Get over with New Year celebrations as harvest festivals Makar Sankranti, Lohri, Pongal, Bihu, Guru Gobind Singh Jayanti and a row of festivals are upon us.
Marking the end of the winter solstice, Makar Sankranti, the harvest festival of Hindus, is celebrated by a pooja followed by flying kites, engaging in delicacies including Til Ke Ladoo and dancing around the bonfire.
Why a shift in Makar Sankranti 2019 date?
In 2019, the festival of Makar Sankranti falls on 15 January 2019, which is a Tuesday.
Makar Sankranti almost falls on the same date, which is 14 January every year. However, Makar Sankranti has been one of the few traditional Hindu festivals that has been observed as per solar cycles. There is a change in the planetary configuration of the Sun. During the day of Makara Sankranti, the sun rays come in from the North direction which is considered to be the abode of Gods. Makar Sankranti falls in the solar month of Makara in the Hindu calendar.
Makar Sankranti ends the period of Malmaas (an inauspicious month in the Hindu calendar). The sun transitions into the zodiacal sign of Capricorn or Makara, which marks a seasonal shift.
Significance of Makar Sankranti celebrations
Makar Sankranti is devoted to God Sun or Surya. The importance of Surya is noticeable to the Vedic texts, especially the Gayatri Mantra, a blessed hymn of Hinduism found in its scripture called the Rig-Veda. The festival also symbolises the starting of a six months auspicious period for Hindus called Uttarayana period.
Every year on Makar Sankranti, thousands of pilgrims gather at Ganga Sagar and Prayag to take a holy dip, seeking absolution. The devotees also offer prayers toSurya Bhagwaan (Sun God). Devotees light lamps with sesame oil, which they consider auspicious in many ways, including that “it drives away sins”
Melas (fairs) are also organised at several places across the country, where people enjoy swing rides and candies alike.
