Let’s know when is Makar Sankranti in 2022 and the date and time. Makar Sankranti is a major festival in Hinduism. In different parts of India, this festival is celebrate according to local beliefs. Makar Sankranti is usually celebrate on 14 January every year. On this day the Sun turns Uttaryan, while the Northern Hemisphere turns towards the Sun. According to astrological beliefs, the Sun enters Capricorn on this day.
Most of the Hindu festivals are calculate according to the calendar based on the moon, but the festival of Makar Sankranti is celebrate by calculating the calendar base on the sun. Seasons change from Makar Sankranti. Autumn begins to fade and spring begins to arrive. As a result, the days become longer and the nights become shorter.
Significance of Makar Sankranti :
Religious and Cultural Approach
Makar Sankranti has great importance in India from religious and cultural point of view. According to mythological beliefs, on the day of Makar Sankranti, Sun God visits his son Shani’s house. Since Saturn is the lord of Capricorn and Aquarius. Therefore, this festival is also associate with the unique union of father and son.
According to another legend, Makar Sankranti is also celebrate as the victory of Lord Vishnu over the Asuras. It is say that on the day of festival, Lord Vishnu killed the demons on the earth and cut off their heads and buried them on Mount Mandara. Since, this victory of Lord Vishnu start being celebrate as Makar Sankranti festival.
Harvest festival
Makar Sankranti is also celebrate with pomp as the arrival of a new crop and a new season. In Tamil Nadu including Punjab, UP, Bihar, this time is for harvesting new crops, so farmers celebrate Makar Sankranti as Gratitude Day. The bountiful harvest of wheat and paddy in the fields is the result of the hard work of the farmers, but all this is possible with the blessings of God and nature. In Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir, celebrate as ‘Lohri’. In Tamil Nadu, it is celebrate as ‘Pongal’, while in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, it is celebrate as ‘Khichdi’. On the occasion of Makar Sankranti, khichdi is make at some places, while curd chuda and sesame laddus are prepare.
Cosmic significance
It is believe that as long as the sun moves from east to south, the rays of the sun are consider bad during this time, but when the sun starts moving from east to north, then its rays increase health and peace. Because of this, sages and saints and those people who are associate with spiritual activities get peace and accomplishment. If said in simple words, forgetting the bitter experiences of the past, man moves forward. Lord Krishna himself has say in the Gita that, in the auspicious period of 6 months of Uttarayan, when the Sun God turns into Uttarayan, then the earth is illuminate, so by renouncing the body in this light, man is not reborn and he Brahma is attain. Bhishma Pitamah who had the boon of euthanasia during the Mahabharata period. He too had sacrificed his body on the day of Makar Sankranti.
Festivals related to Makar Sankranti
In India, a new crop arrives in the month of January during Makar Sankranti. On this occasion, farmers celebrate this festival with great pomp after the harvest. Makar Sankranti is celebrate with different names in every state of India.
Pongal
Pongal is an important Hindu festival celebrate in South India, especially in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh. It is especially a festival of farmers. On this occasion, after the harvesting of paddy, people consider Pongal festival to express happiness. The festival of Pongal is celebrate on the first date of the Tamil m onth call ‘Tai’ i.e. in the middle of January. This 3 day long festival is dedicate to Sun and Indra Dev. Through Pongal, people express their gratitude to God for good rains, fertile land and better harvest. Garbage will burnt on the first day of festival, Lakshmi is worship on the second day and animal wealth is worship on the third day.
Uttarayan
Uttarayan is a festival especially celebrate in Gujarat. This festival is celebrate on 14 and 15 January on the arrival of new crop and season. On this occasion kites are flown in Gujarat as well as kite festival is organize, which is famous all over the world. A fast will keep on the Uttarayan festival and a mill of sesame and groundnut grains are prepare.
Lohri
Lohri is a festival especially celebrate in Punjab, which is celebrate with pomp on 13 January after the harvesting of crops. On this occasion, Holika is lit in the evening and sesame, jaggery and maize are offer to the fire as bhog.
Magh/Bhogali Bihu
In Assam, Magh Bihu i.e. Bhogali Bihu festival is celebrate from the first day of the solstice of the month of Magh. On the occasion of Bhogali Bihu, food and drink will done with pomp. At this time, the crop of sesame, rice, coconut and sugarcane is good in Assam. In this way, different types of dishes and dishes are prepare and eaten and fed. Holika is on Bhogali Bihu and dishes made from sesame and coconut are dedicate to the god of fire. On the occasion of Bhogali Bihu, a game call Tekeli Bhonga is play along with buffalo fight.
Culture in Makar Sankranti
For Hindus, all ceremonies are incomplete except for delicious dishes. Our tradition of making laddus and other delicious dishes made with sesame and jaggery in all Makar Sankranti. The use of sesame and jaggery provides heat to the body during the cold and is beneficial to health. It is believe that in the time of Makar Sankranti, eating and eating delicious dishes removes the bitterness in a relationship and moves us forward in life with positive energy. It is also say that by eating sweets, pleasure comes from talking and behaving and happiness is pass on in life. At Makar Sankranti’s party, sweets made from sesame seeds and jaggery were distribute when he arrived at the house of Shani, the son of the Sun God.
Apart from sweets made from sesame seeds and jaggery, there is also the tradition of flying kites during the time of Makar Sankranti. The Kite festival is organize during the Makar Sankranti period in many provinces of the country including Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. In this event kite flies from children to adults. During a kite flight, the entire sky is fill with colorful kites.
Tours and Exhibitions
Exhibitions are organize in many cities of the country during the time of Makar Sankranti. Major exhibitions are organize mainly in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and South India. In this event lakhs of devotes flow to the shores of the Ganges and other sacred rivers and practice charity, religion. According to mythological beliefs, King Krishna himself stated that a person who discards his body to Makar Sankranti receives salvation and is freed from the cycle of life and death.
