Sankranti unites India, a tapestry of harvest and tradition

Hyderabad: Makar Sankranti, also known as Uttarayana, Makar, Magh Bihu, Maghi Saaji, Maghi Sangrand, Sakrat, or Pongal, is a Hindu festival celebrated throughout India. It is a harvest festival that honours the Sun God and is celebrated as the sun enters the Capricorn or Makara phase, signifying the end of winter. Sankranti is a harvest festival celebrated with colourful kites, traditional sweets, and a variety of cultural activities. The festival is celebrated across India with a variety of traditions and customs, reflecting the nation’s cultural fabric of unity through diversity.

Telangana/ Andhra Pradesh

Telangana and Andhra Pradesh celebrate Sankranti for four days. The first day is known as Bhogi, and it is celebrated with a bonfire made of wood logs and other solid fuels. On the second day, people decorate their homes with marigold flowers and mango leaf thoranams, put up colourful rangoli in front of their homes, and traditionally put a gobbemma (made with cow dung). The third day is known as Kanuma, and it is mostly observed by the working class. It is a day when non-human animals that assist farmers in agriculture are worshipped in gratitude for their services. The last day of the festival is called Mukkanuma. Rooster fights, kite flying, rangolis, haridasulu, gobbemmas, and gangireddu add to the festivities of Sankranti.

Rajasthan

Makar Sankranti, also known as Sakraat, is observed with traditional reverence and joy in Rajasthan. Pheeni, til-patti, gajak, kheer, ghevar, pakodi, puwa, and til-laddoo are traditional Rajasthani sweets eaten on this day. Money is often placed in a mixture of treats and poured over children. The children then collect the money and sweet fruits. Sankranti stands as a vibrant tapestry woven from the threads of diverse cultures, customs, and traditions across the various States of India. As people gather to celebrate the harvest, share traditional sweets, and participate in age-old rituals, Sankranti becomes a symbol of the shared heritage that connects communities across the country.

Gujarat

The serene blue sky with colourful kites looks splendid all over the State in January, and from morning to evening remains dotted with vivid splashes of colour with kites in a variety of hues, shapes, and sizes. Uttarayan is celebrated throughout Gujarat, but the excitement is especially high in Ahmedabad, Surat, Nadiad, and Vadodara. Surat is famous for its strong string, which is made by applying glass powder on the row thread to provide it with a cutting edge.

Haryana and Delhi

Sakrat (Sankranti) is celebrated in rural areas of Haryana and Delhi with traditional Hindu rituals from North India, similar to Western UP and border areas of Rajasthan and Punjab. This includes ritual purification by taking the holy dip in rivers, particularly the Yamuna, or sacred ponds such as ancient sarovars Kurukshetra and local tirtha ponds associated with the ancestral guardian/founder deity of the village known as Jathera or Dhok (dahak in Sanskrit or fire) in villages to wash away sins.

Karnataka

This is the Suggi (Sankranti), or harvest festival, celebrated by farmers in Karnataka. On this auspicious day, girls dress up in new clothes and visit relatives with a festive offering on a plate, which they exchange with other families. This is known as “Ellu Birodhu.” The plate contains shaped sugar candy moulds (Sakkare Acchu) and a sugarcane piece. This festival signifies the harvest of the season since sugarcane is predominant in these parts. Another important ritual in rural Karnataka is the procession or display of decorated cows and bulls, which are made to cross a fire. This custom is known as “Kichchu Haayisuvudu.”

Maharashtra

On Makar Sankranti, people in Maharashtra exchange til-gul (sweetmeats made from sesame seeds and jaggery). “Til gul ghya god god bola” (eat this sesame and jaggery and speak sweet words) is a famous line associated with this joyful occasion. Gulachi poli is a popular flatbread stuffed with shredded jaggery in pure ghee that is eaten for both lunch and dinner. Married women invite friends or family members and celebrate Haldi-Kunku.