India - Rich Heritage and Culture: India and Festivals

Wish you all a happy and prosperous new year of 2013. With this let us from Phila Tours and Travels Pvt. Ltd. provide more information about India and Indian festivals, this time it is all about MAKAR SANKRANTI.

Makar Sankranti is one of the most auspicious occasions for the Hindus and is celebrated in almost all parts of the country in various ways, with great devotion, fervor and gaiety. Basically this is a harvest festival, it marks the culmination of winter season and beginning of harvest or spring season. Makar Sankranti also very well known in the world as Kite Festival, is perhaps the only Indian festival whose date always falls on the same day every year on the 14th of January. In Tamil Nadu the festival is known as Pongal, in Assam as Bhogali Bihu, in Punjab, as Lohiri, in Gujarat and Rajasthan, as Uttararayan. Outside India, the festival is given due importance in the countries like Nepal where it is celebrated as Maghe Sakrati or Maghi, in Thailand where it is named as Songkran and in Myanmar where it is called Thingyan.

On this day, the Solar calendar counts the Day and Night of same duration and from this day onward the days become longer and warmer. Also that this festival is considered to be a day from where onward all the auspicious ritualistic ceremonies can be solemnized in any Hindu family. This is thus considered as the holy phase of transition. On this day, the glorious Sun-God begins its ascendancy and entry into the Northern Hemisphere. To Hindus, the Sun stands for knowledge, spiritual light and wisdom. Makar Sankranti signifies that we should turn away from the darkness of delusion in which we live, and begin to enjoy a new life with bright light within us to shine brighter and brighter. We should gradually begin to grow in purity, wisdom, and knowledge, even as the Sun does from the Day of Makar Sankranti.

The importance of the day was signified by the Aryans who started celebrating this day as an auspicious day for festivities. The reason behind this may be the fact that it marked the onset of harvest season. Even in the epic of Mahabharata, an episode mentions how people in that era also considered the day as auspicious. Bhishma Pitamah even after being wounded in the Mahabharata war lingered on the bed of Arrows till Uttarayan set in, so that he can attain heavenly abode in auspicious times. It is said that death on this day brings Moksha or salvation to the deceased.

Now let us come to the different ways of celebration of this festival in various parts of India…

In Maharashtra

People in Maharashtra enjoy their first sugarcane harvest for the year. They would reap the sugarcane convert it into fresh jaggery. And the sweets made of jaggery and TIL (Sesame seeds) called "til-gud" are distributed during this festival, as a part of the traditions of Makar Sankranti. Kite flying is one of the highlights of the merrymaking, in few states including Maharashtra. As in all festivals, people wear new clothes specifically black and women accessorize themselves with ornaments like new bangles.

In Gujarat

Makar Sankranti is a two-day festival in Gujarat. It is celebrated with great fanfare. Kite flying is one of the important traditions of Makar Sankranti in this state. On the day, the sky is dotted with colorful kites of various shapes and sizes. Gujarat, we find that colorful kites have converted Sankranti into their beautiful colors. On this day, from morning itself, the sky gets vie full of flying kites. At this moment different color kites symbolizes different people and their enthusiasm and progress, giving a challenge to the limits of sky. The International Kite Festival held at Ahmedabad on January 14 coincides with the festival. There is a custom of giving gifts to relatives, on the festival.

In Andhra Pradesh

Here a three-day festival starting from January 14 every year is preceded by Bhogi, when people follow the tradition of burning unwanted matter Next day’s celebration is Kanuma, wherein people would worship cow. According to the legends, Lord Krishna lifted the Govardhan hill to protect the people of Gokulam on Kanuma. Kanuma is dedicated to cows, bulls and other animals which generally are helpful in the farm activities. On Makar Sankranti day, people would prepare Pongali (similar to Pongal in Tamil Nadu), a dish prepared by using the recent harvested rice. The dish is offered to Sankranti Lakshmi first, and then consumed by the devotees.

In Tamil Nadu

Makar Sankranti is known as Pongal in Tamil Nadu. There, it is a three-day festival, starting from January 13 until January 15. January 13 is celebrated as Bhogi, followed by Makara Pongal (Sankranti) and then culminated by Mattu Pongal on the next day. Similar tradition is seen in Andhra Pradesh, . It is very popular particularly amongst farmers. Rice and pulses cooked together in ghee (homemade butter) and milk is offered to the family deity after the ritual worship.

In Karnataka

People in Karnataka wear colorful dresses and visit their friends and relatives, and exchange pieces of sugarcane that has been harvested fresh. In addition to this, people exchange a mixture of fried sesame seeds, molasses, and pieces of dry coconuts, fried gram and peanuts as a part of the good old tradition. In Karnataka as well, this festival is related to crops. Domestic animals like Bulls and cows are also part of the celebration by honouring those and given a lavish bath, while their horns are painted with bright colors and decorated with garland, This day a Shobha Yatra(graceful procession) is carried out. Also, they gather to fly kites. People would make Rangoli or Kolam in their courtyard. The villagers extend their gratitude to Mother Nature for a good crop.

In Uttar Pradesh

People residing in Uttar Pradesh celebrate Makar Sankranti with religious fervor. As per the traditions, they take a ritual bath in the holy River Ganga. . It is believed that taking dip in holy rivers provides moksha (salvation) from all the sins done previously. Thereafter, they would worship their favorite god, seeking a good harvest year after year. Donating Khichdi (a cooked mixture of rice and lentils) on Makar Sankranti is considered auspicious, and hence, a popular tradition followed in the northern state. A big fair is organized at Triveni Sangam in Allahabad, as a part of the celebrations of Makar Sankranti. Places of pilgrimage including Haridwar and Mukteshwar in Uttar Pradesh are flocked by devotees on Makar Sankranti and go there to take a holy dip in the river.

In Bengal

Here, the Makar Sankranti has spiritual and religious colors. Here Ganga, pass through Bay of Bengal and is absorbed in the ocean. At this time a religious fair is set up, called “Gangasagar”. It is believed that, by taking a dip at this place, your sins are washed away. It is known as Gangasagar Mela in Bengal and on this particular day people come from all over India for a ceremonial cleansing in the river Hooghly, near Kolkata.

In Punjab

In Punjab where December and January are the coldest months of the year, huge bonfires are lit on the eve of Makar Sankranti and which is celebrated as "Lohri". Lohri has unique style to express the happiness of new crops. Generally men and women gather at a cross road of a village, in traditional outfits especially the clothes representing the Punjabi culture, and perform Bhangra. Women on this day dress up beautifully, apply mehndi on their hands and their faces glow with happiness.

So, here we did try to give you whatever possible about this festival celebration through out India, hope you did enjoy reading it as much as we did enjoy providing this information to you, next time we will be coming up with some more information related with India, its culture, places to visit, festivals etc. meanwhile, we are always here to be contacted.