HAPPY PONGAL AND MAKARA SANKRANTI
Makar Sankranti is being celebrated on January 14, 2022 – Friday.
In Tamil Nadu, the festival is called Pongal. In Punjab, it is Lohri/Maghi in Punjab and in Assam it is Magh Bihu and Uttarayan in Gujarat.
Makar
Sankranti marks the annual transit of the Sun from Dhanu (Sagittarius) to Makar
(Capricorn) in the Hindu month of Pausha and is associated with the Sun God. So
people pay tributes to the celestial body for sustaining life on earth. The
Sun's warm rays give relief to people from the intense cold weather. Moreover,
agriculture wouldn't be possible without sunlight. Therefore, people worship
the Sun God and harvest crops. A good yield symbolises prosperity, and hence,
people look forward to a positive/blissful future.
Boghi on 13th, Pongal on 14th and Mattu Pongal on
15th January 2022: Pongal
festivities begin with Boghi. Dedicated to Indra Dev, the King of the Devas and
the God of rains, Boghi marks the beginning of the Pongal festivities. It is
celebrated on the last day of the month of Margazhi (Margashirsha) – worshiping
Sun God. Mattu Pongal is to honour and worship Madu – Ever Farming Companions -
Plough Animals and also Cows/Buffaloes giving milk.
Lohri -
January 13, 2022: Lohri, celebrated
mainly in Punjab, is a harvest festival dedicated to the Sun God. The bonfire
constitutes the core of Lohri festivities, and people gather around the sacred
bonfire/Lohri in the evening to pay tributes to it.
Uttarayan -
January 14, 2022 : Uttarayana is derived from Sanskrit words – uttara (North)
and ayana (movement). So here, it refers to the northward movement of the Sun.
Bihu -
January 15, 2022 : Magh Bihu or Maghar Domahi festivities span over two days in
Assam and is dedicated to the Fire God. The first day is known as Uruka, and
the main day is referred to as Magh Bihu. This festival marks the end of the
harvesting season. It is celebrated by having a feast (known as Bhuj). Many
people from different tribes and communities also gather to collectively
celebrate this festival.
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