Makar Sankranti - 2016 -2020

MAKAR - SANKRANTI




In 2016 Makar Sankranti will be on Friday, 15 January.

* Sun enters the Capricorn  ( Makar ) sign on 14th January.

 This festival is known  by different names in different parts of India.----



1.Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh:                    Maghi

2. Tamil Nadu:                                                               Pongal

3. Rajasthan and Gujarat:                                               Uttarayan

4. Assam Valley:                                                            Bhogali Bihu or Magh Bihu


5. Sabarimala Temple in Kerala:                                   Makar Vilakku Festival

6. Bihar, Goa, Uttarakhand, West Bengal,
    Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh,
    Kerala, Orissa, Manipur, Sikkim, Karnataka,
    Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra:                                      Makar Sankranti


7. Kashmir Valley:                                                         Shishur Saenkraat

8. Garhwal                                                                     Khichadi

9. Punjab                                                                        Lohri

10. South India.                                                              Thai Pongal


           11.Sindhi                                                                         Tirmauri


It is celebrated by different names in some other countries also:



   Cambodia:                                                                  Moha Sangkra ,

   Myanmar:                                                                   Thingyan, ,

   Nepal:                                                                        Maghi by Tharu people,
                                                                                      Maghe Sankranti or
                                                                                      Maghe Sakrati by others.





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Makar  Sankranti Dates - 2016 -2020

In 2016 Makar Sankranti will be on Friday, 15 January.

 In 2017 Makar Sankranti will be on Saturday, 14 January.

 In 2018 Makar Sankranti will be on Sunday, 14 January.

In 2019Makar Sankranti will be on Tuesday, 15 January.

 In 2020 Makar Sankranti will be on Wednesday, 15 January.

 Beliefs Associated with Makar Sankranti:



According to one of the beliefs, lord Shiva had MAKAR  SANKRANTI




(1)  Sun enters the Capricorn sign on 14th January. In south India, the Tamil year begins from this date. This festival is known as ' Thai Pongal .' Lord Shiva showered his blessings on his devotees, especially on sages, on this day. Some people believe that lord Shiva had donated self-knowledge to lord Vishnu on this day.


(2) The counting of days of deities begins from this day. When Sun is in Dakshinayan, the period is called as night of deities, and 6 months of Uttarayan is called as day. Six months of human beings is equal to one day and one night of deities.


(3)  Apart from this, it is also believed that Sun goes to meet his son Saturn on this day. This meeting of Sun and Saturn is celebrated as “Makar Sankranti”. Makar is a Rashi (Zodiac) and Sankranti means transition. Hence, Makar Sankranti means transition of the Sun from the zodiac Makar.


(4)  Everybody is aware of the belief that according to the saga of Mahabharat, Bhishm Pitamah had chosen the day of Makar Sankranti, i.e., 14th January for getting rid of his body.


(5)  It is said that on this day, Ganga followed Bhagirath to reach the hermitage of saint Kapil and had fallen into the ocean. That is why, bathing in river Ganga and making donations on shrines is considered especially significant.


(6)  Because the Indian traditional calendar is based on lunar position, none of the other major Indian festivals have a fixed date every year. But being a solar event, Sankranti comes every year on January 14. Makar Sankranti is basically a celebration of a cosmic event and human life.


(7) While the traditional Indian Calendar is based on lunar positions, Sankranti is a solar event. So while dates of all Hindu festivals keep changing as per the Gregorian calendar, the date of Makar Sankranti remains constant over a long term, 14 January. Makar Sankranti is celebrated in the Hindu Calendar month of Magha.


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Makar Sankranti: The Symbol of New Life



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 Cancer to the Tropic of Capricorn or from Dakshinayana to Uttarayana, in the month of Poush in mid-January, it commemorates the beginning of the harvest season and cessation of the northeast monsoon in South India. The movement of the earth from one zodiac sign into another is called Sankranti and as the Sun moves into the Capricorn zodiac known as Makar in Hindi, this occasion is named as Makar Sankranti in the Indian context. It is one of the few Hindu Indian fest

 
The weather starts changing from the day of Makar Sankranti. This is the reason behind shortening of nights and lengthening of days. Summer season begins due to the movement of Sun towards northern hemisphere. Heat and light of Sun starts increasing. As a result of this, there is a development of awareness and energy among the creatures. The living beings hibernating in their homes, burrows or dens due to cold weather start coming out. Color and aroma start spreading in the nature.



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Kite Festival --





Makar Sankranti is also a kite flying festival or kite festival in many parts of India. Gujrat and Jaipur in Rajasthan is famous for their kite festivals. Jaipur organizes international kite festival every year.


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Specialty of Makar Sankranti Til





Til is used on a large scale in the recipes of Makar Sankranti. The aroma of the items made of Til could be felt everywhere on the day of Makar Sankranti. Eating and donating Til on this day is considered auspicious. Massage of Til, using Til oil, bath of mixture of water and Til, drinking the mixture of Til and water, Til-Havan, eating and donating the items of Til, reduce the sins and increase the auspicious fruits.
Donation of Til, i.e., the kaarak product of Saturn, and jaggery, i.e., the kaarak product of Sun is considered highly auspicious. Exchanging these things on increases mutual affection, sweetness and cooperation. Makar Sankranti festival unites the people together.




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