Happy Makar Sankranti! Tilgul ghya goad goad bola
Makar Sankranti is also known as Maghi or Makara Sankranti. The festival is celebrated by Hindus and is dedicated to Surya, the Sun God in the Hindu pantheon. It is observed on 14 January each year. As such, the festival is supposed to mark the first day when the sun is transiting into the Capricorn, also known as Makara. Makar Sankranti also marks the end of the month when the winter solstice, which is also referred to as the darkest night of the year, happens. It also signals that longer days are here again. As per Hindu tradition, Makar Sankranti also marks the beginning of Uttarayana, a six-month auspicious period.
Makar Sankranti is one of the most important festivals of the Hindu calendar and celebrates the sun’s journey into the northern hemisphere, a period which is considered to be highly auspicious. Makar Sankranti is believed to be a time for peace and prosperity.
In India with the new year comes the festival of Makar Sankranti, a festival celebrated by Hindus. Makar Sankranti is a festival famous for its sesame sweets and kite flying.
Why do we fly kites?
The festival of Makar Sankranti is quite a beneficiary to health in multiple ways. The tradition of kite flying is for a healthy exposure in the early morning Sun. These initial rays are healthy and a good source of Vitamin D. It is also considered to be good for skin and helps in fighting many infections and sickness caused by the chilly winter winds.
Why do we eat tilguls?
Tilgul Ladoos are sweetmeats made of sesame seeds and jaggery. It is typically derived from Maharashtrian culture that is followed by saying, “Tilgul ghya ani goad goad bola” which translates to ‘eat these sesame seeds and jaggery and speak sweet words’. The distribution of sweets signifies bonding and forgetting ill past and simply spreading sweetness. The scientific importance of these sweets is that sesame seeds help in keeping the body warm and provide good amount of oil that is essential to provide moisture during winter.
How is Makar Sankranti Festival celebrated?
As may be the case with just about any and every other festival in India Makar Sankranti is celebrated with lots of decorations. People wear new clothes and savor homemade delicacies which are usually made of jaggery (gul) and sesame seeds (til). In some parts, Khichdi is also eaten. In Tamil Nadu, the festival is known as Pongal and people eat rice, which is boiled with fresh milk and jaggery. The dish is made more elaborate with toppings of cashew nuts, brown sugar and raisins.
Other integral parts of the festival are fairs or melas, bonfires, dancing, feasts, and flying of kites. The festival has been there for around 2000 years. On this day, plenty of people visit rivers and lakes sacred to them and bathe while thanking the sun. Makar Sankranti also sees Kumbh Mela, which happens to be one of the largest mass pilgrimages of the world every 12 years. It is estimated that around 40 to 100 million people take part in the same. It is said that Kumbh Mela was started by a sage named Adi Shankara.
During this event people say a prayer that is dedicated to Surya and then bathe. It happens at a confluence named Prayaga. This is where River Ganga meets River Yamuna. These two rivers are also accorded divine status in the Indian pantheon. Makar Sankranti is an auspicious festival, hence people donate items to the poor and underprivileged. Some of the items donated are food, blankets, clothes, etc.
This article is sourced from Wikipedia, Economic Times, and Maps of India.