward his father’s dream and the continuity of the family. ● 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 (Mountain). So this occasion also represents the end of negativities and beginning of an era of righteous living. ● This festival is also called as Harvest Festival. ● The great savior of his ancestors, Maharaja Bhagirath, did great Tapasya to bring Ganga down on the earth for the redemption of 60,000 sons of Maharaja Sagar, who were burnt to ashes at the Kapil Muni Ashram, near the present day Ganga 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. ● Sikhs celebrate it as Maghi. The tenth Sikh Guru Gobind Singh tore the Beydaava written by 40 Sikhs and gave them Mukti on this day. These 40 Sikhs later came to be known as 40 Mukhtas ● Another well-known reference of this day came when the great grandsire of Mahabharata fame, Bhishma, declared his intent to leave his mortal body on this day. He had the boon of Ichha-Mrityu from his father, so he kept lying on the bed of arrows till this day and then left his mortal body on Makar Sankranti day. Celebration Of Makara Sankranti The name for this festival varies depending upon the people of various regions of our country. From this day Goddess Saraswati is worshipped as it marks the beginning of Vasant Navratri. In some parts of India people offer thousands of their colorful oblations to the Sun in the form of beautiful kites. Various sweets are prepared and distributed among the near and dear ones. In the rural and coastal areas, cock fights are held on this day. People abstain from doing their regular chores and spent time in musical soirees with their friends and relatives. Makara Sankranti is perhaps the only Indian festival whose date always falls on the same day every year: 14 January, with some exceptions, when the festival is celebrated on 13 January or 15 January. Makara Sankranti is celebrated as per the Hindu calendar month of Magha. Makara Sankranti marks the transition of the Sun into Capricorn on its celestial path. There is another significance of this day i.e. the days start becoming longer and warmer and thus the chill of winter declines.
Posted on: Wed, 14 Jan 2015 05:14:27 +0000
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