Makar Sankranti is one of the most auspicious occasions for the Hindus, and is celebrated in almost all parts of the country in myriad cultural forms, with great devotion, fervour & gaiety. It is a harvest festival. Makar Sankranti is perhaps the only Indian festival whose date always falls on the same day every year i.e. the 14th of January.
Makar Sankranti signifies that we should turn away from the darkness of delusion in which we live, and begin to enjoy a new life with bright light within us to shine brighter and brighter.
We should gradually begin to grow in purity, wisdom, and knowledge, even as the Sun does from the Day of Makar Sankranti.
The festival of Makar Sankranti is highly regarded by the Hindus from North to down South.
The day is known by various names like lohari, pongal, sankranti etc. and a variety of traditions are witnessed as one explores the festival in different states.
Sankranti is the Sanskrit word, which refers to the transmigration of the Sun from one Rāshi (zodiac in Indian astrology) to the other.
There are 12 such sankrantis in all. The Sankranti festival usually refers to Makara Sankaranti, or the transition of the Sun from Dhanu rashi (Sagittarius) to Makara rashi (Capricorn). For this purpose, the Zodiac signs are considered sidereally, and not tropically, as in western astronomy, thus not accounting for the Earth'sprecession. The festival takes place around 21 days after the tropical winter solstice (between December 20 and 23rd) that marks the start ofUttarayana, which means northward journey of the Sun.
The Winter Solstice marks the beginning of the gradual increase of the duration of the day. The shortest day of the year is around December 21–22, after which the days begin to get longer. The winter Solstice is on December 21 or December 22, when the tropical sun enters Makara rashi. Therefore the date of Uttarayana is December 21. This was the actual date of Makar Sakranti too.But because of the Earth's tilt of 23.45 degrees and the precession of theEquinoxes, Ayanamasha occurs. This has caused Makara Sankranti to slide further over the ages. A thousand years ago, Makar Sankranti was on December 31 and is now on January 14. Five thousand years later, it shall be by the end of February, while in 9000 years it shall come in June.[citation needed].
Makar Sankranti is one of the most auspicious days for the Hindus and is celebrated in almost all parts of India in myriad cultural forms, with great devotion. Millions of people take a dip in places like Ganga Sagar (the point where the river Ganges meets the Bay of Bengal) and Prayag and pray to the Sun God (Surya).
Since the festival is celebrated in mid winter, food prepared for this festival is such that it keeps the body warm and gives high energy.
They contain lignans, including unique content of sesamin, which are phytoestrogens with antioxidant and anti-cancer properties. Among edible oils from six plants, sesame oil had the highest antioxidant content.[7] Sesame seeds also contain phytosterols associated with reduced levels of blood cholesterol.
The nutrients of sesame seeds are better absorbed if they are ground or pulverized before consumption, as in tahini. Sesame oil is used for massage and health treatments of the body (abhyanga and shirodhara) and teeth (oil pulling). Ayurveda views sesame oil as the most viscous of the plant oils and believes it may pacify the health problems associated with Vata aggravation.
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