Festivals

Makar Sankranti 2024: Date, Significance and celebrations

Makar Sankranti 2024, an ancient fertility festival in India, marks the transition from winter to spring, promoting longer days and warmer weather.

Makar Sankranti 2024 is an ancient fertility festival celebrated in India and South Asian countries to mark the start of a new solar year. It marks the transition from winter to spring, bringing longer days and warmer weather. This blog post explores the festival’s evolution, significance in Indian culture, and associated traditions, including kite-flying competitions and delicious snacks. Join us on January 15th to celebrate the joys of Makar Sankranti 2024.

What is Makar Sankranti?

Makar Sankranti is a Hindu festival that falls on the 14th of January every year. It is celebrated in many parts of India and Nepal. The day marks the end of the winter solstice and the beginning of the sun’s journey northwards (known as uttarayana). Makar Sankranti is also considered to be an auspicious day for Hindus, as it marks the start of the harvest season.

People celebrate Makar Sankranti by flying kites, taking baths in holy rivers, exchanging sweets and gifts with loved ones. In some parts of India, such as Tamil Nadu, people also celebrate by lighting traditional oil lamps.

The History of Makar Sankranti

Makar Sankranti is one of the most popular festivals in India, and is celebrated in almost every part of the country. The festival marks the transition of the sun from the Tropic of Cancer to the Tropic of Capricorn, and is considered to be an auspicious day by many Hindus.

Makar Sankranti has been mentioned in several ancient Hindu texts, including the Mahabharata and the Puranas. It is believed that the festival was first celebrated by Lord Krishna and his wife Rukmini. In some regions of India, Makar Sankranti is also known as Uttarayan, and marks the beginning of the Uttarayana period.

The main celebrations on Makar Sankranti take place on 14th January every year, and include flying kites, sharing sweets and feasts. In some parts of India, a special dish called tilgul are made on this day, which is a sweet made from sesame seeds and jaggery. Tilgul are exchanged between friends and family as a symbol of good luck and friendship.

What is the significance of Makar Sankranti?

Makar Sankranti is an important Hindu festival that celebrates the beginning of the sun’s journey into the Northern Hemisphere. It is observed on the 14th day of the month of Magh in the Hindu calendar, and typically falls between January 12-14 in the Gregorian calendar. Makar Sankranti is considered to be one of the most auspicious days in the Hindu calendar, and is celebrated with great fanfare all over India.

The word ‘Makar’ refers to the Capricorn zodiac sign, and ‘Sankranti’ means ‘transit’. Makar Sankranti marks the transition of the sun from Sagittarius (Dhanu) into Capricorn (Makara). This day also heralds the start of longer days and shorter nights, as well as colder weather.

Hindus believe that on this day, Lord Surya (the sun god) visits his son Shani deva (Saturn). As a result, people offer prayers and do good deeds on Makar Sankranti in order to please Lord Shani and receive his blessings.

Another significant aspect of Makar Sankranti is that it marks the end of winter season and beginning of spring. For farmers, this festival signals the end of harvest season and start of a new crop cycle. In many parts of India, Makar Sankranti is

How is Makar Sankranti celebrated?

Makar Sankranti is one of the most popular Indian festivals. It is celebrated in almost every part of India with great enthusiasm and joy. The festival is also known as Uttarayan and is celebrated on the 14th of January every year. Makar Sankranti marks the beginning of the sun’s journey towards the Northern Hemisphere (Makara Rasi) and hence, it is also considered as an auspicious day to start new ventures.

The most common way of celebrating Makar Sankranti is by flying kites. People of all ages enjoy this activity and can be seen flying kites from early morning till late evening on this day. Bonfires are also lit in many places as part of the celebrations. Traditional sweets like tilgul (sesame seeds and jaggery cakes) and gud (jaggery) are distributed among friends and family.

Makar Sankranti is also a time for exchanging gifts, particularly clothes. It is believed that giving and receiving new clothes on this day brings good luck. For many people, Makar Sankranti is also a religious occasion and they offer special prayers to Lord Sun or Surya Deva on this day.

Recipes for Makar Sankranti

Makar Sankranti is a harvest festival celebrated in India. It is also known as the kite festival as people fly kites on this day. Makar Sankranti is usually observed on January 14th every year.

This festival marks the transition of the sun into the zodiacal sign of Capricorn (Makara) on its celestial path. The day is believed to be auspicious for Hindus and they celebrate it by flying kites, taking holy dips in rivers, eating traditional sweets and donating to the poor.

Makar Sankranti recipes include various sweet dishes and snacks that are prepared on this day. Some of the popular Makar Sankranti recipes are Til Ladoo, Til Chikki, Peanut Chikki, Sweet Potato Halwa, Atte ka Halwa, Puran Poli and Shankarpali.

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Conclusion

This year, let’s celebrate Makar Sankranti and all its cultural significance. Exchange sweets, fly kites, and participate in activities that bring people closer together. Come out and celebrate India’s oldest festival on January 15th with enthusiasm! Happy Makar Sankranti!