Makar Sankranti is a Hindu festival celebrated in the Indian sub continent in the Gregorian month of January, which corresponds to the Hindu calendar month of ‘Magha’. Makar Sankranti usually falls on 14th or 15th January and it holds the distinction of being one of the few Hindu festivals observed according to solar cycle, while most Hindu festivals follow the lunar cycle. The festival of Makar Sankranti is very important and is vibrantly celebrated throughout India and also in the adjoining countries. I have provided below a complete Essay on Makar Sankranti in English for children and students.
This Essay on Makar Sankranti in English will be extremely useful in your school’s Makar Sankranti celebrations.
Table of Contents
When is Makar Sankranti Celebrated?
The festival of Makar Sankranti is dedicated to the worship of the Surya or Sun God. It is celebrated on the day when Sun enters Makara (Capricorn), the number tenth of the twelve zodiac signs.
The festival commemorates the end of winter solstice and the beginning of longer days. It usually falls exactly on 14th January; though, sometimes the date might shift by a day or two.
When is Makar Sankranti 2020?
Makar Sankranti 2020 will be celebrated on Wednesday, 15th January 2020. The Sun will transit from Sagittarius to Capricorn at 02:00 AM on Wednesday, 15th January. In other words the Sun will be in Uttarayan from 15th Jan, 02:00 AM onwards.
Punya Kaal time and date – 15th January; 7:19 AM to 12:13 PM
Maha Punya Kaal time and date – 15th January; 07:19 AM to 09:03 AM
Sankranti Snana Time – Morning of 15th January 2020
Makar Sankranti Celebrations and Rituals
Makar Sankranti is vibrantly celebrated throughout India with different states celebrating it with different names. In north India it is celebrated by the Hindus and Sikhs as Makar Sankranti, Khichdi or Lohri; Pedda Pandaga in Maharashtra and Goa; Poush Songkranti in West Bengal, Karnataka and Telangana; Magh Bihu in Assam and Thai Pongal in Tamil Nadu.
Makar Sankranti is celebrated differently by different cultures. In southern Karnataka, a ritual “Ellu Birodhu” is performed. The girls wear new clothes and visits relatives and friends with a plate of festive offerings, containing “ellu” – white sesame seeds and fried groundnut, dry coconut and jaggery. The mixture in plate is called “Ellu-Bella”. There is an old saying in Kannada –“ellu bella thindu olle maathadi” meaning “eat the mixture of sesame seed and jaggery and speak only good”.
Makar Sankranti in northern India is celebrated by taking dip in the holy rivers on the day of the festival. Traditional dishes like kheer, til gud ladoos are prepared in homes. In Haryana and Punjab there is a tradition of brothers of married woman visiting their sister’s house with gifts.
Significance of Makar Sankranti
Makar Sankranti is both religiously and culturally significant festival of Hindus. First of all it marks the entry of Sun into Uttarayan signifying longer days and the end of winter solstice.
The festival encourages you to leave the bitter past behind and revive your broken relationships with the new promises and energy the Sun has to offer.