Makar Sankranti: The Pan-Indian festival with regional flavour

By Dr. Eugene DSouza, Moodubelle
Bellevision Media Network

14 January 2011: Makar Sankranti is one of the major festivals celebrated in various parts of India under different names, custom and rituals. It can be considered as a Pan-Indian festival with regional flavour. The essence of this festival is the beginning of an auspicious phase, victory of good over the evil and forgiving the past ill-feelings and enmity and starting new relationships. Thus, Makar Sankranti has been the festival that signifies the unity of the country in midst of its diversity.

 

 

Geographically and astronomically, Makar Sankranti marks the transition of  the Sun into ‘Makar Rashi’ (Capricorn) from the Tropic of Cancer on its celestial path. This is considered as the beginning of the ‘Uttarayana’ of the Sun from its ‘Dakshinayana’. It falls on the 14th of January every year according to the Solar Calendar. The importance of  Makar Sankranti has been highlighted in the ancient epics such as Mahabharata.

 

It is believed that Makar Sankranti has been celebrated as a festival right from the times of the Aryans and is looked upon as the most auspicious day by the Hindus. It is regarded as the ‘holy phase of transition’ as it marks the end of the inauspicious phase which according to the Hindu calendar begins from mid-December. Makar Sankranti identifies a period of enlightenment, peace, prosperity and happiness followed by a period of darkness, ignorance and viciousness with immense sorrow.

 

There are certain legends regarding the Makar Sankranti. According to the Hindu scriptures, on Makar Sankranti Sun God visits his son Shani(Saturn) who is the guiding star of the Makar Rashi. It has been believed that though the father and son do not get along very well throughout the year, they make it a point to meet once in a year. Therefore, it is symbolic of special relationship between father and son.

 

 

On this day, Lord Vishnu put an end to the terror of the demons (Asuras) by killing them and burying their  head under the mountain ‘Mandara Parvata’. Thus, Makar Sankranti stands for the end of evil and the reign of good.

 

According to another legend, after much penance, Maharaja Bhagiratha took a dip in the Ganges to the unfortunate souls of his cursed ancestors. Due to this penance he could succeed in freeing his ancestors’ curse  and they were redeemed. Thus. many people take a dip in the Ganges at Prayag or Ganga Sagar. This is done to purify themselves and to redeem their forefathers.

 

In the great epic Mahabharata it is said that  the great warrior-hero, Bhishma Pitamaha even after being wounded and lying on the bed of arrows, waited for his death till the  ‘Uttarayana’ started. It is believed that the person who dies on this auspicious day of Sankranti escapes the cycle of birth and re-birth and that his soul merges with the Almighty.

 

Makar Sankranti has been also celebrated as a major harvest festival in various parts of India with distinct rituals and great enthusiasm. In Northern and Western India, people offer their colourful oblations to the Sun God  in the form of beautiful kites. Thus, kite flying has been an integral part of the Makar Sankranti. Since few years, kite flying has taken the form of competition in which many teams with kite flying expertise even from abroad take part for big prize money.

 

 

There are different ways of celebrating Makar Sankranti in different states of India. In Maharashtra on the Makar Sankranti day people exchange multi-coloured ‘til-guds’ made from til (sesame seeds) and sugar and ‘til-laddus’ made from til and jiggery and while exchanging the til-gud say mutually utter the phrase in Marathi which means ‘accept these til-gud and speak sweet words’.  The significance of this noble custom is to forget the past ill-feelings and hostilities and resolve to speak sweetly and remain friends. Makar Sankranti is a special day for the women in Maharashtra when married women are invited for a get-together called ‘haldi-kunkum’ and given gifts of any utensil, which the woman of the house purchases on that day. Housing societies organise common ‘haldi-kunkum’ get-togethers during this season.

 

In Gujarat Makar Sankranti is observed more or less in the same manner as in Maharashtra but with a difference that in Gujarat there is a custom of giving gifts to relatives. The elders in the family give gifts to the younger members of the family. On this auspicious day Gujarati Pundits grant scholarships to students for higher studies in astrology and philosophy.

 

In Punjab where December and January are the coldest months of the year, huge bonfires are lit on the eve of Makar Sankranti which is  celebrated as ‘Lohari’. Sweets, sugarcane and rice are thrown in the bonfires, around which friends and relatives gather. The following day, which is Sankranti is celebrated as ‘Maghi’. The Punjabi’s dance their famous Bhangra dance till they get exhausted. Then they sit down and eat the sumptuous food that is specially prepared for the occasion.

 

 

In South, especially in Tamilnadu Makar Sankranti is celebrated for three days and  is known by the name of ‘Pongal’ which takes its name from the surging of rice boiled in a pot of milk, and this festival has more significance than even Diwali. It is very popular particularly amongst farmers. Rice and pulses cooked together in ghee and milk is offered to the family deity after the ritual worship.

 

In the South the Makar  Sankranti is essentially the worship of the  Sun God. Men, women and children in their best dresses visit friends and relatives and exchange pieces of sugarcane, a mixture of fried til, molasses, pieces of dry coconut, peanuts and fried gram. The significance of this exchange is that sweetness should prevail in all the dealings. As part of the festival, cows and bulls are given a wash and the horns are painted with bright colours and decorated with garland, and are taken in a procession in the village to the accompaniment of pipes and drums. In the night a bonfire is lit and the animals are made to jump over the fire.

 

In Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka,  Makar Sankranti is celebrated for four days. Bhogi, Sankranti, Kanuma and Mukkanuma are the four festivals celebrated by the people during Makar Sankranti.

 

Though the rising prices of food items and high level of inflation has been a matter to worry among the common people, their spirit and enthusiasm has not been dampened with regards to the celebration of this important festival of Makar Sankranti.