On Thursday 14^th January, Hindus will be celebrating Makar Sankranti. This is an important Hindu festival celebrated with religious fervor in almost all parts of India. It is also a major harvest festival and traditions observed during this festival are different according to different regions of India. According to the lunar calendar, when the sun moves northwards by leaving the Tropic of Cancer in order to enter the Tropic of Capricorn or from Dakshinayana to Uttarayana, in the month of Poush in mid-January, it commemorates the beginning of the harvest season and cessation of the northeast monsoon in South India. As per Hindu customary beliefs, there are 12 such Sankrantis in all. But the festival is celebrated only on the occasion of Makara Sankaranti.Thus this festival holds both geographic and religious significance.

In this case, the zodiacs are measured sidereally, and not tropically, in order to account the Earth's precession. That is why the festival falls about 21 days after the tropical winter solstice which lies between December 20 and 23rd. The movement of the earth from one zodiac sign into another is called Sankranti and as the Sun moves into the Capricorn zodiac known as Makar in Hindi, this occasion is named as Makar Sankranti, in the Indian context. It is one of the few Hindu Indian festivals which are celebrated on a fixed date i.e. 14th January every year.

But in the state of Tamil Nadu, Makar Sankranti is known as Pongal. There, it is a three-day festival, starting from January 13 to January 15. On January 13 it is celebrated as Bhogi, followed by Makara Pongal (Sankranti) and then culminated by Mattu Pongal on the next day. Similar tradition/celebrations can be seen in Andhra Pradesh, where the third day of Makar Sankranti is known as 'Kanuma'.

According to the tradition in Maharashtra, there is a custom of exchanging sweets, Til Gul (Sesame-Jaggery sweet) this is made and exchanged on the day, as the first sugarcane crop for the year is harvested during the period. The Marathis also wear black clothes, because they consider the black sesame as auspicious. Another popular Makar Sankranti traditions of Maharashtra is kite flying, colorful kites are made in different shapes and sizes, and is also flown in Gujarat, as a part of their Makar Sankranti celebrations. This is primarily because, the festival coincides with the International Kite Festival held at Ahmedabad (capital city of Gujarat), on January 14.

Makar Sankranti, apart from a harvest festival is also regarded as the beginning of an auspicious phase in Indian culture. It is said as the 'holy phase of transition'. It marks the end of an inauspicious phase which according to the Hindu calendar begins around mid-December. It is believed that any auspicious and sacred ritual can be sanctified in any Hindu family, this day onwards. Scientifically, this day marks the beginning of warmer and longer days compared to the nights. In other words, Sankranti marks the termination of winter season and beginning of a new harvest or spring season.

All over the country, Makar Sankranti is observed with great fanfare. However, it is celebrated with distinct names and rituals in different parts of the country. In the states of northern and western India, the festival is celebrated as the Sankranti day with special zeal and fervor. It is the day when people of northern hemisphere, the northward path of the sun marks the period when the sun is getting closer to them.

The importance of this day has been signified in the ancient epics like the Mahabharata as an episode mentions how people in that era also considered the day as auspicious. Bhishma Pitamah even after being wounded in the Mahabharata war lingered on till Uttarayan set in, so that he can attain heavenly abode in auspiciuous times. It is said that death on this day to brings Moksha or salvation to the deceased.

Even the Aryans also started celebrating this day as an auspicious day for festivities. The reason behind this may be the fact that it marked the onset of harvest season.

So, apart from socio-geographical importance, this day also holds a historical and religious significance. As, it is the festival of Sun God and he is regarded as the symbol divinity and wisdom, the festival also holds an eternal meaning to it. Courtyards and swept and sprinkled with a mixture of water and cow dung, while the homes are scrub-cleaned for the festival. People would make Rangoli or Kolam in their courtyard as the villagers extend their gratitude to Mother Nature for a good crop.

Here in Trinidad and Tobago devotees would observe a fast and do worship as various temples throughout would be conducting special poojas.

Makar Sankranti 2010: 14 January.