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Experience the joy of family, kites, and traditional treats this Makar Sankranti as India celebrates the start of a new season. Learn more here.
Makar Sankranti is one of the festivals celebrated across India with much fervour and joy. The celebration has colourful kites, blue skies, cool temperatures, and the family together on the terrace munching on delicacies. The festival has different names, such as Pongal in Tamil Nadu, Uttarayan in Gujarat, and Maghi in Punjab. On this day, people clean their homes, wear new clothes, and prepare traditional delicacies made from sesame seeds, jaggery, and rice. Families and friends come together to exchange greetings and sweets and celebrate the start of a new season. The end of the winter solstice marks the start of the agricultural season in many regions of India, signifying the time when farmers start harvesting their crops. The festival is celebrated with gratitude and thanksgiving for the bountiful harvest and the promise of a fruitful season ahead.
Makar Sankranti is celebrated in India and has astronomical, cultural, and agricultural significance.
Astronomically, Makar Sankranti also celebrates the sun transitioning into the zodiac sign Capricorn, called 'Makar' in Hindi, and is celebrated by Hindus on the 14th of January every year. This transition is considered auspicious for Hindus, and they celebrate the day with various rituals and customs.
Culturally, Makar Sankranti is an important festival in India to celebrate new beginnings. Farmers begin harvesting crops in many parts of India, especially sugarcane and rice. The festival is a time of thanksgiving and gratitude for a bountiful harvest.
Agriculturally, Makar Sankranti is associated with a change in season and is celebrated as a festival of renewal and growth when the earth is ready to yield its produce, and people pray for good health and prosperity for themselves and their families.
Various rituals and customs also mark the festival. People pray to the sun god, Lord Vishnu, and other deities on Makar Sankranti. Many temples across India organise special prayer services on this day. It is considered auspicious to take a dip in a holy river, such as the Ganges, Yamuna, or Godavari, on Makar Sankranti. This ritual is believed to wash away sins and bring good luck.
Makar Sankranti is celebrated across India with Melas or fairs that feature traditional food, music, dance, and other cultural activities. In some parts of India, people light lamps and bonfires on Makar Sankranti. This symbolises the triumph of light over darkness and the beginning of a new season. Kite flying is a popular tradition during Makar Sankranti, especially in Gujarat, where people fly colourful kites and participate in competitions.
Makar Sankranti is also a time to prepare traditional delicacies made from sesame seeds, jaggery, and rice. People in many parts of India make sweets such as laddoos, chikkis, and til gud. Some of the most popular food delicacies cooked on this auspicious day are:
Makar Sankranti also emphasises the significance of charitable acts, where people celebrate the harvest bounty by generously donating food, clothes, and money to those in need.
While there are many beliefs around celebrating Makar Sankranti, one of the most popular is that the Sun stands for bestowing knowledge and spirituality on the planet while also opening doors to new lives in all living beings. No wonder we have the Spring season that follows Makar Sankranti, which showers many colours through flowers everywhere in India.
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