On 14th January (or 15th January – if it is a leap year), Uttarayan, Makar Sankranti, Sankranti is celebrated in India. In the Northern/ western states, this is the name that the festival is usually known as. However, we do have different names for this festival in different states of India.
Makara Sankranti – Andhra Pradesh and Telangana
In Andhra and Telangana, Makar Sankranti is a 4-day festival and is celebrated with a lot of excitement. The families come together and celebrate it with a lot of sweets and in traditional ways. The first day is Bhoghi, second Makara Sankranti, third is Kanuma and fourth is Mukkanuma. The traditions and celebrations on each day are different and while the first three days a strict vegetarian diet is followed, on Mukkanuma, animals are sacrificed to the God and meat is savoured.
Sakraat or Khichdi – Bihar and Jharkhand
The festival is a 2-day festival in Bihar and Jharkhand where the people take holy dips in the river early in the morning and then, have bonfires into which they offer sesame seeds. Delicacies are prepared with sesame seeds and jaggery. The women folk in villages come together and celebrate the festival while cooking simple but hearty meals of rice and lentils or curd and rice/puffed rice with some vegetables.
Sakraat – Delhi and Haryana
The festival of Makar Sankranti holds special value in the states of Delhi and Haryana as it also celebrates the special bond between brothers and their married sisters. Brothers visit their married sisters and give them warm clothes and sweets. Similarly, the wives also gift their in-laws and husband’s families on the day. All the men and women congregate in a common place and celebrate the festival by singing songs and with music.
Uttarayan – Gujarat
Makar Sankranti is celebrated on a lavish scale in Gujarat and the state also has a special International Kite Flying festival. People stay at home on leave and after prayers in the morning, congregate on terrace tops with their kites. There are lots of kite games and kite wars. People feed each other sweets like chikki and a special preparation of Undhiyu ( a mix of spcied vegetables is made). The state celebrates the festival lavishly.
Magha Saaji – Himachal Pradesh
Saaji is the local word for Sankrant and Magha is the name of the month and the sun-sign (capricorn) that commences with the arrival of the festival. The day signals a change in seasons and people welcome spring by taking a dip in the rivers or bathe in holy water. They visit their neighbours and share sweets like chikki or khichdi and ghee (clarified butter). The locals also visit temples and do a lot of charity on this day. The evening is celebrated with folk songs and dances.
Suggi – Karnataka
Suggi is the harvest festival of Karnataka celebrated mainly by farmers and the women. The women visit each other’s houses in a ritual known as Ellu Birodhu and they carry a plate of offerings and sweets with them for exchange. The plate has sesame seeds and jaggery, and other nuts like fried ground nuts and coconut, sugar-cane pieces and sugar candies. Women also draw rangolis outside their homes and decorate the cattle with colourful decorations and paint their horns.
Ghughuti or Kale Kauva – Uttarakhand
In Uttarakhand, Makar Sankranti is celebrated as the festival of the migratory birds as they believe it is the season for the birds to end their migration. The locals give khichdi and other food as charity and organise fairs and meet-ups. Sweetmeats are made out of sweetened flour by frying them and then asking the children to offer these sweets to crows as a blessing for the migratory birds on their homeward journey.
Maghi – Punjab
Also celebrated as Lohri, Maghi signals the change to warmer weather and the day holds a special place in the hearts of the residents of Punjab. They bathe early in the morning and light lamps with sesame oil to drive away the darkness (from life) and bring in prosperity. They also have huge bonfires in the evenings and enjoy their day by socialising and having a hearty meal with sesame sweets.
Pongal – Tamil Nadu
Just like Andhra, Tamil Nadu also celebrates Pongal for 4 days with each of the days having a special significance. On the first day, people clean and decorate their houses, wear new clothes and discard or give away all the unwanted things. On the second day, which is the main Pongal day, people celebrate by having sweets and sweet rice preparations. The rice is brought to a boil with milk and jaggery and allowed to boil over the pot. The minute the rice boils over, there is a special cry uttered and Pongal is celebrated. The rice is offered to the God and then shared by the people. The other two days involve worshipping the cattle and visiting the relatives.
Poush Parbon – West Bengal
Poush Parbon is celebrated in West Bengal. The festival falls on the last day of the Hindu month of Poush and signals the beginning of Magha and hence, it is named after the month. Special palm jaggery, Khejurer Gur, that is available only during this period, is used to prepare sweets and delicacies. Goddess Lakshmi is worshipped on the day of Sankranti. However, in Darjeeling, the festival is celebrated as Magey Sakrati and Lord Shiva is worshipped.
Magh Bihu
Magh Bihu begins on January 16, according to Drik Panchang. The Sankranti harvest festival is celebrated in Assam. It marks the end of the harvesting season in the region. Magh Bihu is observed on the first day of Magh month as per the Bengali Panjika, and the celebrations last for a week. It is dedicated to Agni, the Lord of Fire. However, in the rest of India, the festival of Sankranti is dedicated to Surya, the Sun Lord. Meanwhile, the day preceding Magh Bihu is known as Uruka. On this day, people light the Meji and worship the fire. A key custom of the festivals is the building of Meji – a makeshift structure made of bamboo, thatch, and local raw materials.
Makar Mela – Odisha
The celebrations of Makar Sankranti in Odisha marks the commencement of Makar Mela and also the preparation of various tasty, mouth-watering delicacies. The preparation of the traditional dish- Makar Chaula includes uncooked, newly harvested rice, banana, jaggery, coconut, rasgullas, sesame, Chhena puddings and Khai/Liaa. This authentic dish is quite important for the devotees and is definitely prepared on this day.
If you can imagine the diversity of how a single harvest festival is celebrated with variations throughout India, our diversity is so beautiful and inspiring! Harvest festival however is not specific to India. Every country has its own harvest festival celebrated according to their own calendars and timelines.
Maghe Sankranti – Nepal
Makar Sankranti is celebrated as Maghe Sankranti and like most regions, they too celebrate the festival with sesame seeds. One of the legends has it that aeons ago, a businessman had a sack of sesame seeds which never seemed to end. On digging through the bag, he found an idol of Lord Vishnu in the bag and hence, sesame seeds became auspicious. After Makar Sankranti, the auspicious period commences and all ceremonies are done in Nepal.
Moon Festival – China
China is a country that values its agricultural resources and hence they celebrate it with much pomp and show. China’s famous Moon Festival is celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th month of the Chinese lunar calendar in honour of the harvest of rice and wheat crops. During the festival, families gather together to watch the full moon, which is considered a symbol of harmony, fortune and abundance. They consume different varieties of moon cakes with a nice cup of piping hot Chinese tea and have lanterns galore!
Balinese Rice Crop Festival – Indonesia
Indonesia never fails to celebrate its uniqueness which lies in the large scale production of rice. During this festival, villages are decorated with flags and simple bamboo temples dedicated in honour of the Goddess are erected in the most sacred corners of the rice fields. People come to the fields to please the crops and feast together on a large scale.
Sukkot – Israel
Israelies celebrate their ancient lifestyle by celebrating Israel’s bountiful harvest. The festival commemorates the time when the Israelites wandered the desert living in temporary shelters. As a result, families build makeshift huts, or sukkahs, where they eat and sometimes sleep for up to seven days.
Lamma Festival – United Kingdom
The Lamma Festival is celebrated in the United Kingdom and symbolises the bountiful production of crops. They promote their quality production of wheat by baking bread and leaving it in church altars.
Madeira Flower Festival
A little different from other harvest festivals! Beautiful scented air and the arrival of spring are celebrated in Portugal. The streets look mesmerising with beautiful flowers spread all around.
No matter what the festival is known in India or other parts of the world, the human geometry and the world that we live in works in perfectly synced constellations and cosmic fitting. It truly tells us the message that – we are because of nature and we can’t do anything without her. Let’s pledge to protect, cherish and celebrate nature and food.
Sources:
https://www.india.com/
https://rgyan.com/
