Makar Sankranti: Journey through India’s diverse festivities

Makar Sankranti, a vibrant festival honouring the Sun God, is celebrated across India every year on January 14. But the festival takes on different names and forms in different parts of the country, with a vast variety of regional delicacies prepared in various states, even though the underlying spirit and belief is identical. Here is how Makar Sankranti is observed across India.

Amidst the chilly and biting winter gripping the northern parts of the Indian subcontinent, the harvest festival of Makar Sankranti is just around the corner. Celebrated annually on January 14 or 15 during a leap year, Makar Sankranti stands out from other Indian festivals, as it follows the solar calendar rather than the lunar calendar. As a result, it is observed on the same date each year.

This auspicious occasion marks the sun’s journey from the southern to the northern hemisphere called uttarayana, thus celebrating the sun’s transition from the Tropic of Cancer to the Tropic of Capricorn. This period, regarded as divine, signifies the end of long, cold winter months and the arrival of longer days.

Additionally, devotees honour the Hindu solar deity, Surya, expressing gratitude for his blessings of life-giving energy and nourishment that sustain all living beings.

During this festival, activities such as kite flying, preparing delicacies, making rangolis, taking holy dips in the Yamuna and Ganga rivers, and performing acts of charity are commonly observed.

But, as India prepares to embrace new beginnings and the harvest season, states across the country celebrate the festival in their own unique ways. To honour India’s rich diversity on this special occasion, here are distinctive ways Makar Sankranti is observed, from north to south and east to west, known by a different name in different regions.

Shishur Saenkraat, Kashmir

Starting the celebration from the northernmost part of India, Makar Sankranti is observed as Shishur Saenkraat in the Kashmir Valley, and in parts of Jammu, it is called Maghi Sangrand, People celebrate the festival by consuming sweets made of jaggery and sesame.

On this occasion, after bathing in the morning and thoroughly cleaning their homes, devotees in Kashmir demarcate their homes by sprinkling powdered limestone to ward off evil influences and spirits. Additionally, some families hold religious discourses on the occasion, attracting devotees from the neighbourhood.

“On this auspicious day, especially among Kashmiri Pandits, people generously donate items like rice and Kangri, a portable coal-fired heater, to help others endure the cold and as offerings in memory of departed souls,” Priyanka Koul, a journalist based in Srinagar, tells Media India Group.

Lohri, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh & Haryana

Observed with great zest across Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh, the festival of Lohri is celebrated a day before Makar Sankranti.

In this vibrant harvest festival, the legend of Punjabi folk hero Dhulla Bhatti is remembered, who is known for rescuing kidnapped young girls and arranging their marriages.

On this occasion, a bonfire is lit after sunset. This brightly lit fire is considered auspicious, especially for newly married couples and new parents. After lighting the fire, devotees circumambulate around it and offer items such as a traditional sweet called gajak, popcorn and puffed rice. These offerings are made with the hope that the prayers will reach the solar Hindu deity, Surya, bringing an end to the harsh, cold days and blessing the earth.

Traditional dishes such as sarson ka saag, a dish of mustard greens with spices, and makki ki roti or cornmeal flatbreads, are enjoyed.

Additionally, sweets like panjeeri are also enjoyed during this occasion. Crafted from an assortment of nuts, seeds, multigrain flour, and jaggery, this sweet is consumed during Lohri to keep the body warm.

Khichidi Parv, Uttar Pradesh

The country’s most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, welcomes the festival every year under the name Khichdi Parv. On this day, locals fly kites and donate food, especially items like rice and seasonal vegetables.

At Allahabad, devotees take holy baths at the Sangam, the confluence of the Ganga and Yamuna rivers, as it is believed that these ritual grants moksha and washes away their sins. On this auspicious occasion, devotees prepare Khichdi, a dish made from freshly harvested rice and lentils, in their homes and distribute it as prasad.

Additionally, a three-day festival called Khichidi Mela is held in Gorakhpur. Devotees from eastern Uttar Pradesh, neighbouring Bihar, and Nepal visit the temple premises to offer Khichidi to Guru Gorakhnath.

 Tilla Sakraat, Bihar

The eastern state of Bihar celebrates the harvest festival under the name Tilla Sakraat or Dahi Chura. At Tilla sakraat, a dish made of flattened rice and yogurt, known as dahi chura, is consumed. This dish is believed to have healing properties and is said to protect against winter-related ailments. The auspicious day begins with a series of rituals.

“The celebrations begin with a ritual bath in the Ganga River, after which families prepare a mixture of raw rice and pulses to offer during a special pooja dedicated to the family’s goddess. Following the pooja, black sesame is consumed, and a variety of traditional delicacies are enjoyed, including curd (dahi), flattened rice (chudda or poha), tilkut, and rewari,’’ explains Shruti Shrivastav, an engineer working with McDermott, an American engineering & construction company, in Gurugram.

Shrivastav adds that on this day, the family of a newly married bride sends these food items to her in-laws as part of the Tilla Sakraat celebration.

Maghi Sankrant, Maharashtra

In the western state of Maharashtra, the day is known as Maghi Sankrant and here the festival begins with people taking a ritual bath using sesame seeds. On the occasion, spiritual ceremonies like yagya are organised on the occasion.

In addition, women exchange turmeric and vermillion, anointing each other with scented water.

“Women are invited to homes, honoured with gifts such as clothes or utility items, and adorned with turmeric and vermillion and also relish sweets made of jaggery and sesame seeds, chanting the phrase, til-gud ghya, god-god bola, (take a sweet and speak sweetly),” Priya Wadhokar, a housewife in Pune, tells Media India Group.

Additionally, in Maharashtra, one of the traditions of this festival is for women to wear black. They don a special black saree called Chandrakala, adorned with intricate star and crescent moon designs. It is done because wearing black helps absorb heat, thus protecting the body from the cold.

Pongal, Tamil Nadu

In the southern state of Tamil Nadu, with its rich culture and its own elements, the transition of the Sun is observed as Pongal. Celebrated over four days, this harvest festival unfolds in distinct parts. On Day 1 known as Bhogi Pongal, people burn old items to mark new beginnings and cut paddy.

On Day 2 or Surya Pongal, the Sun God is worshipped, and women draw artistic patterns at their doorsteps. A pot of fresh rice with milk is prepared, and as it boils, the family cheers, “Pongalo Pongal!” Afterward, the Pongal dish is offered to the Sun God, followed by a festive meal.

On Day 3 or  Maatu Pongal, cattle is washed, decorated and worshipped. A popular bull-taming sport, Jallikattu, is also organised.

Finally, on Day 4, called Kannum Pongal, women prepare various colourful rice dishes and offer them to crows in symbolic honouring of their ancestors. The day concludes with traditional folk dances, including Mayilattam and Kolattam.

Makar Sankranti is also observed in many other states of the country, each with its own local variation. But, regardless of the names by which people across India celebrate this festival, the intent and celebratory spirit remain the same. This harvest festival is a testament to the unity in diversity that binds the people of the country together.