Makar Sankranti is a festival that is celebrated all over India, albeit by different names – to name a few ‘Makar Sankranti’ in Maharashtra, ‘Lohri’ in Punjab, ‘Pongal’ in Kerala or ‘Uttarayan’ in Gujarat. The celebrations take different forms – from kite-flying to wearing sesame-sugar ornaments to bonfires. The festival is to celebrate the harvest season and hence you have special food items made from the fresh produce.
But there is something that makes Makar Sankranti unique from other festivals of Hinduism. Can you guess what that is?
Well, it is the only festival that follows the Solar Calendar (celebrated as per the movement of the Sun) rather than the Lunar Calendar followed in other festivals. Hence, while the dates of the other festivals like Holi, Dassera, Diwali change every year as per the Gregorian Calendar, the Makar Sankranti falls on 14th or 15th of January every year!
As it is celebrated on the day the Sun crosses into the Capricorn (मकर) sign.
This occurs soon after the Winter Solstice and now the days start getting warmer and longer. This marks the start of the उत्तरायण / Uttarayana period (Northward movement) of the Sun which is considered to be very auspicious as per our scriptures.
The Sun holds a special significance in many cultures and ours is no different.
In Hinduism, it is believed that it is the Sun that nourishes and gives life-principle to all beings; He is the first Creation and the greatest Karmayogi (keeps on doing his duty without expecting anything in return!).
Sankranti is the Day of Transition from one sign to another by the Sun and this occurs 12 times in the year. Then why is Makar Sankranti so special?
Makar Sankranti marks the day when this Sun is going to get stronger and start giving more of his shine to us in the Northern Hemisphere. And hence we recite -
भास्करस्य यथा तेजो मकरस्थस्य वर्धते। तथैव भवतां तेजो वर्धतामिति कामये।।
भास्करस्य यथा तेजः मकरस्थस्य वर्धते – Just as the Sun’s radiance is growing in the Makar (Capricorn) sign,
तथैव भवतां तेजः वर्धताम् इति कामये – similarly, I wish (that) May your radiance also grow!
It is a common practice to start a new goal or venture on Makar Sankrant day, maybe like your studies 😊 or taking up a new art or some educational course.
Because it is believed that if you take up something with vim and vigour during the start of Uttarayana, like the Sun will get stronger with passing days, so will you and your energy. And hence you can expect to achieve the task you have set out for!
PC: vecteezy
Sesame has a special significance on this day! Am sure most of you savour the til-wadis and laddus that your moms and grannies make! This tiny seed is a super-food filled with vitamins, nutrients, fibre and essential fats too!
That Til (Sesame) should be eaten and donated during the Uttarayan Period finds mention in the ब्रहम् वैवर्त पुराण / Brahmavairvarta Purana, thus showing that this tradition has been followed right from the Vedic period!
तिलवत् स्निग्धं मनोऽस्तु वाण्यां गुडवन्माधुर्यम्।तिलगुडलड्डुकवत् सम्बन्धेऽस्तु सुवृत्तत्त्वम्।।
In Samskrita, स्निग्धं and स्नेह originate from the Dhatu स्निह् – to love. Just like love attaches itself to another and can’t be easily separated from it, so does oil! Hence, being oily also came to be termed as “स्निग्धं”.
Like it is said in this shloka, this Makar Sankranti, I wish that -
“May your mind be filled with love like the sesame (filled with oil), (and) your speech be sweet like jaggery. And may our relationship be strongly bonded like sesame and jaggery in a tilgul laddu!”
May we together continue this journey to discover our roots for many more weeks to come!
Nice one Praju but frankly this one did not sparkle as earlier ones have. Maybe because initially the intro is too long n does not add much value. Your forte is shlokas n their interpretation. So when you reach there you the Piece goes to a different level. Thanks for sharing. Hope my tongue a la your shloka become more