On the day of Makar Sankranti, the sun starts its journey towards northward and transitions into the capricorn zodiac sign, marking the commencement of Uttarayan. Considered to be a significantly auspicious period in hindu tradition, this day is a symbol of prosperity, spiritual awakening and growth. According to Indian traditions, the sun transitioning into a northward movement is marked to bring prosperity and good fortune. While many states celebrate it as the beginning of harvest season, many states celebrate it in a manner that the devotees take dips in the holy rivers as a way of cleansing their souls and starting anew.<\/p>\n
Makar Sankranti, an auspicious hindu festival is related with the birth of Narashansa, the first preceptor of righteousness in Kaliyuga. Marking the victory of good over evil, the day is celebrated with a belief that Lord Vishnu defeated Lord Sankarasura on Makar Sankranti day.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The other legendary story associated with Makar Sankranti is from Mahabharata, where Bhishma Pitamah was lying on a bed of arrows and was blessed with a boon to decide his time of death. At that time, Bhishma Pitamah, chose the day of Uttarayan to depart from his physical body. Hence the day is celebrated not only as a harvest festival but also the day of spiritual fulfillment.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Makar Sankranti is celebrated all over India, in a different manner. Here are the names of Makar Sankranti festival and how it is celebrated in different states:<\/p>\n Astronomically, Makar Sankranti holds great significance as it marks the Sun’s transition into Capricorn, signaling the start of Uttarayan\u2014the six-month northward journey of the Sun. From this day, days become longer and nights shorter, marking the end of the cold winter season.<\/p>\n This alignment of the Sun with Capricorn is also associated with spiritual awakening. It is believed that engaging in religious and spiritual practices during this time is especially fruitful, as the environment is infused with heightened energy and positivity.<\/p>\n Makar Sankranti is not only a religious festival but also one that brings together the communities and promotes social welfare. Makar Sankranti festival is culturally significant for the following reasons:\u00a0<\/p>\n On the day of Makar Sankranti, the sun starts its journey towards northward and transitions into the capricorn zodiac sign, marking the commencement of Uttarayan.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":60965,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[786],"tags":[1179],"class_list":{"0":"post-52666","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-general-studies","8":"tag-makar-sankranti","9":"no-featured-image-padding"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52666","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/25"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=52666"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52666\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/60965"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=52666"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=52666"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=52666"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n\n
\n State<\/strong><\/td>\n Name of Festival<\/strong><\/td>\n Celebration Details<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Andhra Pradesh<\/strong><\/td>\n Makar Sankranti<\/td>\n A four-day celebration with cultural activities and rituals related to harvest.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Assam<\/strong><\/td>\n Bhogali Bihu<\/td>\n Celebrated with feasting, bonfires, and community events as part of the harvest festival.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Punjab<\/strong><\/td>\n Lohri (Eve)<\/td>\n Lohri is celebrated the night before, with bonfires and dancing, marking the harvest.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Delhi<\/strong><\/td>\n Sukarat<\/td>\n Known as Sukarat, celebrated with community meals and local customs in Delhi and Haryana.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Gujarat<\/strong><\/td>\n Uttarayan<\/td>\n Famous for kite flying, the festival is marked by vibrant outdoor celebrations.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Madhya Pradesh<\/strong><\/td>\n Makar Sankranti<\/td>\n Exchanging sweets and engaging in local cultural programs to mark the festival.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Maharashtra<\/strong><\/td>\n Makar Sankranti<\/td>\n Celebrated with kite flying, bonfires, and exchanging tilgul (sesame sweets).<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Odisha<\/strong><\/td>\n Makar Sankranti<\/td>\n Lighting bonfires, enjoying community feasts, and following local customs.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Tamil Nadu<\/strong><\/td>\n Pongal<\/td>\n Celebrated for four days, marking the harvest season with feasts and rituals.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Jharkhand, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh<\/strong><\/td>\n Khichdi Parwa<\/td>\n People take a holy dip in the Ganges, eat Khichdi, and offer prayers.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n West Bengal<\/strong><\/td>\n Sankranti\/Paush Parbon<\/td>\n Celebrated for three days, starting with the festival, with various cultural events.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/figure>\n Makar Sankranti Astronomical Significance<\/h2>\n
Makar Sankranti Cultural Significance<\/h2>\n
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