Attached: Today’s pictures of
Muggulu / Rangoli, at dawn!
Video: A Treasure of Sweet
Sankranti Memories!
Today is Sankranti festival. On this happy occasion wish you
happiness, prosperity, good health, success and peace. Sankranti is celebrated
all over India and even in other South Asian countries, with some regional
variations. It is celebrated as Sankranti, Makara Sankranti or Makar Sankranti
in Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand,
Orissa, Goa, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka and Maharashtra. The
festival is celebrated as Lohri in Himachal Pradesh and Punjab, as Pongal in
Tamil Nadu and as Uttarayan in Gujarat and Rajasthan. In Nepal it is celebrated
as Maghi or Maghe Sankranti or Maghe Sakrati. And in Myanmar it is Thingyan, in
Laos it is Pi Ma Lao and in Thailand it is Songkran.
Sankranti festival falls on the day when the Sun begins its
northward journey and enters the sign of Makara (Capricorn) from the Tropic of
Cancer. In local interpretation it means the Sun has commenced to move from
Dakshinayana (South) to Uttarayana (North). Every year this event always falls
on the 14th of January, and rarely on 15th January, as in the case of this
year. Today onwards the harshness of winter would reduce and the days would get
longer. Symbolically, the Sun gradually removes darkness and ushers in the
light of knowledge and wisdom.
Though the reasons for the celebration of this festival are
plenty, the most important is - it is celebrated as a harvest festival. It is
celebrated with a lot of pomp and show with colorful dresses, colorful Muggulu
(Rangoli), colorful Kites, well decorated houses, lots of entertainment and a
variety of food over the three day festival. It is a festival to express
gratitude to God for a good harvest and all the material possessions and it is
also time for communal camaraderie, thanksgiving and exchange of greetings. So
once again wish you all a very Happy Sankranti / Pongal / Makar Sankranti /
Uttarayan / Lohri!!!
Links to my Sankranti
Festival related other blog posts:
Happy Makara Sankranti to you and your family!
ReplyDeleteThank you. Wish you and your family the same.
DeleteLove reading your articles, they are so full of wisdom.