Happy Makar Sankranti everyone! Also sending out heartfelt wishes for Pongal, Bihu and Uttrayan festival for everyone celebrating. I just thought to share my Makar Sankranti Puja, Daan and Food details in this post. Previously I used to skip posting about my festivals here on my blog but since many of your started showering my posts on festivals like Diwali, Navratri etc, I felt it will be a good idea to share about more festivals.
Since I am a Brahmin girl, I have been celebrating this festival since forever and just in case you don’t know, Makar Sankranti is one of the biggest Hindu festivals. Every year this festival celebrated in the month of January to mark the winter solstice. Usually it’s on 14th Jan but sometimes it falls on 15th Jan as well, depending upon the leap year.
How is Makar Sankranti Celebrated?
Flying kites is the most common activity for Makar Sankranti. This is similar to what people who celebrate Uttarayan do. I actually feel, we all are celebrating to mark the winter solstice, it’s just that since our nation has so many cultures and religions, it’s just that people from different cultures call it by different name. But whatever the reality is, I totally love the happy and positive vibes of this festival.
On this day, we worship Surya-dev or Lord Sun. Reciting Gayatri Mantra helps complete the Puja. Many people if possible visit the holy rivers of India especially Ganga ji and Yamuna ji, to take a dip. It is believed that this helps to clear the aura and takes away all the problems making way for happiness.
We begin our day with taking a bath and doing Puja. Not just Surya-dev but all Gods and Goddesses in our home temple. After this, we do the Makar Sankranti Daan (daan means donation). The photo you see below is a plate of Daan for the same. It has all the ingredients to make khichdi along with Gajak, Gur, Til and papad. This also has dakshina (money) in it.
The daan is given to poor people or the brahmins/pandits who especially come for Makar Sankranti Daan.
Till the time we don’t do the daan-dakshina, we don’t eat food.
Once done, we eat til (the black laddoos you see in the photo) first before taking any other food.
Eating Urad Dal khichdi is considered ‘shubh’ and is mandatory to eat. Why? Well, that I don’t know and never tried to research on it as well since I am a very religious and spiritual person and I like following the rules that I have been by my family.
After this, we can eat food items like Poori-bhaji, chhole-bhature etc.
When I was a kid, I used to go to my Nani’s house and there my cousins used to fly kites. I don’t know how to fly a kite but I surely enjoyed watching it.
So this is how Makar Sankranti is celebrated here at my place! I hope you liked this post. For more such informative and interesting posts on lifestyle, travel and trends, follow the blog now. Also, you can now follow us on Google News.
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