Significance of Makar Sankranti

Originally penned in 13th Jan 2021:

Makar Sankranti is a festival dedicated to the Sun. It is observed each year in the month of January. It marks the first day of the sun’s transit into Makara rashi (Capricorn), marking the end of the month with the winter solstice and the start of longer days.

Sankranti is celebrated across the country and is known by various names such as Bihu, Maghi, Lohri, Pongal, Bhogi, Uttarayan, Makar Sankranti…

On this day, devotees also take holy dips in rivers like Ganga, Yamuna, Godavari, Krishna etc. The day is celebrated as the harvest festival and people celebrate abundance and joy through family get togethers which is marked by bonfires, kite — flying and feasts.

Bonfires

In many parts of India, an important part of the celebrations is erecting huts made of bamboo and thatch and then burning these in the wee hours of the morning. The construction of these huts usually takes a few days and the young boys go about collecting bamboos, straw, dried leaves etc. prior to setting these huts up. The structures range from simple huts to double storied ones as well.

In Assam, young people erect makeshift huts, known as Bhelaghar, from bamboo, leaves and thatch and burn the huts in the morning. These huts are usually built in open spaces to accommodate a few people who spend the night there enjoying the delicacies prepared for the festival.

Burning the Mera- Merir ghor (burning the ram and ewe’s home) is a popular custom in certain parts of the North East where bamboo huts are burnt on the morning of Sankranti. There is usually a sort of competition among groups and neighbors as to whose hut would be the first to be burnt before dawn. Snacks prepared for Sankranti are offered to this fire, prayers offered, and people enjoy the heat in the cold January morning.

Bhogi is celebrated a day preceding Sankranti in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and also Maharashtra. People discard old things and burn logs of wood, and other items which are no longer useful This festival focuses on transformation from the old to the new.

Lohri is also celebrated with a bonfire. Lohri is celebrated in Punjab, Haryana and the northern belt. Sesame seeds, gur etc. are tossed on to the bonfire and people sit around it, sing and dance till the fire dies out.

Kite Flying During Makar Sankranti

Kite flying is an important aspect of the Sankranti celebrations in several parts of the country, mostly in Gujarat and Rajasthan. Colorful kites adorn the sky on Sankranti. The significance here is that the people get exposed to the sun rays after the harsh winters.

Makar Sankranti Delicacies

No festival is complete without its special food. From Til ladoos, gajjaks to Peethas, the flavours of Sankranti are many.

Peethas form an important delicacy during Sankranti in Assam, Bengal, Bihar, Odisha. Made with rice powder, lentils, sesame etc. Peethas come in several varieties and shapes and come fried, stuffed or steamed.

The Benefits of Til/Sesame

Makar Sankranti is also known as Til Sankranti. Til has has also been a part of rituals since ancient times as it is considered to be one of the purest forms of grains. Til and gur(jaggery) according to Ayurveda are two of the most winter-perfect foods that helps to keep the body warm and increase the immunity. Hence til is considered most significant for Sankranti.

The benefits of Til/Sesame are manifold and this is why they have been part of our traditional food since ages.

• Til/Sesame is a rich source of vitamins, minerals and healthy oils
• Consuming sesame during winter on a daily basis is recommended because it contains calcium, iron, protein, magnesium, phosphorus, manganese, copper, zinc, fiber, vitamin B6 and folate that helps protect the body
• During winters, sesame seeds keep the digestive system healthy and it also helps in healthy functioning of the intestines
• The copper and anti-oxidants content help relieves pain and swelling associated with arthritis
• Sesame seeds also strengthen bones, boost hair quality, control blood sugar and keep skin healthy
• It is often suggested that asthma patients and people with respiratory problems should consume sesame because the magnesium found in it gives relief against all sorts of respiratory diseases

This is a from a blog post dated 13th January 2017:

The other day I bought some sweet potatoes, boiled those and cut these into pieces, added salt and lemon, to be had as snacks! Simple stuff but the mind went back to that time, back home in Shillong, on cold winter days and awaiting the arrival of Sankranti.

All rituals and celebrations always have a special space in our family and we are not the ones to have kept away from the festivities. My Ma was a working woman, full time between home and office and did everything she could to balance both. So the ritual, a day before Sankranti was for her to go to office but return early as there were these peethas to be made. So she would boil the sweet potatoes, leave them to cool and ask me to peel the skin and mash them fine. She would particularly tell me to ensure that there were no small pieces left. And when she got home we would both be at it, mash the potatoes finer, add the flour and mix them into a dough. Then make oval shaped pieces with those. We would then fry those, and add the same to the jaggery syrup.

Then there were pathi peethas and pulis and gojas. We did these in the mud chullhas and even in the biting cold we would be warm from the heat in the kitchen. And most of it was done, we would all sit together and relish the same.

And before this was all done, bhai and me and friends would build a mera-meri ghor, not a perfect hut but had all the ingredients of fun and festivity. The next morning, that is on the Sankranti morning, I would usually be the first to get up, heat the water on a stove(there were no geysers then) and then wake up bhai and the cousins whenever they were with us. One by one, in those cold mornings we would bathe and then go and burn that hut. By that time Ma would bathe, prepare the peethas for the Gods and then do her Puja. Once that was done, it was peetha time for us.

Things have changed, we have grown up and Ma has left us all behind. This will be the first Sankranti without her and we will not be really celebrating. I know Baba will miss all these more than us, for he knows what Ma has done to gel into his family, the traditions and the values. May be the nieces will be the reason we prepare some peethas, while hiding our tears….