Harvest Festivals in India
- The festivals of Lohri, Makar Sankranti, Pongal, Bhogali Bihu, Uttarayan and Paush Parbon. These festivals are celebrated in diverse yet similar ways, across India.
Names:
- It goes by its standard all-India name, ‘Makar Sankranti’ in Odisha, Maharashtra-Goa, Andhra-Telangana, Kerala, and most of north India. It is also called as –
- Paush Parbon in Bengal,
- Pongal in Tamil Nadu,
- Uttarayan in Gujarat,
- Bhogali Bihu in Assam,
- Lohri in Punjab and Jammu,
- Maghi in Haryana and Himachal.
- Makar Sankramana in Karnataka,
- Saen-kraat in Kashmir.
- Sukaraat in Madhya Pradesh,
- Khichdi Parwa in parts of Bihar, Jharkhand, and Uttar Pradesh.
Makar Sankranti
- Makar Sankranti is a Hindu festival, dedicated to expressing gratitude to the Sun God and nature for their abundant resources and good produce during the winter harvest festival.
- Makar Sankranti denotes the entry of the sun into the zodiac sign of Makara (Capricorn) as it travels on its celestial path.
- The day marks the onset of summer and the six months auspicious period for Hindus known as Uttarayan – the northward movement of the sun.
- As a part of the official celebration of ‘Uttarayan’, the Gujarat government has been hosting the International Kite Festival since 1989.
Lohri
- Lohri is primarily celebrated by Sikhs and Hindus. It marks the end of the winter season and is traditionally believed to welcome the sun to the northern hemisphere.
- It is observed a night before Makar Sankranti, this occasion involves a Puja Parikrama around the bonfire with prasad.
- It is essentially termed as the festival of the farmers and harvest, whereby, the farmers thank the Supreme Being.
Pongal
- The word Pongal means ‘overflow’ or ‘boiling over’. Also known as Thai Pongal, the four-day occasion is observed in the month of Thai, when crops such as rice are harvested and people show their gratitude to the almighty and the generosity of the land.
- Tamilians celebrate the occasion by making traditional designs known as kolams in their homes with rice powder.
Makaravilakku festival in Sabarimala
- It is celebrated at the sacred grove of Lord Ayyappa at Sabarimala.
- It is an annual seven-day festival, beginning on the day of Makara Sankranti when the sun is in the summer solstice.
- The highlight of the festival is the appearance of Makarajyothi- a celestial star which appears on the day of Makara Sankranthi on top of Kantamala Hills.
- Makara Vilakku ends with the ritual called ‘Guruthi’, an offering made to appease the god and goddesses of the wilderness.
Makar Sankranti, Lohri, and Pongal- Significance
- Celebrates Harvest: The festivals of Lohri, Makar Sankranti, Pongal, Bhogali Bihu, Uttarayan and Paush Parva, mark the harvesting season of crops as the winter season ends and ushers in the spring.
- Preserving Environment: People enjoy the fruits of good harvest and celebrate these festivals which also underline the need to preserve our environment.
- Celebrating Unity in Diversity: It is not only an example of Indian diversity but also that of unity in the diversity of our country.
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