Sun, considered the lord of light, is the source of all forms of life on Earth like physical, mental and spiritual. He is the closest image to mankind and has a divinity.
Sankranti or Sankramana means movement. It is the festival of movement of Sun. Even though Sun enters 12 zodiac signs in each month, which is called Masa Sankranti, two of them are considered auspicious. This represents the movement of Sun to two different ayanas as Uttarayana and Dakshinayana. Movement of Sun from Karkataka to Dhanu is called Dakshinayana and Makara to Mithuna is known as Uttarayana.
It is celebrated for three days in some parts of the country. It is associated with agriculture since it comes during the harvesting period in the countryside. This year, Sankranti is celebrated on January 14, 15 and 16.
Bhogi: Pushya Masa Shukla Paksha Navami
January 14: This is the previous day of the festival, people cook delicious food and sweets at home and the whole family gets together to enjoy the same.
Makara Sankranti (Pongal): Pushya Masa Shukla Dasami
January 15: People get up early in the morning, have bath applying gingely oil and light the lamp with gingely oil. It is also the festival of sesame and jaggery. Mixture of white sesame, groundnut, fried gram and pieces of dry coconut, along with sugarcane, banana and designed sugar blocks are kept as naivedhyam to the God and later distributed among the family members.
On this day, people prepare `pongal' rice cooked with jaggery along with dry fruits and ghee. They also bake the new harvest of raw groundnut, raw ballar (avarekayi) and sweet potato.
In the evening, children wear new clothes and distribute the sesame mixture to neighbours, friends and relatives. The practice is to cultivate the value of giving in the minds of children, which will help them lead a good social life. Also on this day, people give oblations to the ancestors.
Mattu Pongal (Cattle Day): Pushya Masa Shukla Paksha Ekadasi
January 16: On this day, farmers bathe their cattle and decorate them with colour papers, ribbons and clothes, and worship them.
Sankranti or Sankramana means movement. It is the festival of movement of Sun. Even though Sun enters 12 zodiac signs in each month, which is called Masa Sankranti, two of them are considered auspicious. This represents the movement of Sun to two different ayanas as Uttarayana and Dakshinayana. Movement of Sun from Karkataka to Dhanu is called Dakshinayana and Makara to Mithuna is known as Uttarayana.
It is celebrated for three days in some parts of the country. It is associated with agriculture since it comes during the harvesting period in the countryside. This year, Sankranti is celebrated on January 14, 15 and 16.
Bhogi: Pushya Masa Shukla Paksha Navami
January 14: This is the previous day of the festival, people cook delicious food and sweets at home and the whole family gets together to enjoy the same.
Makara Sankranti (Pongal): Pushya Masa Shukla Dasami
January 15: People get up early in the morning, have bath applying gingely oil and light the lamp with gingely oil. It is also the festival of sesame and jaggery. Mixture of white sesame, groundnut, fried gram and pieces of dry coconut, along with sugarcane, banana and designed sugar blocks are kept as naivedhyam to the God and later distributed among the family members.
On this day, people prepare `pongal' rice cooked with jaggery along with dry fruits and ghee. They also bake the new harvest of raw groundnut, raw ballar (avarekayi) and sweet potato.
In the evening, children wear new clothes and distribute the sesame mixture to neighbours, friends and relatives. The practice is to cultivate the value of giving in the minds of children, which will help them lead a good social life. Also on this day, people give oblations to the ancestors.
Mattu Pongal (Cattle Day): Pushya Masa Shukla Paksha Ekadasi
January 16: On this day, farmers bathe their cattle and decorate them with colour papers, ribbons and clothes, and worship them.
