Makar Sankranti

Makar Sankranti(Sanskrit: ) or Sankranti or Sankranthi marks the transition of the Sun

into Capricorn on its celestial path. This is significant considering the Winter Solstice marks the beginning

of the gradual increase of the duration of the day. Remember actually the shortest day on the earth is

December 21st, 22nd and from this point onwards day begin to increase. Hence actual Winter Solstice

begin on December 21st or December 22nd when the tropical sun enters Makara rashi. Now because of

the earth's tilt of 23.45 degrees and sliding of equninoxes ayanamasha occurs and causing makara

samkranti to slide further. 1000 years back in 1000AD makar samkranti was in Dec 31st and now January

14th and After 5000 years Makara sankranti will come in the end of february, begining of march. After

9000 years Makara sanranti will come in the june (it will be the time when summer will be already there).

Hence actual Uttarayana is December 21st when the tropical (Sayana) sun enters capricorn. This is

because at one point of time they were the same. Because of this precession of the equinoxes ayanamsa

occurs and hence sliding of makara sankranti. Traditionally, this has been one of many harvest days

in India.

Due to the geography and size of India, this festival is celebrated for innumerable reasons depending on

the climate, agricultural environment, cultural background and location.

[edit]Origin of name & Significance

Winter Solstice

Sankranthi means transmigration of Sun from one Rāshi (zodiac in Indian astrology) to the other. Hence

there are 12 such Sankrantis in all. However, the Sankranthi festival usually refers to Makara Sankaranti,

or the transition of the Sun from Dhanu rashi (Sagittarius) to Makara rashi (Capricorn). For this purpose,

the Zodiac signs are considered sidereally, and not tropically, as in western astronomy, thus accounting

for the Earth's precession. The festival therefore takes place around 21 days after the tropical winter

solstice (between December 20 and 23rd) that marks the starting of Uttarayana, which means northward

journey of Sun.

While the traditional Indian Calendar is based on lunar positions, Sankranti is a solar event. So while

dates of all Hindu festivals keep changing as per the gregorian calendar, the date of Makar

Sankranti remains constant, 14 January. Makar Sankranti is celebrated in the Hindu Calendar month

of Magha.

There is another significance of this day - after this day the days start becoming longer and warmer and

thus the chill of winter declines.

[edit]Regional variations

Kite flying in the rooftops ofVaranasi

Sankranti is celebrated all over South Asia with some regional variations:

In India, it is known by different names and celebrated with different customs in different parts of the

country:

Makar Sankranti or Sankranti - Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West

Bengal, orissa, Manipur, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Goa

Uttarayan- Gujarat and Rajasthan

Lohri - Himachal Pradesh, Punjab

Pongal - Tamilnadu

Makara Vilakku Festival - Sabarimala Temple

In other countries too the day is celebrated under different names and in different ways:

In Nepal,

Tharu people - Maghi

Other people - Maghe Sankranti or Maghe Sakrati

In Thailand - Songkran

In Laos - Pi Ma Lao

In Myanmar - Thingyan

[edit]Cultural Significance

1. The Puranas say that on this day Surya (Sun) visits the house of his son Shani(Saturn), who is the

swami of Makar Rashi (Zodiac Capricorn). These father & son do not ordinarily get along nicely, but in

spite of any difference between each other Lord Sun makes it a point to meet each other on this day.

Father in fact himself comes to his son’s house, for a month. This day symbolized the importance of

special relationship of father & son. It is the son who has the responsibility to carry forward his fathers

dream and the continuity of the family.

2. From Uttarayana starts the ‘day’ of Devatas, while dakshinayana is said to be the ‘night’ of devatas, so

most of the auspicious things are done during this time. Uttarayana is also called as Devayana, and the

next half is called Pitrayana.

3. It was on this day when Lord Vishnu ended the ever increasing terror of the Asuras by finishing them

off and burying their heads under the Mandara Parvata. So this occasion also represents the end of

negativities and beginning of an era of righteous living.

4. The great savior of his ancestors, Maharaja Bhagiratha, did great Tapasya to bring Gangaji down on

the earth for the redemption of 60,000 sons of Maharaj Sagar, who were burnt to ashes at the Kapil Muni

Ashram, near the present day Ganga Sagar. It was on this day that Bhagirath finally did tarpan with the

Ganges water for his unfortunate ancestors and thereby liberated them from the curse. After visiting the

Patala for the redemption of the curse of Bhagirath’s ancestors Gangaji finally merged in the Sagar. Even

today a very big Ganga Sagar Mela is organized every year on this day at the confluence of River

Ganges and the Bay of Bengal. Lakhs take dip in the water and do tarpan for their ancestors.

We salute such a great devotee & benefactor of his ancestors. One who can express such gratitude to his

ancestors, work with tireless resolve to redeem the pride, pledges & resolves of his forefathers, alone

possess a personality, which the history reveals to be a true benefactor of the world too. A person who

has severed his own roots gets soon rooted out in the flow of time. Moral of the story is to see to it that

the roots of the tree of ‘our’ life are not only intact but nourished well, thereafter alone the tree blooms &

flourishes.

There is another spiritually symbolic aspect of this story. The 60,000 cursed son of Maharaj Sagar

represent our thoughts, who become dull & dead-like because of uncultured & blind ambition.

Redemption of such people is only by the waters of Gangaji, brought down ‘to’ & later ‘from’ the

Himalayas with great tapasya. This represents dedicated hard work to get the redeeming Brahma-Vidya,

which alone enlightens, enthuses & enlivens the life of anyone.

5. Another well-known reference of this day came when the great grandsire of Mahabharata fame,

Bhishma, declared his intent to leave his mortal coil on this day. He had the boon of Ichha-Mrityu from his

father, so he kept lying on the bed of arrows till this day and then left his mortal coil on Makar Sankranti

day. It is believed that the person, who dies during the period of Uttarayana, becomes free from

transmigration. So this day was seen as a sure-shot Good Luck day to start your journey or endeavors to

the higher realms beyond.

[edit]Traditions and Rituals

Makara Sankranti is also to honour, worship and to pay respect to the word mother, Saraswati Maa

(Goddess of Knowledge). At the start of this significant event, there is also worship for the departed

ancestors. The period is also considered an ideal time for aspirants to satisfy "the goals of life".

The day preceding Makara Sankranti is called Bhogi and this is when people discard old and derelict

things and concentrate on new things causing change or transformation. Sweets in generous quantities

are prepared and distributed. It is a time for families to congregate. Brothers pay special tribute to their

married sisters by giving gifts as affirmation of their filial love. Landlords give gifts of food, clothes and

money to their workforce.

On the day after Makara Sankranti, the animal kingdom is remembered and in particular, the cows.

Young girls feed the animals, birds and fishes as a symbol of sharing. Travel is considered to be

inappropriate, as these days are dedicated for re-union of the families. Pongal in this sense demonstrates

their strong cultural values as well as a time for change and transformation. And finally, gurus seek out

their devotees to bestow blessings on them.

Makara Sankranti has deep spiritual significance and is rooted in an unshakable divine history. Makara

Sankranti has similarities to many, if not all, of the major festivals such as Shivratri, Saraswati Jayanti,

Holi, Nau Ratum, Hanuman Jayanti, Raksha Bandhan, Pitri Paksk, Dusshera, Deepawali(Diwali) and

Kartik.

Makara Sankranti identifies a period of enlightenment, peace, prosperity and happiness followed by a

period of darkness, ignorance and viciousness with immense sorrow. The six months of northern

movement of the sun is followed by six months of southern movement. This is the same analogy as the

Kingdom of Rama that lasts for half the world cycle followed by the Kingdom of Ravana for the other half

of the cycle. Analogously, the kingdom of Rama is heaven and the kingdom of Ravana is hell.

The celebrations cited above are similar to that of Shivratri when Shiva incarnates and descends on earth

when there is irreligiousness, unrighteousness and lawlessness to preserve the righteous, destroy the evil

and re-establish dharma.

This worship of Saraswati is for the same reason that they celebrate Vasanta Panchami that represents

the first day of spring and falls in January-February. People are dressed in yellow that signifies

auspiciousness and spirituality and it represents the ripening of the spring crops. The Bengalis call

Vasanta Panchami Saraswati Pooja, where her image is finally immersed in the holy Ganges after

parading for seven days with great pomp and splendour. Its background is based on Shiva who destroyed

the demon Tarakasura to ashes. Ashes are symbolic of the conquest of purity over impurity which is the

essence of Holika. These are but the same reasons that Saraswati is worshipped at Makara Sankranti.

Vasanta Navaratri has the same significance to Makara Sankranti in terms of the time, reasons and

seasons.

The disposal of derelict things is similar to Holika. This is where all old habits, the vices, attachment to

relations and materials things are sacrificed in the sacrificial fire of the knowledge of Rudra, known as the

"Rudra Gita Gyan Yagya. It represents realization, transformation and purification of the soul by imbibing

and inculcating divine virtues.

The lavish distributions of sweets are similar to that of the fourth day of Diwali called Ankhood day. Diwali

again represents the conquest of virtues over the vices. The giving of gifts to sisters is that element of the

fifth day of Divali called Bhai Dooj. Sisters worship their brothers by doing aarti and brothers adore their

sisters by giving gifts. This has similarities to Raksha Bandhan. The strong sense of values of Makara

Sankranti is the same required for the observance of Diwali.

The worship and remembrance of departed ancestors is similar to the period of Pitri Paksh that precedes

the second Nau Ratum. Dusshera follows immediately after and is symbolic of the burning the Rawan or

mayic possessions. This again is done the day before Makara Sankranti and is called "Bhogi" day when

all old and warn out possessions are destroyed. Pongal represents a time of change and transformation.

This is the festival of Kartik that represents the change from kalpa to kalpa as humanity is transformed by

inculcating the shrimat of the Gita. All these events represent the change from old too new. This is the

reason many celebrate this event of Makara Sankranti as the beginning of the New Year.

Since the festival is celebrated in mid winter, food prepared for this festival is such that it keeps the body

warm and gives high energy. Laddu of til made with Jaggery is a specialty of the festival. In the western

Indian state of Maharashtra it is called 'Tilgul'.

In Karnataka it is called 'Yellu-Bella'. Yellu means 'til' or Sesame seeds and 'Bella' is Jaggery. A mixture

of sesame seeds, jaggery, coconut and groundnuts are distributed to relatives and friends. 'Yellu-Bella' is

normally distributed by women. There is a saying in Kannada "Yellu bella thindu olle maathadi" which

means 'Eat the mixture of sesame seeds and jaggery and speak only good'. Cattle are decorated with

various colours and are made to jump over a bon-fire.

[edit]Celebration

Kites waiting to catch the wind, held down by weights

Makar Sankranti is one of the most auspicious days for the Hindus and is celebrated in almost all parts of

India in myriad cultural forms, with great devotion. Millions of people take a dip in places like Ganga

Sagar (point where the river Ganga meets the Bay of Bengal) and Prayag and pray to the Sun God

(Surya). It is celebrated with pomp in southern parts of India as Pongal, and

in Punjab as Lohri and Maghi.

In the western Indian state of Gujarat, the celebrations are even bigger. People offer thousands of their

colorful oblations to the Sun in the form of beautiful kites. The act stands as a metaphor for reaching to

their beloved God, the one who represents the best. Makar Sankranthi also happens to be the day on

which Bhishma, the grand sire of Pandavas andKauravas from the epic Mahabharata voluntarily left his

mortal coil.

In the rural and coastal areas, cock fights are held and is a prominent event of the festival.

It is celebrated differently in different regions of India.