Makar Sankranti is a Hindu harvest festival that falls on a fixed Gregorian date of January 14 every year with an exception of a few years when the festival is celebrated on January 15. Makar Sankranti 2022 will be celebrated on 15 January.
If you are living in the United States and are planning to experience the festivities of Makar Sankranti this year, you must book your cheap last minute flights to India with Indian Eagle right now as there isn’t much time left for the festival day – January 15, 2022.
Other names for Makar Sankranti
The popular Indian festival is celebrated country-wide and is known by different names according to the region. Here’s what Sankranti is called in different parts of India
Lohiri (Punjab)
Pedda Panduga or Sankranti Panduga (Andhra Pradesh)
Poush sôngkranti (West Bengal)
Makara Chaula (Odisha)
Uttarayan (Gujarat)
Pongal (Tamil Nadu)
Magha Saaji (Himachal Pradesh)
Suggi Habba (Karnataka)
Magh/Bhogali Bihu (Assam)
Shishur Saenkraat (Kashmir Valley)
Sakraat (Bihar and Jharkhand)
Kicheri (UP)
Significance of Makar Sankranti
The harvest festival occurs in January every year when the Sun moves into the Zodiac sign of Makar (Capricorn). Sankranti has a great religious as well as seasonal significance. The festival is dedicated to the Hindu deity of Surya (Sun God) and marks the end of the winter season and the beginning of the spring season with good harvests and lengthier days to spend.
What should be done on Makara Sankranti?
On the auspicious day of Makar Sankranti, most Hindus try to invoke the blessings of the Sun God (Surya) by doing the following:
Taking a dip in the holy waters of Ganges, Yamuna, Krishna, or Godavari River
Performing a Surya Namaskar or sun salutation early morning before starting the day
Making offerings of cow’s milk in copperware to the Sun God
People prepare traditional Sankranti dishes and sweets and distribute them to the neighbors. Sankranti food staples include Til Ladoo, Halwa, Puran Poli, Makar Chaula, Payesh, Pinni, and Pongal.
Legend surrounding Makar Sankranti
Legend has it that the Sun God and his son Shani never had good relations of father and son and on the auspicious day of Makar Sankranti, Sun God visits the abode of his son to forgive him. For this reason, this day is also seen by Hindus as a day for forgiving people and forgetting about all the past battles with friends.
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How is Sankranti celebrated across India?
The festivities of Makar Sankranti also vary across the country just as the names vary with the regions. Let’s have a look at Sankranti tradition in a few states. Here is the famous song on sankranthi called sankranthi vachinde tummeda
