Makar Sankranti

Makar Sankranti Celebrated as follows:

• Thai Pongal : Tamil Nadu
• Makar Sankranti: Andhra Pradesh, Bengal, Kerala, Bihar, Goa, Karnataka, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Uttar Pradesh
• Uttarayana: Gujarat and Rajasthan
• Lohri: Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab
• Magh Bihu or Bhogali Bihu: Assam

Here are some more notable points about the Makar Sankranti, which you can read and ignore.

In Uttar Pradesh, Sankranti is called ‘Khichiri‘. Taking a dip in the holy rivers on this day is regarded as most auspicious. A big one-month long ‘Magha-Mela‘ fair begins at Prayag on this occasion. Apart from Triveni, ritual bathing also takes place at many places like Haridvar and Garh Mukteshwar in Uttar Pradesh, and Patna in Bihar

In West Bengal every year a very big mela is held at Ganga Sagar where the river Ganga is believed to have dived into the nether region and vivified the ashes of the sixty thousand ancestors of King Bhagirath. This mela is attended by a large number of pilgrims from all over the country.

In Andhra Pradesh, it is celebrated as a three-day harvest festival Pongal. The Telugu people call it ‘Pedda Panduga’ meaning big festival. The whole event lasts for four days, the first day Bhogi, the second day Sankranti, the third day Kanuma and the fourth day, Mukkanuma.

In Maharashtra on the Sankranti day people exchange multi-colored tilguds made from til (sesame seeds) and sugar and til-laddus made from til and jaggery.

The festival in Karnataka is also celebrated in the same way by exchanging ‘Ellu Bella’ (sesame seeds and Jaggery).

In Gujarat, Sankranti is observed more or less in the same manner as in Maharashtra but with a difference that in Gujarat there is a custom of giving gifts to relatives.

In Punjab huge bonfires are lit on the eve of Makar Sankranti is celebrated as “Lohri“. The following day is celebrated as “Maghi“.

In Kerala, the 40 days anushthana by the devotees of Ayyappa ends on this day in Sabarimala with a big festival.

The Bhuya tribals of Orissa have their Maghyatra in which small home-made articles are put for sale.

In Assam, the festival is celebrated as Bhogali Bihu.