Makar Sankranti: A Festival of India
The 14th of January in India is celebrated by the majority of the Hindu people as a religious and auspicious day. This is one of the many days when the sun moves from one zodiac constellation to another and the day when the sun changes the constellation is called the Sankranti. Makara Sankranti is the day when the sun moves into the Capricorn constellation. This particular movement (Sankranti) is perceived as very auspicious and this Sankranti is celebrated with the most popular name of Makara Sankranti. This is the beginning of a six-month period of the auspicious time of the sun’s northern course Uttarayana.
Haridasu (the servant o Lord Hari or Vishnu) is a special attraction of this festival. He is like Santa for Christmas. These Haridasus wake up very early in the pre-dawn hours, bathe, wear saffron color clothes, and visit each home in the village. They wear Vaishnavite markings on the face, necklaces of rudraksha (probably seeds of Guazuma tomentosa plant) beads, flower garlands, tamboora (stringed musical instrument) on one shoulder, chirutalu (castanets) in one hand, anklets with bells, etc and visit homes while singing religious songs in praise of Vishnu and Ram.
They collect alms
(especially rice) provided by the villagers, in a pot called Akshaya Patra carried on the head. Villagers compete to give alms to these Haridasus. This is
the faith, spiritual, and religious sides of the Makara Sankranti.
THE
FESTIVITY
When
people migrate to other places they carry faiths, beliefs, and traditions with
them. The partition of geographical boundaries of India in 1947 into two states
namely India and Pakistan made people to migrate from one part to another. They
left their physical belongings. They traveled far and settled in places
hitherto strange to them. But they firmly carried traditions and traditional
beliefs with them. Their ancestors still are following those traditions. There
are Hindus all over the world. They have adopted the protocols and rules of the
countries where they have been staying. But deep down most of these Indian
origin people are still practicing their faiths and beliefs on chores of
Hinduism. A Buddhist in any other country similarly is following his faiths and
beliefs of Buddhism despite being a strong respecter of the rules of the
country where he is staying. The same is true for any other person of any other
religion like Christianity, Sikhism, Jainism, and Islamism. This is the beauty
of the human race. This is the reason humans have emerged strongest
compared to any other living creatures on the earth.
This macro sphere of faiths and beliefs is
further encompassed by the microspheres of other faiths and beliefs. When
people migrated they forgot certain customs and at the same time they adopted
certain other customs that were prevailing at the place of their new dwelling.
India is a very large country. The 1.2 billion people are spread over a large
land consisting of 28 states and 8 numbers of union territories. There are at
least 8 religions well known and many others that are lesser-known in India.
People in each religion practice and celebrate someday or the other as an auspicious
day. They come out together and sing praises of the importance of the day. It
is nice for all others to observe and experience their festivity.
THE
CELEBRATION MORES PAN INDIA
The land of
India is very large. It consists of 28 states (mostly based on languages), 8
union territories. 1.2 billion numbers of people live in this large land. It is
experienced that with the travel of 50 kilometers the lifestyles, languages,
faiths, and beliefs of these 1.2 billion people change perceptibly. Thus it is
obvious that the same festival of Makara Sankranti is observed and celebrated
with different forms and names in different parts of India. The largeness of
the land and the diversity of the lifestyles of people in distant places have
evolved a system that is unique. The underlying belief remaining the same, the
ways and means to perform the rituals are different.
In Uttar Pradesh sankranti is called as “khichri”.
Taking a dip on the holy ricers is regarded as most auspicious. A big one-month
long Magh Mela at Prayagraj begins to form this day. Apart from Triveni, ritual
bathing also takes place at many places like Haridwar, and Garh Mukteswar.
In Bengal, a big mela is held at Ganga Sagar
where the Ganga is believed to have divided into the nether region and vivified
the ashes of the sixty thousand ancestors of the king Bhagirathi.
In Tamilnadu, it is known as the Pongal which
takes its name from the surging of rice boiled in a pot of milk. It is very
popular amongst the farmers. In essence in south India, this function is worship
for the sun god.
In Andhra Pradesh, this festival is celebrated as a
three-day festival Pongal. The Telugu like to call it “pedda pedunga” which means the
big festival.
In Karnataka, the festival is marked by visiting
one’s friends and relatives to exchange greetings and by the preparation of a
dish called “ellu”. Cows and bullocks are decorated and fed Pongal rice.
In Maharastra, people exchange multicolored
tilguds which while exchanging they greet one another by saying – til gid ghya,
God God bola. This is a special day for women in Maharastra when married women
are invited for a get together called Haldi-Kumkum and given gifts o any
utensils which the woman on the house purchases on that day.
In Gujarat, the Sankranti is observed more or less
the same way as in Maharastra. The Gujarati Pundits on this auspicious day
grant scholarships to students for higher studies in astrology and psychology.
In Punjab it is celebrated as Lohari. The Punjabis
dance bhangra with enthusiasm till they get exhausted. Bonfires and dishes of
every variety are common here.
In Kerala the 40 day anusthana by the devotes of
Ayappa ends on this day in Sabarimal with a big festival.
In Bundelkhand and Madhya Pradesh, this festival
is known as the Sakarat. It is celebrated with pomp and pleasure.
Many tribals in India start their New Year from
the day of Sankranti by lighting bonfires, lighting, and eating their
particular dishes sitting together.
In Assam the festival is celebrated as Bhogali
Bihu.
In the coastal region it is celebrated as a
harvest festival dedicated to the rain God, Indra.
In Odisha The festival is known as Makara
Sankranti. People prepare makara chaula (ମକର ଚାଉଳ): uncooked newly
harvested rice, banana, coconut, Jaggerry, sesame, rasagola,Khai/Liaa
and chhena puddings for naivedya to gods and goddesses. The
withdrawing winter entails a change in food habits and intake of nourishing and
rich food. Therefore, this festival holds traditional cultural significance. It
is astronomically important for devotees who worship the sun god at the great
Konark temple with fervour and enthusiasm as the sun starts its annual swing
northwards. According to various Indian calendars, the Sun's movement changes
and the days from this day onwards become lengthier and warmer and so the
Sun-God is worshiped on this day as a great benefactor.
Many individuals at the start of the day perform a ritual bath while fasting. Makara Mela (Fun fair) is observed at Dhabaleswar in Cuttack, Hatakeshwar at Atri in Khordha, Makara Muni temple in Balasore and near deities in each district of Odisha. In Puri special rituals are carried out at the temple of Lord Jagannatha. In Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Kalahandi, Koraput and Sundargarh where the tribal population is greater, the festival is celebrated with great joy. They celebrate this festival with great enthusiasm, singing, dancing and generally having an enjoyable time. This Makara Sankranti celebration is next to the Odia traditional new year Maha Vishuva Sankranti which falls in mid April. Tribal groups celebrate with traditional dancing, eating their particular dishes sitting together, and by lighting bonfires.It is the only Indian festival celebrated on a fixed day of the Gregorian calendar. Besides the usual rituals, people of Orissa, especially Western and Southern Orissa, reaffirm the strength of the bond of friendship with their best friends during this occasion. The practice is called ‘Makara Basma’or 'Makara Basiba'. After a man binds himself with one of his friends in the shackles of friendship during Makar Sankranti, afterwards he addresses the other as ‘Maharshad’ or ‘Marsad’; if two women tie the friendship lace on each other's wrist, they call each other ‘Makara’. They don't utter each other's name. This goes on for one full year till the next Makar Sankranti. In Eastern Orissa, on many occasions, two friends feed each other ‘Mahaprasad’, the offering made in the famous Jagannath temple of Puri, and continue the friendship for at least one year. Orissa Post talks to some women about their experiences when they tied the friendship knot on Makar Sankranti.
In Nepal, Maghe
Sankranti (Nepali:माघे सङ्क्रान्ति, Mathili:माघि, Nepal Bhasa:घ्यःचाकु संल्हु) is a Nepalese festival
observed on the first of Magha in the Vikram Sambat (B.S)
calendar (about 14 January) bringing an end to the winter solstice containing
month of Poush. Tharu people celebrate this particular day as
new year. It is also regarded as the major government declared annual festival
of the Magar community. Maghe Sankranti is similar to solstice festivals
in other religious traditions. Observant Hindus take ritual baths during this
festival. These include Sankhamul on the Bagmati near Patan; In the
Gandaki/Narayani river basin at Triveni, Devghat near Chitwan
Valley and Ridi on the Kaligandaki; and in the Koshi River basin at Dolalghat on
the Sun Koshi. Festive foods like laddoo, ghee and sweet potatoes are
distributed. The mother of each household wishes good health to all family
members.
Prayagraj
The city of Prayagraj is among the
largest cities of Uttar Pradesh and situated at the confluence of three rivers-
Ganga, Yamuna and the invisible Saraswati. The meeting point is known as
Triveni and is especially sacred to Hindus. The earlier settlements of the
Aryans were established in this city, then known as Prayag.
Haridasu
The Haridasu in bright vibrant saffron attire
with colourful garlands and accessories is compared to sage Narada, the eternal
and most dedicated devotee of Lord Vishnu. Hailing from a sect of Vaishnavas
(devotees of Lord Vishnu), these devotees roam the streets daily chanting the
name of the lord throughout the month preceding Sankranti, the Dhanur Masam.
History suggests that the Haridasu tradition began as a part of the Bhakti
movement, in an attempt to remind the general public of the glory of Sri Vishnu
and to counter the onslaught of ‘foreign’ religions like Buddhism and Jainism.
The significant aspect of a haridasu is that he never stops to
ask for alms or charity. He does not look back, even if there is any kind of
danger behind. In fact, he does not speak at all, only sings eulogies of the
lord. It is only when he is hailed, does he stop. In the rural areas, people
respectfully wash his feet, pay their obeisance and seek his blessings. He
bends down to allow access to the Akshaya Patra on his head in which people put
rice or money. At the end of the Dhanur Masam, the Haridasulu congregate at
Bhadrachalam where all the collections are pooled together and annadanam or
free meals for devotees at the temple is organised. As long as they are in this
avatar, they eat only once a day in the night.
Contrary to the popular belief that haridasulu are beggars, they
are devoted to a unique cause, a cause to revive the name of the lord and
remind the layman of the grace of the Almighty. Along with the name of the
lord, they also remind one and all to share and donate at least a handful of
grains with other.
Uttarayan
& Dakshinayan
Uttarayan is the period when the Sun travels from Capricorn sign to Gemini
sign. This period is six months long. In the same way, when Sun travels
from Cancer sign to Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio and Sagittarius sign, the period is known as Dakshinayan. This way, both
these periods have a duration of six months each.
Bhagirath
Bhagiratha (Sanskrit: भगीरथ, Bhagīratha) was a legendary king of the Ikshvaku
dynasty who brought the River Ganges, personified as the river goddess Ganga,
to Earth from the heavens.
https://www.welcomenri.com/Makar-Sankranti/history.aspx
http://www.decodinghinduism.com/2014/01/makar-sankranti-scientific-vedic.html
http://www.iiemt.org/Motivational%20Articles%20-%20Makar%20Sankranti.html
Well explained
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