Happy Makar Sankranti/Thai Pongal!

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supercool3

@supercool3

Alumni

+ 5

Posted: 10 years ago

Agriculture has always played an important role in society. This was a practice that started thousands of years ago, and it still continues to have a tremendous impact on us. Even today farmers continue to work hard in order to plant and cultivate crops. As a result they provide food and required nutrients to millions of people around the world.

However, agriculture is not an independent factor as it would not be possible without the Sun. The Sun is the primary energy. Without it, agriculture and a good harvest would be difficult to attain.

There's something absolutely beautiful about a day, a festival that marks a new beginning. It's always a nice feeling because it motivates one to attempt new things with the belief that it would be successful. It almost feels like one is waking up from a long, deep slumber and finally seeing the bright day ahead.

Just like that, the Sun completes its Winter Solstice and finally returns. After a long period of darkness, the increasing daylight instills new hope. The Sun's charisma transcends into something inexplicably beautiful.

This return of the Sun gives a fresh start to farmers and their agriculture.
A new year, a new joy, and a new harvest.

Happy Makar Sankranti

Pongalo Pongal

Edited by Aahaana - 10 years ago

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Munni

@munnihyderabad

Trailblazer

+ 6

Posted: 10 years ago

Pongal/Sankranti is one of the Indian festivals that has a fixed date, January 14th, and sometimes on January 15th

When the Sun moves from one zodiac to another it is called "Sankranti". On this day, the Sun moves from Saggitarius (Dhanu Rashi) to Capricorn (Makara Rashi). Thus, it is referred to as Makara Sankranti.

The festival commemorates the day when the Sun begins its northward journey. It is seen as the movement of the Sun from the Southern (Dakshinayana) to the Northern (Uttarayana) hemisphere.

Pongal/Sankranti is celebrated as the harvest festival of India

Scientifically, this day marks the end of winter and the start of spring. This naturally means longer days.

The movement of the Sun into the "Makara" zodiac signifies the beginning of an "auspicious period" in the Hindu calendar.

This day is celebrated all over India with regional variations in customs, traditions, food, etc.

Their are many different names associated with this day. The name Makara Sankranti is used in places like Goa, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Sikkim, etc. The people of Tamil Nadu refer to it as Pongal, while Gujarat calls it Uttarayan. On the day before, the people of Punjab celebrate Lohri.

The festival is celebrated with by making colorful rangoli and kite flying.

Authentic sweets made of sesame seeds and jaggery are integral to Sankranti. This is because these two items are seen as heat producing foods, which keep the human body warm on the last winter day.

Makara Sankranti is the festival of Sun God, who represents symbol of divinity, spiritual intelligence and wisdom.

Makara Sankranti, is basically a celebration of cosmic event and Human life.

The significance of Kite flying, as most of them opine, is that the morning rays of Sun, when we fly kites, would be beneficial to skin and overall health.

The day and night on this day are believed to be equally long, as this is the solstice festival, which falls on the equinox

While the objective of the day remains the same, different cultures celebrate the festival in different ways.

Tamil Nadu

In Tamil Nadu, the celebration is divided into 4 days: Bogi Pongal, Surya Pongal, Maattu (Cow) Pongal, and Kaanum Pongal. Bogi Pongal is the day before the festival when members of each household clean and purify their houses. Surya Pongal is the main festival day and it is considered to be the defining moment of Pongal. Maattu Pongal is the third day and it is dedicated to cows , who are known to help with harvesting. Kaanum Pongal is the final day, and it is commemorated by families gathering together and offering prayers to the Sun God.

Andhra Pradesh/Telangana

Andhra Pradesh and Telangana also celebrate the festival over a course of 4 days: Bogi, Makara Sankranthi, Kanuma, and Mukkanuma. Bogi is dedicated to purifying the house, while Makara Sankranthi is the main festival day. Kanuma, the third day, commemorates Lord Krishna for having protected the people from a cyclone by lifting up the Govardhana Hill. The final day, Mukkanuma, is the time for friends and family to gather and feast together.

Kerala

In Kerala, people visit Sabarimala to view a splendid display of celestial lighting as a result of the Sun shifting from one constellation to another. This is known as Makara Jyothi. This is followed by the Makaravilakku celebrations, which commemorates Lord Ayyappan.

Karnataka

In Karnataka, the festival is celebrated with family and friends. The specific rituals are quite similar to how the festival is celebrated in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh/Telangana. A special delicacy, known as "Ellu Ballu", is also made from sesame seeds, sugar cane, etc.