01-03-2004, 11:17 PM
<b>Makara Sankranti </b>
This holy day marks the commencement of the Sun's northern course in the Heavens, known as the Uttaraayana patha. This turn in the Sun's course takes place at the point of time when it enters the sign of Makara or Capricorn.
Interestingly, this is the only festival in Hindu calendar that follows a solar calendar and is celebrated on the fourteenth of January every year (all other Hindu festivals are computed using the lunar calendar). Sankranti is termed as Pongal in Tamilnadu, and is celebrated with a popular dish with the same name. Kolams (Rangoli) and prayers constitute the celebration of the festival. People buy new clothes, ornaments, sugarcane and sweet candy for the festival. The farmers worship their harvested crops and share with friends and relatives. Women and young girls wear new clothes, wear golden and silver ornaments, volunteer different flowers and visit their relatives and friends.
In different parts of India, the Sankranti is celebrated very differently. On the Western parts, the emphasis is on exchanging Til-Gu rwhich is a specialty of Konkani/Marathi women. It comprises sugar coated sesame seeds and nuts of different colors prepared by the housewives. In some other parts, exchange a mixture of teel, jaggery, fried gram, groundnuts (peanuts) which is called "Ellu Bella.". Along with sweets, flowers, bangles, dry fruits, sugarcane, sugar cadies are also exchanged.
In Mysore region, people decorate their houses and cattle. They also worship their crop and cattle. As part of the celebration they take part in singing and dancing. In northern India, people turn out in large numbers on the banks of rivers and lakes to take baths on the auspicious occasion; later they visit temples and offer prayers, indulging in daan (offerings) to the poor.
In Hindu mythology it is believed that a person dying on this auspicious day directly goes to the heaven. Bhishma, the veteran warrior in the epic, Mahabharata, is said to have waited for this day to breathe his last. It is also on this day every twelve years the Great Kumbh-Mela is held at Prayag.
Pongal is the most popular festival of the Tamilians. A harvest festival honoring the Sun God and the lord of rains, Indra, Pongal also symbolizes a thanks-giving festival for the plentiful paddy crops that the farmer has harvested during the mild winter months in South India.
This holy day marks the commencement of the Sun's northern course in the Heavens, known as the Uttaraayana patha. This turn in the Sun's course takes place at the point of time when it enters the sign of Makara or Capricorn.
Interestingly, this is the only festival in Hindu calendar that follows a solar calendar and is celebrated on the fourteenth of January every year (all other Hindu festivals are computed using the lunar calendar). Sankranti is termed as Pongal in Tamilnadu, and is celebrated with a popular dish with the same name. Kolams (Rangoli) and prayers constitute the celebration of the festival. People buy new clothes, ornaments, sugarcane and sweet candy for the festival. The farmers worship their harvested crops and share with friends and relatives. Women and young girls wear new clothes, wear golden and silver ornaments, volunteer different flowers and visit their relatives and friends.
In different parts of India, the Sankranti is celebrated very differently. On the Western parts, the emphasis is on exchanging Til-Gu rwhich is a specialty of Konkani/Marathi women. It comprises sugar coated sesame seeds and nuts of different colors prepared by the housewives. In some other parts, exchange a mixture of teel, jaggery, fried gram, groundnuts (peanuts) which is called "Ellu Bella.". Along with sweets, flowers, bangles, dry fruits, sugarcane, sugar cadies are also exchanged.
In Mysore region, people decorate their houses and cattle. They also worship their crop and cattle. As part of the celebration they take part in singing and dancing. In northern India, people turn out in large numbers on the banks of rivers and lakes to take baths on the auspicious occasion; later they visit temples and offer prayers, indulging in daan (offerings) to the poor.
In Hindu mythology it is believed that a person dying on this auspicious day directly goes to the heaven. Bhishma, the veteran warrior in the epic, Mahabharata, is said to have waited for this day to breathe his last. It is also on this day every twelve years the Great Kumbh-Mela is held at Prayag.
Pongal is the most popular festival of the Tamilians. A harvest festival honoring the Sun God and the lord of rains, Indra, Pongal also symbolizes a thanks-giving festival for the plentiful paddy crops that the farmer has harvested during the mild winter months in South India.