Makar Sankranti is a popular Indian harvest festival celebrated with great fervor and passion all over India, with different names. It is known as Pongal in Tamil Nadu, Makar Sankranti in Andhra Pradesh, Bhogali Bihu in Assam, Lohiri in Punjab, Uttarayan in Gujarat and Rajasthan. The festival is also celebrated outside India as Maghe Sakrati or Maghi in Nepal, Thingyan in Myanmar and Songkran in Thailand.
Astronomical Significance of Makar Sankranti
Makar Sankranti is the day when the Sun commences moving northwards from the Tropic of Cancer to Capricorn, which is called as Uttarayana from Dakshinayana. This transition is considered extremely auspicious and is favorable to begin any new activity. This day is celebrated as Makara Sankranthi which occurs on a fixed date, i.e. January 14 of every year.
Astrological Significance of Makar Sankranti
‘Sankranthi’ means transition of Sun from one zodiac to another. According to Hindu beliefs, there are a total of 12 Sankranthis, however, this transition from Sagittarius (Dhanu Rashi) to Capricorn (Makara Rashi) is celebrated as a festival. As the zodiac signs are measured sidereal, instead of tropical with respect to earth’s precession, the festival falls 21 days after the tropical winter solstice (Dec 20-23) every year. From this day commences the northern progress of the Sun.
According to the solar calendar, Makar Sankranti is a day with equal durations of day and night. From this day, days are longer and warmer and nights are shorter. It was Aryans who began to celebrate this special northward movement of the Sun as a festival and as a means to celebrate the onset of harvest season. The Hindu epic Mahabharata also states that Bhishma Pitamah (grand-uncle of Pandavas and Kauravas) after getting wounded in the war, waited till this auspicious day to leave his physical body to the heavenly abode. Hence, it is believed that one who departs this world on this day attain Moksha or salvation.