Makara Sankranthi (Makara Sankramana) - The Sun Centric Festival

MAKARA SANKRANTHI  
(Concept – Significance – Customs & Traditions…)

In general Makara Sankranthi festival is celebrated for three days especially in South India;

·        first day called Bhogi;

·        second day Makara Sankranthi and

·        third day as Kanuma.

BHOGI...

The word Bhogi is derived from Sanskrit word Bhog meaning enjoying or experiencing. It is a festival that signifies the beginning of the harvest season for farmers in India. Hence, it is also known as harvest festival. Bhogi is considered as the day that facilitates the farmers to enjoy the fruits of their hard work.

On the day of Bhogi, old, worn out and useless items are burnt in a bonfire. Bhogi signifies cleansing of the mind of its ill thoughts and feelings, while symbolically burning them up, with a firm resolve to tread the path of love, with truth and purity from this holy day onwards.

Bhogi is the last day of Dhanurmasam and also Dakshinaayana. Bhogi marks the beginning of three-day Makara Sankranthi festival.

SANKRANTHI...

It is a confluence of two words SAN + KRANTHI. SAN means plenty, good and come together. Kranthi means radical change. Sankranthi means plenty of good change. SANKRAMANA means to begin to move.

A solar month in Hindu calendar refers to the time required by the Sun to pass through one zodiac sign that consists of 30 sittings and 30 settings of the Sun.

There are 12 zodiac signs starting from Mesha (Aries) to Meena (Pisces) and Sun moves one degree in a day of 24 hours and one zodiac (house) in a month as we observe from the earth.

The time when Sun leaves one sign and enters another sign is known as Sankranthi or Sankramana or astrologically it is called transit.

The sign in which travel of Sun commences is the name given to that Sankranthi.

There are 12 Sankranthis' (Sun’s transit) in a year starting from Mesha Sankranthi to Meena Sankranthi and the travel of Sun into Makara Raasi is known as Makara Sankranthi. It is holier than all the other Sankranthis’ that occur in the Hindu calendar year.

Transit of Sun (Solar Transit) is generally not considered auspicious as there will be certain disturbances in the organization of solar forces and such times are generally not recommended for commencement of any good work.

On the contrary they are held to be auspicious for meditation, initiation into secret mantras and performance of certain religious rites which are held to purify both the body as well as the soul.

Transit or Sankramana of Sun into Makara raasi (Capricorn) of the zodiac is called MAKARA SANKRANTHI or MAKARA SANKRAMANA.

Every month transit of Sun takes place but, when he transits into Makara raasi it is considered as highly sacred, celestial and celebrated as a festival.

This is due to the importance attached to the coincidence of transit of Sun into Makara Raasi and His travel towards UttaraAyana around which time Sun will be directly over the tropic of Capricorn.

Basically, Makara Sankranthi is a Sun centric festival celebrated throughout the country irrespective of caste and creed.

It is a festival of peace, prosperity, harmony, happiness, and a festival indicating change for the good and betterment.

Makara Sankranthi reminds us to pray Lord Surya Narayana for health, peace, prosperity, and happiness of the humanity and for the divine knowledge > Gnaana+Bhakti+Vairagya....

Makara Sankranthi is basically a festival to promote love and harmony in the family and to instill their duty towards the Divinity.

CUSTOMS & TRADITIONS OF MAKARA SANKRANTHI FESTIVAL

[Significance of some of the objects (items) used for the festival]

Thila (Sesame):

According to sacred scripts Thila is highly sacred as it has surfaced from the body of Lord Vishnu. It is a grain related to Saturn (Shani). Makara Sankramana is an event that occurs in Makara raasi which is owned by Saturn.

This event occurs in Pushya Maasa as per lunar calendar when Moon will be in the constellation of Pushyami on the full moon day. Saturn is the star lord of Pushyami Nakshathra.

Sun is father of Saturn and the event (transit of Sun into Makara raasi) indicates visit of father to the son’s house.

Shat-Thila karma is prescribed on the day of Makara Sankramana by usage of Thila in six ways viz...

·        Thila Snana

·        Thila Deepa

·        Thila Homa

·        Thila tharpana

·        Thila Dana and

·        Thila Bhakshana

Usage of Thila on this day has acquired lot of spiritual, religious and health significance. Due to the significance given to Thila (sesame) usage during this festival it is also called as Thila Sankranthi.

Sugar Cane/Jaggery:

Sugarcane is hard and has many knots, but when it is crushed it gives a very good and sweet juice which is converted into jaggery. This is to give a message that life is full of difficulties, when it is overcome you enjoy the bliss of Divinity.

On Sankranthi day Thila + Jaggery is exchanged among the family members, friends and relatives. Eating of these two items has health significance also.

Pumpkin:

Among the vegetables Pumpkin is the largest in size that resembles large heartedness which can be preserved for a long period. It is used on this day meaning, an offering of one’s virtues.

Cow dung:

In olden days and even now in villages we observe people using Cow dung mixed with water and sprinkle it in front of the house. It is considered as a symbol of health that helps in destroying the bacteria in the atmosphere.

To resemble this, even today during these festival days we observe placing of three cow dung balls with flowers on top of it in front of the house.

The religious significance of these three cow dung balls is that they symbolically represent Lord Sri Krishna, Goverdhanagiri, and the Cow; thereby indicating that all the three are to be worshiped on this occasion.

Makara Sankranthi is not a festival of one state alone; rather it is celebrated across the country, even in South East Asiatic Countries irrespective of caste and creed.

Depending on the cultural and traditional background of each region the festival is celebrated in different ways at different places.

It is also considered as beginning of a new year that usually falls in middle of January. It is known as Pongal festival in Tamil Nadu. In Gujarat it is celebrated as a Kite flying day.

In the temple town of Udupi the seat of Sri Madhvacharya (founder of Dvaita/Tattvavaada Philosophy) the festival of Makara Sankramana has attained lot of significance. The idol of Lord Sri Krishna (Bala Krishna) at Udupi temple was installed by Sri Madhvacharya on the day of Makara Sankramana.

Once in two years around this time a ritual called PARYAAYA is held. This is to indicate the change of seat of power among the Heads of eight Mutts to perform and administer the famous temple of Lord Sri Krishna at Udupi. Lots of people across the country gather together on this occasion to witness the rituals.

Bathing festival and religious fair called Magha Mela begins on this day at Prayaaga (Allahabad). It is said that while carrying the nectar pot (Amrita Kalasa) by Lord Vishnu, few drops of nectar fell at Allahabad (Prayaaga), Haridwar, Nasik, and Ujjain.

These holy places (Theerthas) have acquired significant reputation where human beings could wash their sins by way of sacred bath at these places. Taking bath at these places on the day of Makara Sankranthi has attained lot of spiritual significance and is highly meritorious.

Since time immemorial human kind is accustomed to co-relate the cosmic events with individual life. Sun is an important cosmic body and every Sun-centric event has lot of spiritual, religious and cultural value.

Sree VisHnum jagataAm naadHam
JnaAna-vijnaAna-moksHadham
MaHapaapaharam deVam
Tham Suuryam pranamaAmyaham

Lord Vishnu the Supreme God of the Universe,
the giver of wisdom and knowledge,
the one who destroys the sins,
the one whose prerogative is giving Moksha;

Sun is considered as the giver of Health (Arogyam Bhaskaraddichhett) and Lord SriManNaaraayana as the giver (one and the only) of Moksha > Moksham Naaraayanaaddhichhett.

Makara Sankranthi reminds us to pray Lord Surya Narayana for health, peace, prosperity, and happiness of the humanity and for the divine knowledge > Gnaana+Bhakti+Vairagya...
"Ravirvirochanah Suryah Savitaa RaviLochana"

Message from Makara-Sankranthi festival…

Bhogi festival signifies cleansing of mind of its ill thoughts and feelings, while symbolically burning them up with a firm resolve to tread the path of love with truth and purity from this holy day onwards.....

Makara Sankranthi is a Sun centric festival. Sun promotes in human beings their physical, mental and spiritual abilities. Sun grants individuality and will power. He is the destroyer of darkness, sins and afflictions.

Sankranthi is a confluence of two words SAN + KRANTHI.
SAN means plenty, good and come together. Kranthi means radical change. Sankranthi means plenty of good change.

Basically, it is a festival to promote love and harmony in the family and to instill their duty towards the Divinity.

Kanuma is celebrated as a thanks giving festival of Cattle who is worshiped on this day for their help to the farmers in their agriculture production.

Overall, Makara Sankranthi conveys a message...

“let actions & thoughts be good to experience the Divine Bliss”

It is a festival of peace; prosperity; happiness and
transformation (change) for betterment.

Parivarthan Hi Samsaar Ka Niyam Hai; (change is the Law of the Universe)

Ø mAkaRa sAnkrAntHi - significance of mAkArA

Makara is a Sanskrit word that generally means a Crocodile.

Makara is also referred to a sign in the zodiac known as Capricorn. It is said to be the most sacred sign among the 12 raasis. It is the 10th sign in the zodiac.

Sravana Nakshathra whose star Deity is Lord Vishnu falls in the zodiac sign Makara.

It is said that Sri Brahma DEvaru had darshan of Lord Vishnu for the first time at the beginning of creation in the constellation of Sravana Nakshathra.

Lord Vishnu incarnated as VaAmana in the constellation of Sravana which is in Makara raasi;

Lord Vishnu (Srinivasa) stepped His foot on sacred Tirumala Hills in SRavana star;

It is said that when Sun during his transit in Makara Raasi comes opposite to Sravana star the doors of Vaikunta (Moksha Dwara) gets opened during Uttarayana.

In Vishnu related temples we generally observe an arch like structure is erected or built known as Makara Thoranam.

Dhyeyassada Savithrumandala madhyavarthi

Narayana Sarasijasana Sannivishtah

Keyuuravaan Makarakundalavaan Kireeti

Haari Hiranmaya Vapuhdhruta Sankha Chakrah

Meaning…

He (Lord Vishnu), as the Primordial person giving darshan from the center of Surya (Savithru) Mandala (Sun’s Globe),

seated on a lotus, with golden bracelets, wearing a crown, shark shaped earrings (Makara Kundala); golden in complexion, holding Shankha and Chakra in his hands.

This sloka describes how to pray (anusandhana)/contemplate Lord Vishnu in the form of SuryaNarayana.

While worshiping Sun God/performing Gayathri Japa, one should always meditate in this form of Lord Sri ManNaaraayana who alone is the cause of Sun’s shining and the source of Sun's rays.

Importance of Makara can also be envisaged from the above sloka that we usually recite during Sandhyavandana.

Transit or Sankramana of Sun into Makara raasi (Capricorn) of the zodiac is called MAKARA SANKRANTHI or MAKARA SANKRAMANA.

Every month transit of Sun takes place but, when he transits into Makara raasi it is considered as highly sacred, celestial and celebrated as a festival.

This is due to the importance attached to the coincidence of transit of Sun into Makara Raasi and His travel towards Uttaraayana.

Did you know?

The idol of Lord Sri Krishna (Bala Krishna) at Udupi temple was installed by Sri Madhvacharya on the day of Makara Sankramana. Famous hymn Sri DwadAsa stotHra composed by SriMadAacHaryaru took birth on the sacred day of Makara Sankranthi. 

Sri Krishnaarpanamasthu

Hari Sarvottama - Vaayu Jeevottama

Sri Gururaajo Vijayate

Manual of Hindu Festivals (Traditional) - eBook

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QnRs-enLv-6ZQdtmZqsg7XTe2XczPJls/view?usp=sharing