Sankranti, Lohri, Pongal - Many Names, One Spirit

Source : SiliconIndia, Friday, 13 January 2012, 17:16 IST

Bangalore: India is celebrating Makar Sankranti, the day for worshipping ‘Lord Surya’ (Sun God) on January 13 and 14. The festival has different versions from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. However, being a harvest festival, bonfires and feasts are the main thing common to all the celebrations.

The entry of Sun into Zodiac sign Capricorn or ‘Makara’ marks the beginning of festival. Hindu calendar refers it as ‘Uttarayana Punyakalam’ which lasts for six months and the time period is considered ideal for all kinds of auspicious activities.

Makar Sankranti announces the arrival of spring season and the festival is celebrated throughout India with varied festivities including singing and dancing.

Karnataka- Sankranti

Karnataka celebrate Sankranti as the harvest festival. All the houses are cleaned and decorated with mango leaves. Colorful rangoli is drawn in the door steps. People visit neighbors and relatives and exchange ‘yellu balla’, a mixture of peanuts, gram, fried sesame with jaggery and copra. The sugar cane is an integral part which Kannadigas can’t avoid.

Assam- Bhogali Bihu

In Assam the festival is called as Bhogali Bihu, or Magha Bihu, which is celebrated for two days. In the first day called as Uruka, young men construct ‘mejis’ with bamboo and wood pieces in farmland A community feast is held on the Uruka night, which includes fish delicacies. The next day, which is the Magh Bihu, the ‘meji’ is lit and the ashes of the meji are scattered on the farmlands to increase fertility.

Maharashtra-Tilgul

Makar Sankranti is the season of the first sugarcane harvest in Maharashtra. People wear black colored dress on the day which trace back to traditions. A lot of importance is given to til (sesame seeds). Relatives, friends and neighbors exchange grains of multicolored sugar balls and fried til (sesame) mixed with molasses (til gul).

Uttar Pradesh- Khichdi Parv

The festival is known as Khichdi Parv in Uttar Pradesh and several parts of North India. Sankrant is also known as Kicheri. Millions of people take a holy dip in the waters of ‘Sangam’ where the rivers, Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati flow together. Taking holy dip on this day is believed to help in attaining ‘Moksha’.  People share sweets made up of sesame seeds on the day.   

Tamil Nadu- Pongal

Pongal in Tamil Nadu is celebrated to mark the withdrawal of the southeast monsoons as well as the reaping of the harvest. The first day, Bhogi Pongal, is a day for the family. Surya Pongal, the second day, is dedicated to the worship of the Sun God. The third day, Mattupongal is for worship of the cattle.

Punjab- Lohri

The festival is called ‘Lohri’ in Punjab. The day will be filled with People gather round the bonfires, throw sweets, puffed rice and popcorn into the flames, sing popular songsand exchange greetings. The children will go from door to door collecting fund for the community bonfire which lit up in the evening.

  In Kerala, The famous pilgrimage to Sabarimala ends with sighting of ‘Makaravilakku’ on Sankranti. In Haryana, Jammu and some parts of Himachal Pradesh, the festival is called as ‘Lohri’. In Orissa, it is ‘Makar Mela’ and in Gujrat and Rajasthan it is called as ‘Utharayan’ and is noted for kite flying event.