Happy Makar Sankranti

Today on 14 January the whole India is celebrating its one of the most prestigious, marvellous and prodigious festivals that it is having. I would not be wrong to say that, "India is a land of festivals." I am definitely proud of being an Indian. India, the largest and oldest civilization of the whole world has more festivals than any other country. The land of God is completely replenished with immense cultures, people, religions, festivals etc.
 And Makar Sankranti is one of those beautiful festivals of India. Being one of the auspicious days for Hindu, Makar Sankranti is celebrated totally culturally all over the India. Various melas (fairs) are organised all over the India to mark this magnificent day.
So, let's first of all accumulate some information about this religious day.
Makar Sankranti is celebrated when the Sun moves into its northern hemisphere. As Sun is considered the god of power, the god of energy so the hindus celebrate the festival by taking the message from the Sun, 'Tamaso Ma Jyotir Gamaya'- may you go higher & higher, to more & more Light and never to Darkness.
Makar Sankranti is a major harvest festival celebrated in various parts of India. According to the lunar calendar, when the sun moves from the Tropic of Capricorn(Dakshinyana) to the Tropic of Cancer(Uttarayan) in the month of Pausha in mid-January, it commemorates the commencement of the harvest season and cessation of monsoon in South India.
On this day Sun also changes its place in Zodiac sign. It comes to the Capricorn (Makar) zodiac sign and this change is termed as Sankranti. And because of virtue of this movement of Sun, the festival has been dubbed as Makar Sankranti.
Makar Sankranti, the only Indian festival which falls every year on the same day, marks the termination and slashing of darkness, sorrows and grief and signalizes everyone of a new thought, new leaf of life and a new journey. According to Hindu mythology this festival also marks the beginning of days for the hindu deities.
According to the vedas and puranas every good work should be started after this period and any work started in this period will definitely bear a humongous fruition.

Significance and vitality of Makar Sankranti:-
1. On this day Sun goes to his son Shani's (Saturn) abode and resides there for a period of one month. Although both of them do get along good with each other but in this period they live with each other and that's why its deemed as a very good time for father and son.
2. Bhisma Pitamah also decided to die on this day. Pitamah Bishma got a boon from his father that he can die only when he wanted to, so Bhisma Pitamah chose this day to die.
3.Sikhs celebrate it as Maghi. The tenth Sikh Guru Gobind Singh tore the Beydaava written by 40 Sikhs and gave them Mukhti on this day. These 40 Sikhs later came to be known as 40 Mukhtas.
4. On this day Bhagirath worshiped in order to bring the greatest and most pious river of India, The Ganges on Earth.


In India it is known by different regional names
  Makar Sankranti or Sankranti - Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, Bihar, Goa, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Orissa, Sikkim, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal.

• Uttarayan- Gujarat and Rajasthan
• Maghi - Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab
• Lohri - Punjab
• Pongal - Tamil Nadu
• Magh Bihu or Bhogali Bihu - Assam Valley
• Shishur Saenkraat - Kashmir Valley
• Khichdi- Uttar Pradesh
• Makara Sankramana - Karnataka .

Makar Sankranti is celebrated all over India from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and from Gujarat to Arunachal Pradesh with great fervor. On the day of Makar Sankrati  people fly kites. In states like Gujarat, Bihar etc. Kite festival is conducted which entices many foreigners. In states like Andhra Pradesh sweets made of Jaggery are made and in states like Punjab, groundnut, jaggery etc. are eaten and a fire is lit, around which every revolves. In states like Maharashtra women conduct speacial meetings in whih they distribute gifts to each other.

On this day the great fairs of the whole world Kumbh Mela is conducted at Prayag(Allahabad), Haridwar, Ujjain and Nashik. This year around 1.5 crore people attended the first day of Kumbh Mela(14 Jan) at Prayag, Allahabad, which is a very humongous amount. It is considered that your all sins get terminated if you take bath in the Ganga river at the Kumbh Mela. Saints from different places of India congregate here to attend the Kumbh Mela and chant God's name.

 I heartily hope that this Makar Sankranti fill your life with completely prosperity, relisment and joy.

Jai Hind, Jai Bharat

Jai Ma Bharti.