Makar Sankranti

What Is Makar Sankranti?

Makar Sankranti is a significant Hindu observance and harvest festival celebrated widely across India and by Hindus globally. It marks the Sun’s transit from the zodiac sign of Sagittarius (Dhanu) to Capricorn (Makara), signifying the end of the winter solstice. This celestial event also heralds the commencement of longer days, symbolising a period of renewal and prosperity.

The festival is fundamentally an acknowledgement of the Sun’s northward journey, known as ‘Uttarayan’, which is traditionally considered an auspicious time. It is a time for expressing gratitude for a bountiful harvest, with various customs revolving around agricultural produce and seasonal changes.

History and Origins of Makar Sankranti

The origins of Makar Sankranti are deeply rooted in ancient Vedic traditions and astronomical observations. The festival’s timing is determined by the Sun’s actual sidereal movement, rather than the tropical zodiac used in Western astrology, or the lunar calendar that many other Hindu festivals follow. This makes it one of the few Hindu festivals to consistently fall on the same Gregorian date, usually 14th or 15th January.

Historically, the period of Uttarayan, beginning with Makar Sankranti, was considered a highly auspicious time for significant events and spiritual practices. Texts such as the Mahabharata reference the importance of this period. The festival’s connection to agriculture dates back thousands of years, celebrating the seasonal transition and the subsequent harvest. The Sun, as the primary source of life and nourishment for crops, is central to the festival’s reverence.

How Makar Sankranti Is Celebrated

Makar Sankranti is characterised by a diverse array of traditions and customs that vary significantly across different regions of India, often reflecting local agricultural cycles and cultural narratives. Despite these variations, common themes include expressing gratitude, performing specific rituals, and engaging in community festivities.

Common observances across many regions include taking a holy dip in rivers, particularly the Ganga, Yamuna, Godavari, Krishna, and Kaveri, believed to cleanse sins. The preparation and sharing of sweets made from sesame seeds (til) and jaggery are also widespread, symbolising the desire for sweetness and goodwill in relationships. Kite flying is another prominent activity, especially in Gujarat and Rajasthan.

Regional Celebrations of Makar Sankranti

Uttar Pradesh and Bihar: In these northern states, Makar Sankranti is often referred to as ‘Khichdi Sankranti’. People take holy baths in rivers, particularly at Sangam in Prayagraj (Allahabad) and the Ganga Sagar Mela in West Bengal, which attracts millions of pilgrims. The primary festive food is ‘khichdi’, a dish made from rice and lentils, and donation of this staple is considered auspicious.

Gujarat and Rajasthan: Here, the festival is famously known as ‘Uttarayan’, and it is synonymous with elaborate kite-flying events. The skies are filled with colourful kites for two days, often accompanied by friendly competitions. Traditional dishes include ‘Undhiyu’, a mixed vegetable casserole, and ‘Chikki’, a brittle sweet made from jaggery and nuts.

Maharashtra and Goa: In these western states, Makar Sankranti involves exchanging ‘tilgul’ (sweets made of sesame and jaggery) with friends and family, with the saying “Tilgul ghya, goad goad bola” (Eat tilgul and speak sweet words), encouraging positive interactions. Women perform ‘Haldi-Kumkum’ ceremonies, exchanging turmeric and vermillion as symbols of marital bliss.

Punjab and Haryana: While Makar Sankranti is observed, the preceding festival of ‘Lohri’ on 13th January is more prominent. Lohri involves lighting bonfires, around which people dance and offer popcorn, peanuts, and other festive foods. Makar Sankranti itself, sometimes called ‘Maghi’, is marked by bathing in holy rivers and consuming ‘khichdi’.

Tamil Nadu: Makar Sankranti coincides with ‘Pongal’, a major four-day harvest festival. The first day, Bhogi Pongal, involves discarding old belongings. The second day, Surya Pongal, is dedicated to the Sun god, with ‘Sakkarai Pongal’ (sweet rice pudding) prepared. Maatu Pongal is for cattle, and Kaanum Pongal is for family gatherings and outings.

Assam: Known as ‘Magh Bihu’ or ‘Bhogali Bihu’, this harvest festival is primarily about feasting. Bonfires called ‘Meji’ are lit, and communal meals (‘Bhoj’) are organised. Traditional Assamese dishes like ‘pitha’ (rice cakes) and ‘laru’ (laddu) are prepared. Historically, buffalo fights and other traditional games were also part of the celebrations.

Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh: The festival is simply called ‘Sankranti’. Celebrations involve decorating cows and bulls with colourful clothes and bells, an event known as ‘Kanu Pongal’ or ‘Kanu Festival’. Girls and women exchange ‘Ellu Bella’ (a mix of sesame, jaggery, coconut, and peanuts) with neighbours and friends.

West Bengal: Referred to as ‘Poush Sankranti’, after the Bengali month of Poush, the festival is celebrated with traditional sweets made from newly harvested rice and date palm jaggery, called ‘Pitha’. The Ganga Sagar Mela, a large annual pilgrimage, takes place on Sagar Island where the Ganges meets the Bay of Bengal.

When Is Makar Sankranti?

Makar Sankranti is unique among many Hindu festivals because it is one of the few that follow the solar calendar, rather than the lunisolar Hindu calendar. Consequently, its date is relatively fixed in the Gregorian calendar, typically falling on either 14th or 15th January each year.

The festival marks the precise moment when the Sun enters the zodiac sign of Makara (Capricorn). Due to the precession of the equinoxes, the exact timing of this astronomical event slightly shifts over centuries, leading to the occasional change in the Gregorian date. However, for practical purposes, it is consistently observed on one of these two days. This fixed date makes it easier to track compared to festivals determined by lunar phases.

Makar Sankranti Key Facts