Many Names, One Festival The Makar Sankranti: Makar Sankranti is one of the most auspicious Hindu festivals in India. The ancient Indian festival, which is celebrated to mark the beginning of the harvesting season in India, is probably the only festival that is celebrated in every region of India, on the same day, but in different manners and names. From Pongal, Khichdi to Maghi, here's how Makar Sankranti is celebrated in India: Thai Pongal, Tamil Nadu: Tamil Nadu, the South India state, also celebrates the harvest festival in a grand manner. The festival is known as Pongal in the state and the Tamil-speaking people celebrate Pongal, also Tamilian New Year, for a period of four days. The three days of the Pongal festival are called Bhogi Pongal, Surya Pongal and Maattu Pongal and Kaanum Pongal. The festival is named after the ceremonial 'Pongal', which means "to boil, overflow" and refers to the traditional dish prepared from the new harvest of rice boiled in milk with jaggery (raw sugar). Uttarayan, Gujarat: One of the major festival for Gujarati people around the world. The festival lasts for two days, first day is celebrated on January 14 and is called Uttarayan. On this day, kites festivals are organized all over the state, that fill the entire state with colors and echo of ‘kai po che’ can be heard everywhere. 1. “Patang” - kites, 2. “Undhiyu” - a spicy curry made with winter vegetables, and 3. “Chikkis” - sweets made with til (sesame), peanuts and jaggery. They are a special festival recipe savoured on this day. Lohri, Punjab: Makar Sankranti in Punjab takes on vibrancy, dance, and colours. 1. Lohri is celebrated the night before Sankranti or Maghi. The people fondly sing the famous folk song “Sunder mundriye, ho!” and perform “Giddha” , a folk dance by women and “Bhaṅ gṛā” by men. They dress in bright colours and dance in a circle around the bonfire. 2. On Maghi, groups of children move from door to door, singing the folk-song: "Dulla Bhatti ho! Dulle ne dhi viyahi ho! Ser shakar pai ho!" (Dulla married his daughter off and gave a kilo of sugar as a marriage gift). Poush Sankranti, Bengal: In West Bengal, the festival is known as Poush Sankranti, named after the Bengali month in which it falls. Mouth-watering sweets like pithe, pathisapta etc with rice and palm jaggery mark the harvest festival.This part of the country is known for its Ganga Sagar Mela, an annual celebration held during Makar Sankranti. This is the place where the sacred river Ganga merges with the Bay of Bengal (sea). Devotees take a dip in the holy waters of the river and offer their prayers to the Gods. Ellu Birodhu, Karnataka: Makara Sankranti is celebrated in Karnataka with a ritual called "Ellu Birodhu” where women exchange “Ellu Bella” (regional delicacies made using freshly cut sugarcane, sesame seeds, jaggery, and coconut) with at least 10 families. At this time, this Kannada saying is popular - "ellu bella thindu olle maathadi" meaning 'eat the mixture of sesame seeds and jaggery and speak only good.’ Farmers celebrate as “Suggi” or ‘harvest festival’ and decorate their bulls and cows in colourful costumes. Farmers jump over fire along with their bulls, in a ritual called "Kichchu Haayisuvudu." Bihu Magh/Bhogali, Assam: In Assam - the northeastern state of India - Makar Sankranti is celebrated as Magh Bihu or Bhogali Bihu. It is one of the biggest festivals of the Hindu population in Assam.Like other Indian states, Bihu is associated with agriculture, and rice in particular. On this day, people wear traditional clothes like dhoti, gamosa, and saadar mekhela and bonfires are burned in the fields and people pray to their ancestral gods for blessings. Khichdi Parv, Uttar Pradesh: In Uttar Pradesh, the festival is commonly known as Khichd, involves ritual bathing in the holy water and people eat dish, made from rice and pulses, called khichdi after it's offered to the Sun God. Over millions of people gather at their respective sacred places for the holy bath. Bihar and Jharkhand: 1. On the first day, people bathe in rivers and ponds and feast upon seasonal dishes (made with tilgud) as a celebration of a good harvest. Kite flying is, again, something to look forward too! 2. The second day is celebrated as Makraat, when people relish special khichdi (lentil-rice, replete with cauliflower, peas and potatoes), which is served with chokha (roasted vegetable), papad, ghee and achaar. Maharashtra: People celebrate Makara Sankranti in Maharashtra by exchanging til-gud as tokens of goodwill. The underlying thought is to forgive and forget the past ill-feelings, resolve the conflicts, speak sweetly and remain friends. Women come together and perform a special 'Haldi-Kumkum' ceremony. Andhra Pradesh: Makara Sankranti is celebrated in Andhra Pradesh for four days. Day 1 - Bhogi Panduga, when people throw away old items into the Bhogi (bonfire). Day 2 - Pedda Panduga, meaning ‘Big Festival,’ is celebrated with prayers, new clothes, and by inviting guests for feasts. The entrance of the house is decorated with “muggu” designs, i.e. rangoli patterns, filled with colours, flowers, and “gobbemma” (small, hand-pressed piles of cow dung). Day 3 - Kanuma, is very special for farmers. They worship and showcase their cattle that symbolizes prosperity. Cockfighting was also held earlier, but now it is banned. Day 4 – On Mukkanuma, farmers offer prayers to the elements such as soil, rain, and fire for helping the harvest. People eat meat delicacies on the last day. Kerala: Makar Sankranti is celebrated in Kerala as thousands throng to see the Makara Vilakku (flame on Ponnambalamedu hill) near the Sabarimala temple when the Makara Jyothi, the celestial star appears in the sky. The belief is that Lord Ayyappa Swami shows his presence in the form of this celestial lighting and blesses his devotees. Himachal Pradesh: In Himachal Pradesh Makara Sankranti that is known as Magha Saaja, marks the start of the month of Magha. The devotees wake up early in the morning and take ceremonial dips in the water springs. The day starts with an early morning puja and burning of paza leaves. In the daytime people visit their neighbours and feast on Khichdi with loads of ghee and chaas. A huge number of devotees also visit the famous Tatapani hot water springs on Makara Sankranti to take a holy dip. Apart from curing skin diseases (due to Sulphur content) bathing in this water body is also considered to be auspicious. The devotees make Tula Daan, where they make offerings of cereals to the priests equal to an individuals weight. The offerings made on this day hold greater significance since, this act helps in alleviating ones sufferings. Makar Sankranti in Kashmir - is also known as Shishur Saenkraat in Kashmir which marks the solar transition to pleasant and warm seasons from extremely cold winters and is celebrated with sweets made of jaggery and sesame. Sankranti is celebrated to welcome spring. There are many ceremonies and traditions that are followed across temples and people take bath in holy rivers as well. In Jammu and Kashmir, a traditional 'Chajja' dance is performed by young boys. Makar Sankranti: One festival but how many names???https://youtu.be/zq_iftT0Ax4?si=oXQUCc8r6Cx64HKe Map link: https://earth.google.com/earth/d/1VVPF_JAz0-nlhTNa8EfYRb9FJpPUrmGV? usp=sharing Sources: 1. festivalsofindia.in 2. hoovufresh.com 3. wikipedia.org 4. wionews.com By: Darsh Diwan Class: IX-A Scholar No: 3021 BT House