Magh mela , also spelled Magha mela , is an annual festival with fairs held in the month of Magha (January/February) near river banks and sacred tanks near Hindu temples . About every twelve years, Magha melas coincide with what is believed by faithful as an astrologically auspicious position of Jupiter, sun and moon, and these are called the Kumbh Mela such as the one at Allahabad . In the south, a notable festival is at the Mahamaham tank in Kumbhakonam ; in the east, at Sagar island of West Bengal and Konark, Puri . The Magha festival, along with the bathing rituals as a form of penance, is also observed by the Hindu community in Bali, Indonesia .
68-509: Certain dates such as the Amavasya and the Makar Sankranti are considered particularly sacred, attracting a larger gathering. The festival is marked by a ritual dip in the waters, but it is also a celebration of community commerce with fairs, education, religious discourses by saints, dāna and community meals for the monks and the poor, and entertainment spectacle. The religious basis for
136-418: A Sankranti offering in a plate and exchange the same with other families. This ritual is called "Ellu Birodhu." Here the plate would normally contain "Ellu" (white sesame seeds) mixed with fried groundnuts, neatly cut dry coconut and fine cut bella (jaggery). The mixture is called "Ellu-Bella" (ಎಳ್ಳು ಬೆಲ್ಲ). The plate contains shaped sugar candy moulds (Sakkare Acchu, ಸಕ್ಕರೆ ಅಚ್ಚು) with a piece of sugarcane. There
204-611: A ceremony of thanks to the Sun. Every twelve years, the Hindus observe Makar Sankranti with Kumbha Mela – one of the world's largest mass pilgrimage, with an estimated 60 to 100 million people attending the event. At this event, they say a prayer to the Sun and bathe at the Prayagaraj confluence of the River Ganga and River Yamuna, a tradition attributed to Adi Shankaracharya . Makar Sankranti
272-436: A change in food habits and intake of nourishing and rich food. Therefore, this festival holds traditional cultural significance. It is astronomically important for devotees who worship the sun god at the great Konark temple with fervour and enthusiasm as the sun starts its annual swing northwards. According to various Indian calendars, the Sun's movement changes and the days from this day onwards become lengthier and warmer and so
340-824: A community festival (1552–1574 CE). It is popularly known as Maghi , and it now marks the memory of the forty martyrs during a Muslim-Sikh war (1705 CE) during the time of the Guru Gobind Singh . The largest Maghi gathering is found in Muktsar. According to Pashaura Singh and Louis Fenech, Guru Amar Das built Goindwal Sahib as a Sikh pilgrimage site (tirath). He also built a baoli – stepped water tank – at Goindwal for ritual bathing. in india Makar Sankranti Traditional Makar(a) Sankranti ( Sanskrit : मकरसङ्क्रान्ति , romanized : Makarasaṅkrānti ), ( transl. Capricorn Festival ) also referred to as Uttarayana , Makar , or simply Sankranti ,
408-643: A festival dedicated to the Sun God, who symbolizes divinity and wisdom, it holds profound significance. Many Nepalese associate this festival with the Winter Solstice , and believe that the sun ends its southward journey (Sanskrit: Dakshinayana ) at the Tropic of Capricorn, and starts moving northward (Sanskrit: Uttarayana ) towards the Tropic of Cancer , in the month of Poush on this day in mid-January. Although there
476-595: A fixed date, i.e., 14 January because this solar festival, honoring the deity Surya, follows the solar cycle of the Bikrami calendar, unlike other festivals that follow lunar cycle . Maghe Sankranti is regarded as marking the beginning of an auspicious phase in Nepalese culture . It is cited as the 'holy phase of transition'. It marks the end of an inauspicious phase which according to the Hindu calendar begins around mid-December. It
544-477: A four-year cycle. And Makar Sankranti will be on 16 January for the first in the year 2102 as 2100 will not be a leap year. Makar Sankranti is celebrated when the Sun's ecliptic longitude becomes 270° measured from a fixed starting point which is in opposition to Spica , i.e. this is a sidereal measure. Uttarayana begins when the Sun's ecliptic longitude becomes 270° measured from the Vernal equinox, i.e. this
612-489: A gift pack, called "Sindhara" or "Sidha", of wood and warm clothing for her and her husband's family. Women give gift to their in-laws called "Manana". Women congregate in the nearby havelis to sing Haryani folk songs and exchange gifts. In Jammu , Makar Sankranti is celebrated as ' Uttrain ' (derived from Sanskrit: Uttarayana ). Alternatively, terms ' Attrain ' or ' Attrani ' have also been used to describe this festival. A day before
680-416: A married woman is of significance as she is invited by her parents and brothers to their houses with her husband for a big feast. People invite friends and relatives (specially their sisters and daughters) to their home for special festival meals (called as "Sankrant Bhoj"). People give out many kind of small gifts such as til-gud (jaggery), fruits, dry khichadi, etc. to Brahmins or the needy ones. Kite flying
748-1864: A new beginning. Many native multi-day festivals are organised on this occasion all over India. The festivities associated with Makar Sankranti are known by various names including Sankranthi or Peddha Panduga in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana , Khichari in Bhojpuri region , Magh Bihu in Assam , Maghi Saaji in Himachal Pradesh , Makara Sankranti in Kerala, Maghi Sangrand in Punjab, Pongal in Tamil Nadu, Maghi Sangrand or Uttarain (Uttarayana) in Jammu, Sakrat in Haryana, Sakraat in Rajasthan, Sukarat in central India, Uttarayana in Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh, Ghughuti in Uttarakhand, Dahi Chura in Bihar, Makar Sankranti in Odisha, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Goa, West Bengal (also called Poush Sankranti or Mokor Sonkranti ), Uttar Pradesh (also called Khichidi Sankranti ), Uttarakhand (also called Uttarayani ) or as simply, Maghe Sankranti (Nepal), Songkran (Thailand), Thingyan (Myanmar), Mohan Songkran (Cambodia), Til Sakraat in Mithila, and Shishur Senkrath (Kashmir). On Makar Sankranti, Surya (Hindu solar deity)
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#1732851611263816-464: A rather subdued note, unlike major festivals of the region like Ganesh chaturthi . Uttarayana, as Makar Sankranti is called in Gujarati, is a major festival in the state of Gujarat which lasts for two days. Gujarati people keenly await this festival to fly kites, called patang . Kites for Uttarayana are made of special light-weight paper and bamboo and are mostly rhombus shaped with central spine and
884-510: A result, the December solstice (Uttarayana) is continuously but very slowly moving away from Makar Sankranti. Conversely, the December solstice (Uttarayana) and Makar Sankranti must have coincided at some time in the distant past. Such a coincidence last happened 1700 years back, in 291 CE. Every year Makar Sankranti is celebrated in the month of January. This festival is dedicated to the Hindu religious sun god Surya . This significance of Surya
952-473: A shared thread of religious devotion, with an attendant bustle of commerce, trade and secular entertainment. The Magha Mela festival is mentioned in the Mahabharata and in many major Puranas . The Magh Mela is a part of the river festivals that follow the transition of Jupiter into various zodiac signs. These river festivals – called Pushkaram (or Pushkaralu) – rotate over the year to ghats and temples along
1020-609: A single bow. The string often contains abrasives to cut down rival kites . The large number of kites leads to injuries and fatalities among birds. Jivdaya Charitable Trust , a local animal welfare charity, started a Save the Birds campaign, for example asking people to fly kites at times of day when birds are less likely to be flying to find food. In Gujarat, from December through to Makar Sankranti, people start enjoying Uttarayana. Undhiyu (spicy, baked mix of winter vegetables) and chikkis (made from til (sesame seeds), peanuts and jaggery) are
1088-404: A solstice increases and decreases in a cycle of four years. The time difference between two consecutive winter solstices is about 5 hours 49 minutes 59 seconds, with respect to winter solstice time, and the time difference between two consecutive Mankar Sankranti is about 6 hours and 10 minutes. Towards the end of the 21st century, there will be more occurrences of Makar Sankranti on 15 January in
1156-416: Is 365.24 days long and the time difference between the two consecutive instances of Makar Sankranti is almost the same as the year. There are 365 days in a year. Thus, every four years the calendar is offset by one day which is adjusted by adding leap day (29 February). Hence, Makar Sankranti falls on 15 January every leap year. Sidereal time of sign of Capricorn also shifts by a day due to leap year. Similarly,
1224-415: Is a Hindu observance and a festival. Usually falling on the date of 14 January annually (15 January on a leap year), this occasion marks the transition of the sun from the zodiac of Sagittarius ( dhanu ) to Capricorn ( makara ). Since the sun has made this transition which vaguely coincides with moving from south to north, the festival is dedicated to the solar deity, Surya , and is observed to mark
1292-455: Is a tropical measure. While both concern a measure of 270° their starting points are different. Hence, Makar Sankranti and Uttarayana occur on different days. On the Gregorian calendar, Makar Sankranti occurs on 14 or 15 January; Uttarayana starts on 21 December. Due to the precession of the equinoxes the tropical zodiac (i.e. all the equinoxes and solstices) shifts by about 1° in 72 years. As
1360-425: Is a popular f lat bread stuffed with shredded jaggery and ground til in pure ghee are enjoyed for lunch as well as dinner. Married women invite friends/family members and celebrate Haldi-Kunku . Guests are given til-gul and some small gift, as a part of the ritual. On this day, Hindu women and men make it a point to wear black clothes. As Sakranti falls in the winter months of the region, wearing black adds to
1428-514: Is a saying in Kannada "ellu bella thindu olle maathadi" that translates to 'eat the mixture of sesame seeds and jaggery and speak only good.' This festival signifies the harvest of the season, since sugarcane is predominant in these parts. Ellu Bella, Ellu Unde, bananas, sugarcane, red berries, haldi and kumkum and small gift items useful in everyday lives are often exchanged among women in Karnataka. During
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#17328516112631496-467: Is a time of celebration and thanks giving, and is marked by a variety of rituals and tradition. Makar Sankranti is set by the solar cycle and corresponds to the exact time astronomical event of the Sun entering Capricorn and is observed on a day that usually falls on 14 January of the Gregorian calendar, but on 15 January in leap years. Makar Sankranti's date and time is analogous to Sidereal time of Zodiac sign of Capricorn (when sun enters). The year
1564-474: Is also celebrated as birth anniversary of Baba Ambo ji , a local deity of Jammu region. At Vasuki temple of Bhaderwah of Jammu , the idols of Vasuki Nag are covered on Magh Sankranti and they are uncovered only after three months on Vaisakha Sankranti . This is the Suggi (ಸುಗ್ಗಿ) or harvest festival for farmers of Karnataka. On this auspicious day, girls wear new clothes to visit near and dear ones with
1632-404: Is believed that any auspicious and sacred ritual can be sanctified in any Nepali family, from this day onwards. Scientifically, this day marks the beginning of warmer and longer days compared to the nights. In other words, Sankranti marks the end of the winter season and the beginning of a new harvest or spring season. Across the country, Maghe Sankranti is observed with great fanfares. However, it
1700-414: Is believed to result in merit or absolution of past sins. They also pray to the Sun and give thanks for their successes and prosperity. A shared cultural practices found amongst Hindus of various parts of India is making sticky, bound sweets particularly from sesame ( til ) and a sugar base such as jaggery ( gud, gur, gul ). This type of sweet is a symbolism for being together in peace and joyfulness, despite
1768-498: Is celebrated as Maghi which is a religious and cultural festival. Bathing in a river in the early hours on Maghi is important. Hindus light lamps with sesame oil as this is supposed to give prosperity and drive away all sins. A major mela is held at Sri Muktsar Sahib on Maghi which commemorates a historical event in Sikh history. "Makar Sankrati" or "Sakraat" in the Rajasthani language
1836-448: Is celebrated as Lohri by Dogras to commemorate end of Poh ( Pausha ) month. It is also beginning of the Magha month as per Hindu Solar Calendar, hence also known as ' Maghi Sangrand ' ( Sankranti of Magh month). Among Dogras, there is a tradition of ' Mansana ' (charity) of Khichdi of Maah Dal . Khichdi of Maah di Dal is also prepared on this day and that
1904-625: Is celebrated by flying kites. Makara Sankranti is an important pan-Indian solar festival, known by different names though observed on the same date, sometimes for multiple dates around the Makar Sankranti. It is known as Pedda Panduga'/'Makara Sankranti in Andhra Pradesh, Makara Sankranti in Karnataka, Telangana, and Maharashtra, Pongal in Tamil Nadu, Magh Bihu in Assam, Magha Mela in parts of central and north India, as Makar Sankranti in
1972-457: Is celebrated in many parts of Jharkhand and West Bengal. Poush Mela , held traditionally on the seventh day of Poush, at Shantiniketan , in West Bengal , is unrelated to this festival. Mela Maghi is held in memory of the forty Sikh martyrs ( Chalis Mukte ) who gave their lives to protect Guru Gobind Singh , the tenth Guru of Sikhism, every year at Muktsar Sahib in Punjab. Before this tradition,
2040-465: Is celebrated under different names and with distinct rituals in various parts of the country. In the states of northern and western Nepal, the festival is celebrated as Makar Sankranti with special zeal and fervour. The importance of this day is highlighted in ancient epics such as the Mahabharata . So, apart from socio-geographical importance, Maghe Sankranti holds historical and religious significance. As
2108-563: Is celebrated with distinct names and rituals. It is celebrated differently across the Indian subcontinent. Many people take a dip in places like Ganga Sagar and pray to the Sun God ( Surya ). It is celebrated with pomp in southern parts of India as Sankranti in Andhra Pradesh , Telangana and Karnataka (Pongal in Tamil Nadu), and in Punjab as Maghi . Many melas or fairs are held on Makar Sankranti
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2176-467: Is known as "Kichchu Haayisuvudu". In Maharashtra, on Makar Sankranti day, people exchange til-gul (sweetmeats made from sesame seeds and jaggery). A famous line associated with this joyous occasion is til gul ghya god god bola (Eat this sesame and jaggery and speak sweet words). Tilacha halwa (sugar granules) are also offered as prasad in the Devghar (Prayer room) after seeking blessings. Gulachi poli
2244-738: Is no direct solar observance of the Winter Solstice in Nepali tradition, the Vaikuntha Ekadashi festival, based on the lunar calendar, falls closest. Additionally, the Sun begins its northward journey the day after the winter solstice , as daylight increases. Thus, Makar Sankranti marks the celebration of the day after the Winter Solstice. Scientifically, in the Northern Hemisphere, the winter solstice occurs between 21 and 22 December. Daylight begins to increase on 22 December and on this day,
2312-440: Is one of the major festivals in the state of Rajasthan. The day is celebrated with special Rajasthani delicacies and sweets such as pheeni (either with sweet milk or sugar syrup dipped), til-patti, gajak, kheer, ghevar, pakodi, puwa, and til-laddoo. Specially, the women of this region observe a ritual in which they give any type of object (related to household, make-up or food) to 13 married women. The first Sankranti experienced by
2380-542: Is the Assam celebration of Makar Sankranti, with feasting lasting for a week. The festival is marked by feasts and bonfires. The day of the Bihu starts at early dawn by a post-harvesting ceremony called "Meji". In this, bonfires are burned in the house, temples, fields and people pray to Agnidev for blessings Young people erect makeshift huts, known as Meji and Bhelaghar , from bamboo, leaves and thatch, and in Bhelaghar they eat
2448-411: Is to eliminate evil forces. This day is also held in honor of Indra , the Hindu god of rain. The second day of festival is Thai Pongal or simply Pongal. It is celebrated by boiling rice with fresh milk and jaggery in new pots, which are later topped with brown sugar, cashew nuts and raisins early in the morning and allowing it to boil over the vessel. This tradition gives Pongal its name. The moment
2516-661: Is traceable to the Vedic texts, particularly the Gayatri Mantra , a sacred hymn of Hinduism found in its scripture named the Rigveda . Makara Sankranti is also associated with the birth and coming of the final Avatar of the Hindu God Vishnu, Kalki. Makara Sankranti is regarded as important for spiritual practices and accordingly, people take a holy dip in rivers, especially Ganga , Yamuna , Godavari , Krishna and Kaveri . The bathing
2584-568: Is traditionally observed as a part of this festival. On this occasion the sky in Jaipur and Hadoti regions is filled with kites, and youngsters engage in contests trying to cut each other's strings. In Malwa and Nimar region kite flying is popular during makar Sankranti. It is a four-day festival in South India: The festival is celebrated four days from the last day of the Tamil month Margazhi to
2652-564: Is why this day is also referred to as ' Khichdi wala Parva ' . There is also a tradition of sending Khichdi & other food items to house of married daughters. Fairs are organised on holy places and pligrimages on this day. Dhagwal in Hiranagar tehsil is known for Fair on Makar Sankranti and Janamashtami . People of Jammu also take holy bath in Devika river and pilgrimages like Uttar Behni and Purmandal on this occasion. This day
2720-426: Is worshipped along with Vishnu and goddess Lakshmi throughout India. Makar Sankranti is observed with social festivities such as colourful decorations, rural children going house to house, singing and asking for treats in some areas, melas (fairs), dances, kite flying, bonfires and feasts. The Magha Mela is mentioned in the Hindu epic Mahabharata . Many observers go to sacred rivers or lakes and bathe in
2788-779: The Bagmati River near Patan ; In the Gandaki/Narayani river basin at Triveni, Devghat near Chitwan Valley and Ridi on the Kaligandaki River; and in the Koshi River basin at Dolalghat on the Sun Koshi River. Festive foods like laddoo , ghee , and sweet potatoes are distributed. Nieces and nephews usually go to Mama Ghar to receive tika, blessings, and dakshina (monetary gifts). Generally Maghe Sankranti falls on 14 January, and also called Makar Sankranti or Maghi in
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2856-618: The Indian subcontinent . Maghe Sankranti is a major harvest festival celebrated in Nepal. Sankranti marks the transition of the Sun from one zodiac sign to another, and when the Sun enters Capricorn (Makara), it is called Makara Sankranti. This occasion is called Makara Sankranti in the Pahari context. It is one of the few Nepalese festivals celebrated by the Madhesi , Magar, and Tharu people communities on
2924-634: The Shakti deity. These pots are filled with newly harvested food grains and are offered with betel leaves and areca nut. Its observance takes place on a rather subdued note, unlike major festivals of the region like Ganesh Chaturthi . The festival is known as Makara Sankranti in Odisha where people prepare makara chaula ( Odia : ମକର ଚାଉଳ ): uncooked newly harvested rice, banana, coconut , jaggery , sesame , rasagola , Khai/Liaa and chhena puddings for naivedya to gods and goddesses. The withdrawing winter entails
2992-551: The Uttarayana , when the sun enters the 10th house of the zodiac Makara . It is commonly called as Pedda Panduga (Big festival) in the Andhra Pradesh state. Ariselu , a traditional sweet dish is offered to the god. The third day of the four-day festival, it is dedicated to the cattle and other domestic animals. The cattle are decorated, especially cows, they are offered bananas, a special meal and worshipped. On this day, popular community sport Kodi Pandem will begun playing until
3060-518: The Magh Mela is the belief that pilgrimage is a means for prāyaścitta (atonement, penance) for past mistakes, the effort cleanses them of sins and that bathing in holy rivers at these festivals has a salvific value, moksha – a means to liberation from the cycle of rebirths ( samsara ). According to Diane Eck – professor of Comparative Religion and Indian Studies, these festivals are "great cultural fairs" which brings people together, tying them with
3128-655: The Sun-God is worshiped on this day as a great benefactor. Many individuals at the start of the day perform a ritual bath while fasting. Makara Mela (Fun fair) is observed at Dhabaleswar in Cuttack , Hatakeshwar at Atri in Khordha , Makara Muni temple in Balasore and near deities in each district of Odisha. In Puri special rituals are carried out at the temple of Lord Jagannath . In Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Kalahandi, Koraput and Sundargarh where
3196-452: The Tamil month of Tai (January/February) after the month of Margazhi, a period which overlaps with the northern month of Magh. These bathing festivals are depicted as spiritually auspicious and occasions for water sports, fairs and community gathering. In Sikhism , the Magha mela – along with Diwali and Vaisakhi – were three festivals recognized by Guru Amar Das who urged Sikhs to gather for
3264-438: The body warmth. This is an essential reason behind wearing black, which is otherwise barred on festival days. As per another legend, Lord Surya forgave his son Shani and his son visited him on Sankranti. That is the essential reason why people distribute sweets and urge them to let go of any negative or angry feelings. Also, newly married women offer five sunghat or small clay pots with black beaded threads tied around them, to
3332-463: The end of the winter solstice and the month of Poush . The Tharu people celebrate this day as their new year. It is also regarded as a major government-declared annual festival of the Magar community. Maghe Sankranti shares similarities with solstice festivals in various other religious traditions. Observant Hindus take ritual baths during this festival. These include Janakpurdham , Sankhamul on
3400-403: The evening, a ceremony called Bhogi Pallu, fruits of the harvest such as regi pallu and sugarcane are collected along with flowers of the season. Money is often placed into a mixture of treats and is poured over children. The children then collect the money and sweet fruits. The second and main day of the four-day festival, and is dedicated to the Hindu god Surya . The day marks the start of
3468-489: The festival was observed and mentioned by Guru Amar Das , the third Guru of Sikhism. The festival Sankranti is celebrated for four days in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Telugu women decorate the entrance of their homes by geometric patterns drawn using colored rice flour, called Muggu . Bhogi Bhogi is the first day of the four-day festival. It is celebrated with a bonfire with logs of wood, other solid-fuels, and wooden furniture at home that are no longer useful. In
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#17328516112633536-416: The food prepared for the feast, and then burn the huts the next morning. The celebrations also feature traditional Assamese games such as tekeli bhonga (pot-breaking) and buffalo fighting. Magh Bihu celebrations start on the last day of the previous month, the month of "Pooh", usually the 29th of Pooh and usually 14 January, and is the only day of Magh Bihu in modern times (earlier, the festival would last for
3604-563: The holy dip in rivers, especially in Yamuna, or at sacred ponds such as ancient sarovars Kurukshetra and at local tirtha ponds associated with the ancestral guardian/founder deity of the village called Jathera or Dhok (dahak in Sanskrit or fire) in villages to wash away sins. People prepare kheer , churma , halva with desi ghee and distribute til-gud ( sesame and jaggery ) laddoos or chikkis . Brothers of married woman visits her home with
3672-479: The horns with gold or other metallic covers. In some places, Jallikattu , or taming the wild bull contest, is the main event of this day and this is mostly seen in the villages. Maghe Sankranti Maghe Sankranti ( Nepali : माघे सङ्क्रान्ति , Maithili : माघि , Nepal Bhasa : घ्यःचाकु संल्हु ) is a Nepali festival observed on the first of Magh in the Vikram Sambat (B.S) or Yele calendar marking
3740-416: The house for the ceremony. People prepare savouries and sweets such as vadai, murukku, payasam and visit each other and exchange greetings. The third day of festival is Maattu Pongal. It is for offering thanks to cattle, as they help farmers in agriculture. On this day the cattle are decorated with paint, flowers and bells. They are allowed to roam free and fed sweet rice and sugar cane. Some people decorate
3808-571: The major rivers of India, each revered as a sacred river goddess. They include the ritual bathing as well as prayers to ancestors, religious discourses, devotional music and singing, charity, cultural programs and fairs. An annual bathing festival is also mentioned in ancient Tamil anthologies of the Sangam period . For example, nine of the surviving poems in the Paripatal collection is dedicated to river goddess Vaikai. These poems mention bathing festivals in
3876-661: The most famous being the Kumbha Mela , held every 12 years at one of four holy locations, namely Haridwar , Prayag ( Prayagraj ), Ujjain and Nashik , the Magha Mela (or mini-Kumbh Mela held annually at Prayag) and the Gangasagar Mela (held at the head of the Ganges River , where it flows into the Bay of Bengal ). Makar Mela in Odisha . Tusu Mela also called as Tusu Porab
3944-487: The next one to two days, especially in the Coastal Andhra region of Andhra Pradesh. It is the fourth and last day of the four-day festival. Many families hold reunions on this day. Magh Bihu (also called Bhogali Bihu ( Bihu of eating foods and enjoyment) or Maghar Domahi is a harvest festival celebrated in Assam , India, which marks the end of harvesting season in the month of Maagha (January–February). It
4012-414: The occasion, newly married women give away bananas for five years to married women from the first year of her marriage. Kite flying, drawing rangolis, giving away of red berries known as Yalchi kai are some of the intrinsic parts of the festival. Another vital ritual in rural Karnataka is the display of decorated cows and bulls and their procession is done and they are also made to cross a fire and this custom
4080-403: The rice boils over and bubbles out of the vessel, the tradition is to shout "பொங்கலோ பொங்கல் (Ponggalo Ponggal)!" and blow the sangu (a conch), a custom practised to announce it was going to be a year blessed with good tidings. Then, new boiled rice is offered to the Sun god during sunrise, as a prayer which symbolises thanks to the sun for providing prosperity. It is later served to the people in
4148-480: The special festival recipes savoured on this day. The Hindu Sindhi community in western regions of India, that is also found in southeastern parts of Pakistan, celebrate Makar Sankranti as Tirmoori. On this day, parents sending sweet dishes to their daughters. "Sakraant" in Haryana and Delhi rural areas, is celebrated with traditional Hindu rituals of North India similar to Western UP and border areas of Rajasthan and Punjab. This includes ritual purification by taking
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#17328516112634216-549: The state, the crops harvested around the time are Sesame Seeds, Paddy, etc. Known as Sankrant in Goa and like in the rest of the country, people distribute sweets in the form of granules of sugar-coated till pulses among family members and friends. Newly married women offer five sughat or small clay pots with black beaded threads tied around them, to the deity. These pots are filled with newly harvested food grains and are offered with betel leaves and areca nut. Its observance takes place on
4284-407: The third day of the Tamil month Thai (Pausha) . The first day of festival is Bhogi . It is celebrated on the last day of Margazhi by discarding household items and setting them on fire, marking the end of the old and the emergence of the new. In villages there will be a simple ceremony of "Kappu Kattu" (kappu means secure). The 'neem' leaves are kept along the walls and roof of the houses. This
4352-462: The time of equinoxes also shifts by a day in each four year window. For example, the equinox of September does not fall on the same date each year nor does the winter solstice. Any event related to one revolution of the Earth around the Sun will have this date shift within a four year cycle. Similar changes can be seen in the exact time of solstices and equinoxes. See the table, how the time of the equinox and
4420-514: The tribal population is greater, the festival is celebrated with great joy. They celebrate this festival with great enthusiasm, singing, dancing and generally having an enjoyable time. This Makara Sankranti celebration is next to the Odia traditional new year Maha Vishuva Sankranti which falls in mid April. Tribal groups celebrate with traditional dancing, eating their particular dishes sitting together, and by lighting bonfires. In Punjab , Makar Sankranti
4488-454: The uniqueness and differences between individuals. For most parts of India, this period is a part of early stages of the Rabi crop and agricultural cycle, where crops have been sown and the hard work in the fields is mostly over. The time thus signifies a period of socializing and families enjoying each other's company, taking care of the cattle, and celebrating around bonfires, in Gujarat the festival
4556-411: The west, Makara Sankranti or Shankaranti in Kerala, and by other names. Makar or Makara Sankranti is celebrated in many parts of the Indian subcontinent with some regional variations. It is known by different names and celebrated with different customs in different Indian states and South Asian countries: In most regions of India, Sankranti festivities last for two to four days of which each day
4624-614: The whole month of Magh, and so the name Magh Bihu). The night before is "Uruka" (28th of Pooh), when people gather around a bonfire, cook dinner, and make merry. During Magh Bihu people of Assam make cakes of rice with various names such as Shunga Pitha, Til Pitha etc. and some other sweets of coconut called Laru or Laskara. It is popularly known as Sakraat or Khichdi in western Bihar and Til Sakraat or Dahi Chura in rest of Bihar where people usually eat Dahi and Chura (Flattened Rice), sweets made of Til Sesame seeds and Chini (Sugar)/Gud(Jaggery) such as Tilkut , Tilwa (Til ke Ladoo) etc. In
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