With the new energy and vigor, the Sun is entering in the zodiac sign Capricorn(Makar) making its journey northward(Uttarayan). This day has a special significance in the Hindu Calendar, having an auspicious date January 14,named as Makar Sankranti.
This festival of Makar Sankranti has a remarkable importance in cultural, spiritual and agricultural realms. It proclaims the end of extreme winter to welcome the pleasant days of spring coming ahead. This transition of seasons reminds of an exquisite quote, “If winter comes, can spring be far behind”. This proves to be true when people of India from North to South celebrate this auspicious day with great enthusiasm.
Makar Sankranti is imbued in various customs and traditions prevalent in our country. The kite festival of Gujarat spreads all the hues of countless kites in the sky, symbolizing freedom and ecstasy. In Punjab and Haryana, people celebrate Lohri with shared joy, dancing round the bonfires. To make their happy moments double fold sweets are distributed.
This sharing among the families makes them united. Likewise, Pongal festival of Tamilnadu is also celebrated with great delight, where people of south India make a special dish called Pongal to worship Sun God. In Maharashtra, sesame and jaggery is distributed. This sharing of sweet things encourages one to be sweet in one's communication thereby promising unity among all.
This festival has a remarkable spiritual significance. Many people all over India take holy dip in revered rivers of Ganga, Yamuna and Godavari to cleanse themselves from their sins. People believe that this holy dip would bestow them with blessings making their desires getting fulfilled.
The festival is also distinctly associated with agriculture. The farmers become jubilant to see their flourishing harvest. This day is especially devoted to worship of crops. This attitude of gratitude of these cultivators fills them with renewed energy and power to toil meticulously to produce good yield from their fields.
Thus, the festival of Makar Sankranti is a festival of gratefulness to nature and being benevolent and united with one another.It always encourages one to be ready to accept change and embrace hopefulness exemplified by the natural cycle of the changing seasons. This festival comes with enhanced energy and imparts the value of togetherness. It motivates one to expand one's horizons by taking the strengthened power of Sun God. This marks an unbreakable bond, a spiritual connection between mankind and nature.
