makar-sankranti

Significance of Makar Snkranti in Indian Culture

The meaning of Sankranti is transmigration of the Sun from one Rāshi (zodiac) to the other. As there are 12 Rāshis are present so hence, there are 12 Sankrantis are occurring in a year. Some important sankranti are Makar Sankranti, Mesha Sankranti, Mithuna Sankranti, Dhanu Sankranti and Karka Sankranti etc. In Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Odisha, Punjab, Gujarat etc states of India Sankranti is considered as the beginning the month while  Bengal and Assam its considered as end of the month. Each and every sankranti has its own importance and people of Odisha, India celebrate these.

Makar Sankranti in Odisha

Makar Sankranti is one of the important sankranti that is celebrated as a big festival in Odisha, this is the day in which the transition of the Sun into Makara rashi (Capricorn) on its celestial path occurs, people of Odisha prepare ‘makara chaula’ (uncooked newly harvested rice) with banana, coconut, jaggery, sesame, rasagola, Khai/Liaa and chhena puddings for naivedya to Hindu gods and goddesses. Mostly the families of farmers enjoyed this accession very much. Throughout the state Odisha people celebrate this festival in Sun temple Konark, thousands of devotees gathered to experience the northwards annual swing of sun, also in Lord Jagannath temple Puri special rituals are carried out for deities. Makara Mela a big fun fair is observed at Dhabaleswar temple in Cuttack district, also in other temples like Hatakeshwar at Atri in Khordha, Makara Muni temple in Balasore etc.

Regional Variations of Sankranti in India

Makar Sankranti is celebrated in Chhattisgarh, Goa, Odisha, Haryana, Bihar, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, West Bengal and Jammu etc states while Pongal is celebared in Tamil Nadu, in Gujarat its celebrated as Uttarayan and Maghi in Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab’s peoples celebrate Lohri.

Apart from all Sankranti or specially Makar Sankranti is a very special festival celebrated in various places of the country India. And its have much importance for the eastern part of this country in Odisha. So every year thousands of tourist and devotees from all over the globe visiting to different destinations of Odisha to experience the charm of Makar Sankranti at this astonishing land.