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Makar Sankranti: Date, Cultural Significance & Diverse Celebrations Across India

PWOnlyIAS January 13, 2024 01:28 3487 0

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Makar Sankranti: Celebrate diversity in harvest traditions, spirituality, and unity across India on January 15, 2024

Makar Sankranti: Date, Cultural Significance & Diverse Celebrations Across India

Context: Makar Sankranti is an auspicious Hindu festival observed all over India on January 15, 2024.

Makar Sankranti: Celebrating the Harvest and Auspicious Uttarayan Transition

  • Date: It is usually celebrated on January 14 every year. However, this year, Makar Sankranti is set to occur on January 15th, aligning with leap years.
    • It  is also known as the harvest festival.
  • Seasonal Change: It marks the sun changing directions and shifting its trajectory towards the north, therefore, entering the Makara or Capricorn zodiac sign.
  • Uttarayan: The days hereon become longer, and the Sun moves northward, and this is the reason it is called Uttarayan, which is considered very auspicious. 

Mythical Significance of Makar Sankranti: Battles Won, Immortality Seeds, and Divine Births

  • Hindu mythology:  it is said that Sankranti was a deity who defeated a demon named Sankarasur on the day after Makar Sankranti, which is known as Karidin or Kinkrant. 
    • Similarly, Devi killed the villain, Kinkarasur.
  • Immortality: As per Hindu Hindu mythology, God Yama blessed the sesame seed to regard the symbol of immortality. 
  • Mahabharata Epic: Bhishma Pitamah believed that embracing death during Makar Sankranti  period would lead to salvation.
  • Narashansa: Makar Sankranti is also associated with the birth of the deity ‘Narashansa’, the first preceptor of righteousness in Kaliyuga and a predecessor to Kalki, the final avatar of Lord Vishnu.

To Read More About India’s Harvest Festivals, Click Here

Makar Sankranti: Astronomical Wonders, Harvest Abundance & Spirit of Positivity

  • Astronomical Significance: The harvest festival is a time of joy, celebration, and abundance in the farming communities reaping the fruits on the hard land.
    • In the ancient period, people used to celebrate the movement of the Sun, which resulted in longer days and marked the seasonal changes from harsher to milder climates. 
    • The festival is a sign of positivity and hope.
  • Spiritual Significance: The shift of the Sun symbolises a journey toward enlightenment and spiritual awakening. 
    • Devotees view this transition as an opportune moment to rid themselves of negativity, embracing positivity and divine blessings.
  • Religious Significance: To seek blessings for good health and a bountiful harvest, devotees perform Sankranti rituals such as taking holy dips in rivers like the Ganges and Yamuna to symbolise the washing away of sins and the start of a fresh year, offering Naivedhya (a food offering to Lord Surya), contributing to charity or Dakshina to represent the desire for people to live in peace and harmony, and performing Shraddha rituals.
    • It honours Lord Surya, the sun god. 
  • Harvest Significance: The festival marks the end of winter, heralding longer days and the onset of the harvest season. 
    • The celebration is extra special in the farming communities, as this is the time when they reap the fruits or their hard labour.
  • Unity in Diversity: Festival showcases unity in diversity, as each state observes it in their unique ways with the common theme of the harvest season.

Other names of Makar Sankranti

  • It is celebrated as Bihu in Assam, Pongal in Tamil Nadu and Sakrat in Haryana. 
  • It is celebrated internationally as Maghe Sankranti in Nepal, Songkran in Thailand and Thingyan in Myanmar.

Other Names of Makar Sankranti
State Name
Andhra Pradesh Pedda Panduga or Makara Sankranti
Karnataka, Telangana and Maharashtra. Makara Sankranti
Tamil Nadu Pongal
Assam Magh Bihu
Odisha Makara Chaula
Bihar Til Sakraat or Dahi Chura 
Kerala Makaravilakku
West Bengal Poush Sankranti
Himachal Pradesh Magha Saaji
Maharashtra Haldi Kumkum
Goa Maghi Sankrant

 

Conclusion

Makar Sankranti is a festival of great significance in India, celebrated with various names and customs across different states. The festival also pays tribute to the hardworking farmers and their plows and bulls, which have been instrumental in agriculture for ages. Makar Sankranti inspires people to engage in charitable activities and help the poor and needy.

To Read More About Lohri, Click Here

To Read More About Pongal, Click Here

To Read More About Magh Bihu, Click Here

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Makar Sankranti FAQs

Makar Sankranti is observed on January 15, 2024, marking the shift of the Sun towards the north, symbolizing harvest, spirituality, and religious rituals.

Hindu mythology links Makar Sankranti with the defeat of demons by deities, blessing sesame seeds with immortality, and the birth of Narashansa.

Makar Sankranti symbolizes a spiritual journey, seeking divine blessings for health and a bountiful harvest. Religious rituals include holy dips, offerings, and charity.

Celebrated as Bihu, Pongal, and Sakrat in various states, Makar Sankranti unites diverse traditions with a common theme of harvest, symbolizing unity in diversity.

Makar Sankranti is known as Pedda Panduga, Makara Sankranti, Pongal, Magh Bihu, Makara Chaula, Til Sakraat, Makaravilakku, Poush Sankranti, Magha Saaji, Haldi Kumkum, and Maghi Sankrant in different states.

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