Makar Sankranti Festival

 

 Makar Sankranti or Paush Sankranti is the last day of the month of Paush. Makar Sankranti is called because the sun crosses the Sagittarius and enters the Capricorn. The word Makar refers to the Capricorn. And Sankranti means infection, i.e. entering. There are twelve Sankrantis in the sidereal month. Among them, Aries, Cancer, Libra and Makar Sankranti are very important. Makar Sankranti is especially important because on this day the sun travels from Dakshinayana to Uttarayana. The sun starts traveling north. Earlier, Suryadev started traveling south, now he will start traveling north. When the sun thus travels south for six months in Shravan, Bhadra, Ashwin, Kartik, Agrahayana and Paush, Dakshinayana occurs. The next six months of Magha, Falgun, Chaitra, Vaishakh, Jaishthya and Ashadh, the period during which it travels north is called Uttarayana. The day of Uttarayan is described as very sacred in the scriptures. The Srimad Bhagavad Gita also mentions the Uttarayan period.

 Agnirjyotirah shuklah shanmasa uttarayanam. Tatra prayata gaccanti brahma brahmavido janaah.. (Srimad Bhagavad Gita: 8.24) "Those who are versed in brahma, when they leave their bodies in fire, light, on an auspicious day, on the bright fortnight, and during the six months of Uttarayana, attain Brahman and attain liberation."

 

 Those who die during the six months of Makar Sankranti, Magh, Falgun, Chaitra, Vaishakh, Jaisthya and Ashadh attain Brahma and attain liberation. On the other hand, those who die during these six months of Shravan, Bhadra, Ashwin, Kartik, Agrahayana and Paush Dakshinayana attain the lower world and return to the world. This is also seen in the life of grandfather Bhishma in the Mahabharata. Since he had the boon of voluntary death, he chose the beginning of Uttarayana to die despite being wounded by Arjuna's numerous arrows in the Kurukshetra War. Ganga's son Devavrata, whose great vow earned him the name Bhishma. There is only one episode about him in the Mahabharata, which is called Bhishma Parva. He received the boon of voluntary death from his father, King Shantunu of the Chandra dynasty, that he could die according to his wish. That is, he will never die without his own will. In the Kurukshetra War, with the help of Shikhandi, Arjuna pierced his grandfather Bhishma with countless arrows and built a bed. Instead of immediately passing away on that bed, his grandfather voluntarily passed away 58 days later on the first day of Uttarayan, during the Paush Sankranti. Before his death, Lord Krishna appeared to his grandfather Bhishma in the form of Narayana and assured him that he would definitely attain salvation after death.

 The earth revolves around the sun once in a year in 365 days. This passage of the earth around the sun is called a solar year. But according to the gods' calculations, a human year is a day of the gods, i.e. 24 hours. The gods revolve around the sun once a year according to the earth's time. And 12 hours of the gods are day and 12 hours of night in 24 hours. Our earth's 6 months are equal to 12 hours of the gods. And the day of the gods begins on this Makar Sankranti day. All over India, Paush Sankranti and the first day of Uttarayan are celebrated with different names and in different forms. Paush Sankranti in Bengal, Pongal in Tamil Nadu, Uttarayan in Gujarat, Bhogali Bihu in Assam, Lohri in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu, Makar Sankranti in Karnataka, Shayen-Krat in Kashmir. In other parts of North India, Odisha, Maharashtra, Goa, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Kerala, the name Makar Sankranti is common. However, local names are also common. For example, in Madhya Pradesh, it is called Sukrat or in some parts of Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh, it is called Khichdi Parv. This festival is celebrated all over India and in various countries of the world. In Nepal, it is called 'Maghe', in Thailand it is called 'Songkran', in Laos it is called 'Pee Ma Lo', in Myanmar it is called 'Thing Yan' and in Cambodia it is called 'Moha Songkran'.

 

 On Paush Sankranti, various types of pithas, paayes and khichuri are offered to the Lord. In Uttar Pradesh of India, different types of khichuri are cooked on this day. That is why this day is called the Khichuri Festival in North India. The Sun God is worshipped and delicious khichuri is offered to the Sun God with different types of rice and pulses. In Gujarat and Rajasthan, they fly kites. They call it the Kite Festival. And they make gaja and pithas. In Andhra Pradesh, this festival is celebrated for three days. In Tamil Nadu, a large paayes is cooked with new crop rice, milk and ghee, which is called Pongal. And khichuri is cooked with dal rice. In Maharashtra, laddus made of sesame seeds are made and distributed to everyone on this day. In Bangladesh, every village celebrates the Pitha Festival on this Sankranti.

 On this day, new rice is also given to the Vastu deity in rural areas. In the southern parts of Bangladesh, including Barisal, a clay crocodile statue is made in every house and the Vastu deity is worshipped. In some regions, the clay crocodile is sacrificed after the Vastu Puja. So that the crocodile cannot do any harm to the house and the city. In Sanskrit, the vehicle of the goddess Ganga, who lives in the Ganges, which resembles an elephant's mouth, is called Makara. Again, the crocodile is also called Makara. In astrological terms, this Sankranti is called Makara Sankranti because the sun crosses from Sagittarius to Capricorn. Therefore, in the Vastu Puja held on this day, idols of Makara or crocodile are made in various places including the southern parts of Bengal. The two meditation mantras of Vastu deity worship are very popular. Vastu deity is worshipped without an idol. Because the world is his form.

 

 Since Makar Sankranti is the time of changing seasons and ripening crops, the sun has a direct effect on various objects in the new season. The sun's manifestation, radiance, and brightness are transmitted on the day of Makar Sankranti, and Uttarayan begins.