On this auspicious day dedicated to harvesting, I hope that the almighty gives you the strength to harvest all the happiness and success that you and your family deserve. Happy Makar Sankranti! Dr. Ateendra Jha
Today is known for festival day in the Hindu calendar, dedicated to the deity Surya (sun). It is observed each year in the lunar month of Magha which corresponds with the month of January as per the Gregorian calendar and is a day the people of India and Nepal celebrate their harvest. It marks the first day of the sun’s transit into Makara rashi (Capricorn), marking the end of the month with the winter solstice and the start of longer days.
This time ( in 2021 ) it is on Thursday, 14 January.
Makara or Makar Sankranti is celebrated in many parts of the Indian subcontinent with some regional variations. It is known by different names and celebrated with different customs in different Indian states and South Asian countries:
Tila Sakrait: Mithila ( Region I belong )
Suggi Habba, Makara Sankramana, Makara Sankranti : Karnataka
Sankranti , Makara Sankranti,Makara Sankramana,Uttarayana or Sankranti : Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh
Makara Sankranti or Makara Mela and Makara Chaula : Odisha
Makara Sankranti or Makaravilakku and Makara Jyothi : Kerala
Makara Sankranti or Til Sankrant : Bihar
Makar Sankranti, Maghi Sankrant, Haldi Kumkum or Sankranti : Maharashtra, Goa, Nepal
Thai Pongal or Uzhavar Thirunal: Tamil Nadu, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia
Uttarayan: Gujarat
Maghi: Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab
Magh Bihu or Bhogali Bihu: Assam
Shishur Saenkraat: Kashmir Valley
Sakraat or Khichdi: Uttar Pradesh and western Bihar
Poush Sangkranti: West Bengal, Bangladesh
Tirmoori: Pakistan
In most regions of India, Sankranti festivities last for two to four days of which each day is celebrated with distinct names and rituals.
Day 1 – Maghi (preceded by Lohri), Bhogi Panduga
Day 2 – Makar Sankranti, Pongal, Pedda Panduga, Uttarayana, Magh Bihu
Day 3 – Mattu Pongal, Kanuma Panduga
Day 4 – Kaanum Pongal, Mukkanuma