Makar Sankranti !!

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Each year one day prior to the date my mother had given birth to me, I have been experiencing the warmth after a long winter on my favorite festival ‘Makar Sankranti’. This day marks the beginning of the season of flowers and joy. Marak Sankranti is what we call it in my part of the world that is in Odisha, but the same day is termed and celebrated in plural ways in our vastly plural country. It is interesting as to how Makar Sankranti  is celebrated all across India in multiple styles. This is a major harvest festival and is known to be the only kind of festival in India which falls on the same date of every english calendar year ‘Fourteenth of January’.

Well since most of us are educated in a certain way and science is an integrated part of our thought process let me share with you that  Makar Sankranti is the time  when the Sun moves away from the Tropic of Capricorn before moving towards the northern hemisphere. This is a time when long dark nights of the winter start giving way to long bright sunny days. This is when the Sun gives us more light and more energy. The same as per old school teachings signify to wisdom. Guess that is why Makar Sankranti is also called the festival of prosperity, success and progress.

India being diverse in its culture celebrates Makar Sankranti in different ways. Maharashtrian women wear black sarees throughout the month and offering Haldi KumKum (a special Indian custom of celebrating social togetherness amongst Marathi women). Gujarat is very famous for its Kite Festival during Makar Sankranti. It is believed by many Gujratis that similar to the kite, the community should progress towards greater heights. Tamil Nadu celebrates  Makar Sankranti as Pongal. They make sweets made out of rice and gud/ jaggery and bake it. Pongal O Pongal is a greeting which is heard in Tamil households on this day. In Rajasthan, Makar Sankranti is celebrated as Makar Sankrat . Himachalis celebrate Makar Sankranti as Magha Saaja and it is  called Suggi in Karnataka. I still remember the story which my Grand mother had once told me about Makar Sankranti in Odisha and that one famous line of that story never gets out of my mind “ Mua kariachi Mua khaibaku, agyan heu debaraja…..” Mua is a particular kind of sweet dish which is prepared in Odisha during Makar Sankranti.

  

Fairs or as we call them melas, is a common site all over the country during Makar Sankranti. The baap of all melas, the world famous Kumbh Mela which is held every 12 years also commences on the very same Makar Sankranti.

Happy Makar Sankranti! Have loads of fun and may the Sun God always keep his blessings on you and your loved ones. May you be blessed with happiness, prosperity, success and progress.