The festival of Makar Sankranti is celebrated when the sun sets in Uttarayan. The special thing about this festival is that it is celebrated not on different dates like other festivals, but on 14 January every year. This festival is included in the major festivals of Hinduism.
TABLE OF CONTENTS:-
- Why is Makar Sankranti celebrated on 14th January?
- Celebrations among people for Makar Sankranti.
- Customs related the festival of Makar Sankranti.
- Conclusion.
1. WHY IS MAKAR SANKRANTI CELEBRATED ON 14th JANUARY?
Makar Sankranti is directly related to the geography of the earth and the position of the sun. The Sun comes on the Tropic of Capricorn (14 January) hence Makar Sankranti is celebrated on this day.
From the astrological point of view, on this day the Sun leaves Sagittarius and enters Capricorn and the movement of the Sun begins. The festival of Makar Sankranti is celebrated as a welcome festival with the entry of the Sun in Uttarayan. There are twelve transits of the Sun in the twelve zodiac signs Aries, Taurus, Capricorn, Aquarius, Sagittarius etc. throughout the year and when the Sun leaves Sagittarius and enters Capricorn, then Makar Sankranti occurs.
According to Hindu mythology, on this special day Lord Surya goes to his son Lord Shani, at that time Lord Shani is
representing Capricorn. To celebrate the healthy relationship between father and son, despite differences, Makar Sankranti was given importance. It is believed that when a father visits his son on this special day, his conflicts get resolved and positivity gets shared with happiness and prosperity. Apart from this, there is another story of this special day, which is related to the life of Bhishma Pitamah, who had got this boon, that he would get death by his will. While he was lying on the decoration of arrows, he was waiting for the day of Uttarayan and on this day he closed his eyes and thus he attained salvation on this particular day.
2. CELEBRATIONS FOR MAKAR SANKRANTI ALL OVER THE WORLD:-
The festival of Makar Sankranti is celebrated in different ways in different regions of India. In Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Karnataka it is called Sankranti and in Tamil Nadu it is celebrated as Pongal festival. At this time in Punjab and Haryana, the new crop is welcomed and Lohri festival is celebrated, while in Assam this festival is celebrated with gaiety as Bihu. Its name and method of celebration is different in every province.
Flying kites on this day also had special significance. On this day big kite flying events are also organized at many places.
People fly kites with great joy.
3. CUSTOMS AND BELIEFS RELATED THE FESTIVAL:-
According to different beliefs, the dishes of this festival are also different, but dal and rice khichdi has become the main identity of this festival. It is especially important to eat khichdi with jaggery and ghee. Sesame and jaggery also have great importance on Makar Sankranti.
Apart from this, sesame and jaggery laddoos and other dishes are also made. At this time, the married women also follow some customs. It is believed that this gives her husband a long life.
On this day, bathing in pilgrimages and holy rivers is of great importance, as well as donating sesame, jaggery, khichdi, fruits and according to the zodiac, virtue is attained. It is also believed that the donation made on this day pleases the Sun God.
4. CONCLUSION:-
India is a land of festivals. Here, every festival has a different importance and message. Makar Sankranti also symbolises the belongingness and compassion among human beings. We should celebrate all the festivals with great enthusiasm and respect our culture and customs.
Writing credits – Jiya
