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MakarSankranti
Festival
Makar Sankrant. Sankrant
is the first Hindu festival of the solar calendar year, falling
on January 14. It is one of the most auspicious times for
the followers of the Hindu religion. This festival coincides
with the Sun's northward journey (Uttarayan). On Jan 14, the
Sun enters the zodiac sign of Makar ( Capricorn). Sankrant
means the movement from one zodiac sign to another. It is
a special date when the day and night are of equal duration.
Henceforth, the duration of the day becomes longer thereby
providing a reason for celebration. |
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Sankrant
symbolizes the onset of the harvest season and the end of
winter. It has been celebrated as the harvest festival right
from the times of the Aryans. The Sun God, Surya, is said
to turn his back on winter with his chariot of seven horses
marching forward. In Mahabharata too, the auspiciousness of
this period is mentioned. Bhishma Pitamaha, in spite of being
wounded and lying on a bed of arrows, waits for 'Uttarayan'
to set in before breathing his last. It is believed that a
person who dies in this period attains 'moksha' (salvation)
and escapes the cycle of birth and death. |
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Celebration:
There is a wide variation in the celebration of Makar Sankrant throughout
India.
In Gujarat and Maharashtra, Makar Sankrant is a festival of the
young and the old. In Maharashtra, all married women have a get
together called 'Haldi-Kumkum' on this day. A 'puja' is offered
after which women and their families exchange 'tilgud' - a sweet
made out of sesame seeds as a gesture of goodwill and sisterhood.
In Gujarat, kites take on a new meaning, as kite-flying fever grips
everybody. The sky is dotted with kites of different shapes and
colours as the fun- loving natives fly them with great enthusiasm.
The spectacular symphony of colours is the best feature of this
lively festival. Although tilgud and kite-flying were peculiar to
celebrations in Maharashtra and Gujarat respectively, these features
have become totally Indianised now. The Sankrant festival is a good
example of the national integration of customs and traditions.
In Punjab, Makar Sankrant is called 'Lohri'. A family get-together
around a bonfire combined with a food fiesta and `Bhangra' (a famous
Punjabi dance) mark this festival. Sugarcane, rice and sweets are
tossed into the bonfire as an offering to the Sun God.
In Uttar Pradesh, this period is celebrated as 'Kicheri'. Every
year there is the famous Kumbh Mela at the confluence of the holy
rivers Ganga, Jamuna and Saraswati. Hordes of people throng to this
mela and take a dip in the holy waters to cleanse themselves of
their past sins.
In the southern parts of India, Sankrant is the harvest festival
'Pongal'. The celebration of Pongal lasts for three days. On the
first day, a preparation of rice boiled with milk is offered to
the Rain God. On the second day, it is offered to the the Sun God
and on the third day, the family cattle are given a bath and dressed
with flowers, bells and colours. The cattle are honored for their
hard work in the fields. It is regarded as the most important festival
of
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