Makar Sankranti – The Festival of Kites

Makar Sankranti is a Hindu religious festival. It is the first festive celebration of the year. It falls on 14th of January every year with very rare occasion when it is celebrated either on the 13th or on the 15th of January. This festival even has an astrological significance because it marks the transition of the Sun into the zodiac sign of Capricorn (Makara rashi) on its path.

Makar Sankranti is a period, which marks the arrival of the spring season in India. Therefore, this is the time when the crops in the field are harvested. As it is the time of harvesting, Makar Sankranti is also known as the Harvest festival.

The celebration of this festival is delightful. one can find so many different colours, traditions and rituals celebrated at the same time and for the same occasion. It is the festival where the sweets and other foodstuffs are not bought from outside. They are made at home with pure homemade materials. Sweets are the specialty of this festival and all kind of sweets are made in a quantity that can be distributed and exchanged among the family members, friends and neighbours.

Makar Sankranti is also known as kite flying festival in many parts of India. Kites with different sizes, colours and qualities are found high up in the sky. It looks very nice and pleasant when kites of various colours fly in the sky. Even trees are found with kites fallen over them. These scenes fill the mind with joy and happiness.

People make certain gestures on this day. Regional blessings are given by the elders while greeting each other. Laddus of til made with jaggery is a speciality of the festival. While a person is about to wish somebody by giving laddus he/ she wishes by saying, “Til Good Ghiya, Gode Gode Bola”. This is a famous wishing line in Maharashtra. The other person would also give the same kind of sweet and wish in the same manner. This day is celebrated where the family members, relatives, friends, young and old come together and meet each other.

Another interesting fact about this day is that though it is celebrated all over India, it is known by different names in different regions of India. People in South Indian celebrate this day as `Pongal’, were as the North Indians, especially from the region off Punjab and Haryana celebrate it as `Lohri’. They do not celebrate it on the actual day, instead it is celebrated the night before the main day. People from different communities come together, create a campfire and then by going round the fire sing and dance into their homeland folk style.

The main idea behind celebrating this festival is to welcome good days where everyone invites more to life. People wish for good fortune, good health, success, prosperity, wellbeing and lots of wealth.