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Why is Makar Sankranti celebrated? We all know that India is a religious country. The Indian calendar is full of a list of festivals because many festivals in India are celebrated with great enthusiasm. One of the famous Indian festivals as ‘ Makar Sankranti ‘. We all celebrate Makar Sankranti with great pomp but do you know why Makar Sankranti is celebrated? If not, then in today’s post we will tell you in detail the reason for celebrating Makar Sankranti.
Along with different religions in India, their different beliefs are also present. But people of all religions celebrate all festivals together and with great enthusiasm. This is the beauty of our country, which separates us from others. It has also been said that ‘ Unity in Diversity is the speciality of India ‘.
On the one hand, on the day of Makar Sankranti, children in small villages run on the streets to catch their kites, while in the same cities, the sky looks colourful with the crowd of kites. The most recognition of Makar Sankranti is in Gujarat, but in almost all the states, this festival is celebrated with joy. Then let’s get some more information about why we celebrate this holy festival Makar Sankranti.
What is Makar Sankranti – What is Makar Sankranti in Hindi
Makar Sankranti is one such Hindu festival that is completely dedicated to the Sun God. In India, nature has been given the place of gods since the beginning and the festival of Makar Sankranti is also considered dedicated to the Sun God. This festival is celebrated in different ways in different states.
At some places, new items are bought by selling the old items of the house, while at some places children get pocket money (hand expenses) from their parents on this day. But there is a pleasant atmosphere on the day of this festival.
What are the different names of Makar Sankranti festival?
Makar Sankranti is a pure Hindi name so it might be new to some people. In Gujarat, Makar Sankranti is known as Uttarayan and in Rajasthan, Bihar and Jharkhand it is called Sakrat. But one thing is common everywhere and that is the laddoos made of jaggery and til. Makar Sankranti is celebrated in different ways in different states, but when it comes to flying kites, all the states are ahead in it.
People worship the Sun God on the day of Makar Sankranti. Some people worship the Sun God through the Tulsi plant in their homes, while some consider ponds, lakes and rivers auspicious for worship. On the day of Makar Sankranti, colourful decorations are done in the houses.
What is the relation between Makar Sankranti and Kumbh Mela?
At the time of Makar Sankranti, once in every 12 years, the great Kumbh Mela is organized in which 5 to 10 crore people participate. Everyone worships the Sun God at the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers in Prayag.
This tradition was established by Adi Shankaracharya. Due to the participation of up to 100 million people, this Maha Kumbh Mela is also considered the biggest festival event in the whole world. In this program, from sadhus doing severe penance on the Himalayas to thousands of foreign travellers participating.
Why is Makar Sankranti celebrated?
According to the different beliefs of different religions, there are many reasons for celebrating Makar Sankranti. But Makar Sankranti is mainly celebrated on the auspicious occasion of the Sun moving from Dakshinayana to Uttarayan.
It is said in Indian scriptures that when the Sun is in Dakshinayana, then it is the night of the gods, that is, this time is a symbol of negativity and on the other hand, when the Sun remains in the Uttarayan, it is the day of the gods and this time is very much. are considered auspicious.
It is also believed that winter starts ending from the day of Makar Sankranti and the days get longer and the nights start getting shorter. In other words, summer is starting to start.
Significance of Makar Sankranti
Perhaps you have not noticed, but in most of the festivals, we do some such work such that there is a lot of damage to the environment, but Makar Sankranti is counted in those festivals which cause very little damage to the environment. Whereas, from a scientific point of view, Makar Sankranti has its own importance.
From the day of Makar Sankranti, the winter starts to end and the evaporation process starts from the Indian rivers because the Sun starts moving towards India from Makar Sankranti. According to scientists, the vapour emanating from rivers removes many diseases, so bathing in rivers on the day of Makar Sankranti is considered auspicious according to Indian civilization and beneficial for the body according to scientists.
On the other hand, when we talk about food and drink, then on the day of Makar Sankranti, sweets made of khichdi and sesame are eaten, which are very beneficial for the body from a scientific point of view.
According to the scriptures, going from Dakshinayana to Uttarayan of the Sun is auspicious and according to the same science, it is beneficial for the human body. Because there is an increase in the ability to work in Uttarayan i.e. during the summer days.
When is Makar Sankranti celebrated?
The festival of Makar Sankranti is celebrated every year in the month of January. Although mainly Makar Sankranti is celebrated on 14 January but in some cases it is celebrated on 15 January and 13 January also. In the year 2020 also, Makar Sankranti will be celebrated on 15 January.
If we talk about Indian civilization, then Makar Sankranti is celebrated on the day the sun moves from Dakshinayan to Uttarayan. In some states, this festival is celebrated to celebrate the occasion of the gods getting up from their sleep.
How is Makar Sankranti celebrated?
Makar Sankranti is counted among those festivals which are celebrated simultaneously across the country. But the way of celebrating this thing is not the same everywhere. Makar Sankranti is celebrated in different ways with different beliefs in different places. Let us now know where Makar Sankranti is celebrated.
In Punjab and Haryana, Makar Sankranti is celebrated as Lohri and on this day it is customary to offer an offering of roasted maize with sesame, rice and jaggery to the fire.
Whereas in Uttar Pradesh, Makar Sankranti is celebrated as the festival of charity and people try to donate more and more on this day.
Talking about Bengal, then the practice of donating sesame seeds is prevalent on the day of Makar Sankranti. Apart from this, big fairs are also organized in Bengal on this day.
In Bihar, this festival is considered as the festival of Khichdi. In Bihar, there is a practice of making khichdi and donating clothes on this day.
In Rajasthan, this festival is known to strengthen the relationship between breath and daughter-in-law. On this day, daughters-in-law present clothes and bangles to their mother-in-law and seek her blessings.
In Tamil Nadu, this festival is known as Pongal and is celebrated for four days.
In Maharashtra, it is customary to celebrate and donate halwa on this day. It is celebrated with the most enthusiasm in Gujarat. In Gujarat, the sky is full of kites on this day. The practice of flying kites is highest in Gujarat. Various types of kites are flown in Gujarat on the day of Makar Sankranti. In Gujarat, apart from flying kites, donating and eating sesame sweets are also done on this day.
In which countries Makar Sankranti is celebrated?
Makar Sankranti is an Indian festival and is mainly celebrated in India. But all over the world, it is celebrated in some countries other than India.
In Bangladesh, fairs were organized on the ghats of the Ganges on the day of Makar Sankranti and there this festival is celebrated with great pomp.
In India’s neighbouring countries Sri Lanka and Nepal, this festival has its own significance. At this festival in Sri Lanka and Nepal, farmers thank God for their good crops and wish for their future.
In Pakistan, the festival of Makar Sankranti is known as Tirmuri. On this day Sindhi people send clothes and sweets to their parents.
What are the things that are consumed on the day of Makar Sankranti?
On the day of Makar Sankranti, sweets made of sesame and jaggery are eaten all over the country, whether it is sesame laddus or dal, rice and ghee khichdi made with sesame seeds.
Why is it considered auspicious to donate on the day of Makar Sankranti?
It is also said about this festival that one gets 100 times more than donating on this day. For this reason, people donate useful materials and money to the poor and needy these days.
Who is worshipped on Makar Sankranti?
Sun God is worshipped on Makar Sankranti.
What did you learn today ?
Since we live in a religious country. That is why some festival is celebrated every day in India, in such a situation it is a common thing to not have complete information about all the festivals. Hope you have liked this article on why Makar Sankranti is celebrated today.
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