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Makar Sakranti : Shine brighter and brighter

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18 Jan, 18 14:22
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Makar Sakranti is a Hindu festival that is observed to mark the end of the chilly months of winter. When the glorious Sun starts its journey to the Northern Hemisphere, celebration of Makar Sankranti starts. It’s time to begin a new life with bright light within us to shine brighter and brighter.
This is the season when the skies are clear and the breeze seems pleasant making everyone in a jubilant mood. On the auspicious occasion of Makar Sankrati, bathing in Haridwar, Kashi and other spiritual sites have a great significance, and the joy of season is celebrated by flying colorful kites in the sky.

The celebration of Makar Sankranti is based on astronomical calculations that show why it takes place on Jan 14 every year barring certain exceptional factors. It is believed that stars and constellations have an impact on our lives. Their position in the firmament keeps changing from time to time.
The change in the direction of the movement is called ‘Sankranti’. When the sun changes its direction and enters ‘Makar rashi’, the day is called Makar Sankranti, which falls on 14 Jan this year.
Hindus consider this event as very auspicious and take this change as a movement from darkness to light. Days begin to be longer and nights shorter which increases the period of light. And that’s why Makar Sankranti is celebrated as a festival in various parts of the country.The daily worship of Surya has been prevalent in India since the period of Ramayana. It is said that when Lord Ram was getting ready to fight Ravana, he was advised by Valmiki to worship Surya. Ram did so and was victorious. It is thought that this worship enhances one’s energy, determination and faith in God.
It is believed that leaving one’s body during Uttarayan is highly auspicious. And, that’s why Bhishma Pitamah who was wounded in the Mahabharata battle waited for long and decided to leave his body during this period.According to Puranas, on this day Surya, who is the master of Makar rashi came to meet his son Shani, though they were not in good terms. So it is considered to be auspicious day.
Lord Vishnu vanquished the ‘asuras’ to stop their terror and put their dead bodies under Mandar Mountain. On this very day, Bhagirath brought the holy waters of Ganga on earth to get salvation for his ancestors.
After an auspicious period called ‘malmas’, when there are no celebrations, like marriages, house warming etc., celebrations start again. Devotees in Udaipur have an early bath and they visit temples like Shrinath temple, Jagdish temple, Asthal mandir, Baiji Raj ka kund, Mitharam mandir, Mahakaleshwar, Hazareshwar and Gupteshwar Mahadev where special rituals are performed.The deities are attractively dressed and decorated. Special ‘bhog’ is offered to them and then distributed as ‘prasad’ among devotees. In the homes traditional dishes such as porridge made with wheat and milk and ‘til’ and ‘gud’ are prepared.
Makar Sankranti is considered to be an extremely auspicious occasion for charity and giving alms, especially, rice, ‘gud’ and clothes. That’s why right from early morning streets are full with people asking of alms.
Children as well as elderly people, men and women can be seen playing traditional games like ‘sitolia’ and ‘mardari’ on the streets. Various cultural programs and competitions are also organized. The whole town seems to be in festive mood. Since many years, the cities- Jodhpur Jaipur & in udaipur in Rajasthan have been hosting Kite Festival on Makar Sankranti with great fervor. The main attribute of the festival is the show of ‘diversity’ in all aspects. Kites all shapes and sizes are seen in the sky and the main competition is to cut the strings of nearby kite flyers and bring it down. For this purpose people intend to make their strings and sharp as possible, to give a tough fight to its opponent flyer. The special kite strings are coated with the mixture of glass and glue called as ‘manjha’.Kites made of leaves, paper, plastics, shiny material cover the sky on this day. All members of family gather on the roof top to enjoy the festival. Women sing traditional songs. also prepare special food like til laddoos,Moongfali, gazak, dal pakodi and Gajar Ka Halwa. Over the course of the day relatives and friends visit each other to exchange greetings.
यह खबर निम्न श्रेणियों पर भी है: udaipur
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