Makar Sankranti: The Harvest and Harmony Celebrations
Makar Sankranti has always been one of the highly valued festivals in India very cheerfully celebrated all across. The Sun passing to the Capricorn is also indicative of the end of the winter solstice rather than the beginning of longer days. This date varies each calendar year, but it takes place on either the 14th or 15th of January according to the solar cycle that conceptually symbolises prosperity and regard, and so formulates close contact between diverse cultures.
Why do we celebrate Makar Sankranti?
The significance of the Makar Sankranti festival can be seen from both astronomical and cultural standpoints.
Astronomical:
Indication of the Sun’s entrance into Capricorn, marking the end of the month (shortest with the longest night)… Thus hereafter will begin lengthening days instead of shortening ones ushering the end of winter and spring’s arrival. This is known as Uttarayan, or the sun’s northward journey.
Festival of Harvest:
Around this time of the year, the khariff crop usually is harvested in many parts of India. Here is the farmer who might be thanking the natural spirits for a nice harvest with prayers for future good. The newly-harvested grains are often used to prepare special dishes for the celebration.
Also, it has religious and Mythological Significance:
According to Hindu mythology, that would be the day on which the Sun God-Lord Surya pays a visit to his son Shani-Saturn. This time illustrates the importance of knowledge of a family bond and harmony. Also, the elders believed that Bhishma Pitamah of Mahabharata decided to leave his body on Makar Sankranti.
How is Makar Sankranti celebrated?
Celebrations of Makar Sankranti have different colours in different regions of India. Each part of the country adds its charm and flavour to this day by following its unique customs. Explore some traditions of this dazzling festival across different states:
Kite flying:
For the people of Gujarat and Rajasthan, Makar Sankranti embodies nothing but kite flying. The sky blooms in colourful kites and people compete with each other to cut each other’s strings of their kites in a whole spree of joy and freedom. In cities like Ahmedabad, International Kite Festivals are organized, which are attended by participants from all over the world.
Special dishes:
- Sesame and jaggery: Sweet preparations of sesame and jaggery are made in every state and distributed as they signify warmth and sweetness in relationships.
- Pongal: In Tamil Nadu, people make with rice, jaggery, and lentils a dish called Pongal, which is offered to the Sun God.
- Pitha and Payesh: Different kinds of traditional sweets have significance in the partition of West Bengal, such as (rice flour batter) (a confectionery preparation). Payesh is like pudding.
Bonfires and community gatherings:
In Punjab and Haryana, it is celebrated as a Lohri, where individuals gather around big bonfires, doing bhangra and giddha dances, and enjoying the traditional accessories made of sugarcane and jaggery.
Bathing in the holy rivers:
Bathing in the sacred rivers like Ganga, Yamuna, and Godavari is a pilgrim way to purify them. The subsistence of this satisfies all sins. The convening of the Kumbh Mela happens every twelve years by the time of Makar Sankranti.
Rangoli and decorations:
Homes are given a splash of colours with rangolis patterned with flowers, garlands and traditional diyas welcoming prosperity and cheer. Haldi-kumkum and sweets are exchanged in Maharashtra as tokens of goodwill among women.
Regional names and festivities
The many names under which Makar Sankranti is celebrated in different regions provide us with just another example of India’s great diversity of culture.
- Pongal: Indeed, Tamil Nadu celebrates Pongal, also known as Thai Pongal, a four-day harvest festival dedicated to the Sun God, in most parts of India.
- Lohri: The mark in Punjab is the cutting down of sugarcane and the burning of bonfires, along with the singing of folk songs.
- Magh Bihu: Assam celebrates Magh Bihu with the community fishing and traditional games feasts.
- Uttarayan: In Gujarat, the highlight of the Uttarayan festival is kite flying.
- Khichdi: Khichdi is the name of Makar Sankranti as it occurs in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar; people make a pot with new grains of rice and dal.
Other beliefs and practices
- Charity and giving: Besides these, the day is recommended to be very sacred to contribute to charitable collections like food, clothing and money by the people for the poor, believing that these manners bring some blessings.
- Folk songs and dances: Songs and presentations made in native languages sprinkling the festivals with that native flavour. They depict nature and harvest, and every state has its distinguished folk arts.
- Astrological Significance: Makar Sankranti is a blessed day for the initiation of new projects as the entry of the Sun in Capricorn is believed to enhance positivity in life and success in all endeavours.
Modern Celebration of the Festival
A modern celebration of the festival thus differs completely from the ancient rituals, yet most are still carried out in almost every house per the modification in the traditional culture as of today.
Considering what has just been discussed, that people are holding onto their traditions, Sankranti is more about how celebrations have evolved these days:
- Media Imitate Tradition: This is a modern mode of elite branding. They have started using this social media, where the same people can be seen earnestly cutting each other down. Media advertise more festivals so they can make reality shows out of them.
- Eco-Friendly Atmosphere: This is one instance in which truly practical improvements have been noticed. There is more awareness of the green environment through kites or through the avoided materials that could damage the environment.
- Global Impact: Those communities celebrating Makar Sankranti outside of India, particularly in regions with significant Indian populations and in various countries, have initiated such programs to learn blessings wherever they succeed in meeting any disorder.
Conclusion
There are deep meanings to all wrongdoings everywhere. This festival symbolizes much more, with the sun going on its way in the north; it brings with it a promise for everyone to start anew. Hope is associated with the good while keeping grounded views that have guided us for so many years. Kite-flying or hoarding on beignets (sweet edibles) to plunge into the holy rivers way adds to the diverse layers of this colourful jamboree. Perceive from the crux of it the honour that we do to our tradition and also the spreading of warmth and joy that Makar Sankranti is about.
“Celebrate the harvest season with your loved ones and enjoy the sweetness of tilgul. Happy Makar Sankranti from Chargthink!”
