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Makar Sankranti Festival

Hello!

Thank you for your letters. We enjoyed reading them.

Last month we celebrated Makar Sankranti. I'm sending you some letters describing the festival.

Bharti

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In India Makar-Sakran festival is very much imporant. This festival is celebrated evey year on 14th of January. Makar-Sankran comes in winter season. People belive that from this day the days start becoming longer and night shorter because the sun goes in the north direction . They also say '' UTTARANAYAN ''. When the sun is in south we have winter season in india that is why people eat til and jaggery which give heat to our body. On this day people give til and gul to their friend,neigbour and relatives. On this day children fly kites. The sky looks very colourful on this day. I like this festival very much.

Harsh (boy)

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Makarshankranti is a holy festival of maharashtra .This festival comes in winter seasion on 14 Januvary.On this day we go to our neighbours and give them some sweets to eat and say that '' Goad Bola '' .which means that we should never talk rudly with others.We always talk nicely with others .It also says that love and war also depends on this '' Goad Bola ''.

This festival is also known as kite day . On this day we fly kites in sky and have lots of enjoyment.

Kinjal (girl)

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Dear Friend,

I am tell you important of makar sankar. In our coutry especially in Gujarat, the Makar sankaranti day is selected as the day of kiteflying. We said it Utrane. The Makar sankaranti day fall on the 14th of january every year. On the day the sun reach the southernmost point of the sky. It is a religious festival for the Hindus. But for the young boys and girls it is more or less an occasion of kite flying.

In the cities thousand of kites are seen flying in thesky on this day. Long before the actual day of Makar Sankranti, boys and girls make preparations for this games of kite-flying. String is also selected to 'cut' the kites of others. Every roof of the house is seen full of boys and girls who fly the kites. Even old people evince a great interest in flying kites. They sometimes guide the youngsters in flying the kitesin a particular way. The different kite-fliers vie with one another, in cutting the string of kites. Whenever a string is cut by another kite, there are loud shouts of joy. Boys in the street, with long poles in their hands, run fast to catch the kites which are cut in this way.

During the whole day of Makar Sankranti, boys do not even care to have their regular meals. They are so engrossed in the game of kite-flying that they do not mind the cold or the heat. They gaze expectantly at the sky, where hundreds of kites are flying. At the end of the day, they are extremely tired.

Amisha (girl)

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The Sun enter's the sign of Makara (Capricorn) in the middle of January ; It then moves northwards after completing its six-monthy southern course. The begining of sun's northern course, called Uttarayana, is hailed as an auspicious period. Makara Sankranti, which falls in the middle of January is therefore condiered very sacred.

In Maharashtra , special kind of sweet called, 'Til-gud' is prepared. This is exchange with friends with the greeting: 'Til-Gud ghya,god god bola' ( 'Accept sugared til and speak sweet words')

The people of Assam celebrate Makara Sankranti as Magh Bihu or Bhogall Bihu. The word Bhogha means eating or enjoying.Harvesting is nearly over and the Assamese look forward to a period of plenty on the eve of Makara Sankranti,the Assamese raise temple-like strutures of majis (fire-wood) and the whole night is spent in feasting , merry-making, sing and dancing .Rice-cakes and Fish are the main items of the feast. Next morning before sun-rise,and the majis is lit ceremonally. Half-pieces of fire-wood are picked up from it and taken home.

Makara Sankranti aiso heralds the kite- flying season in India, particularly in Gujart, where kite flying competitions are very common.

In the Punjab, where December and January are the coldest months of the year huge bon-fire are lit on the eve of Makara Sankranti and celebrated as Lohri. The family member and friends gather round the bon-fire, throw rice and sweets into the flames and sing joyful songs.

Your friend Disha (girl)

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The day on which the sun moves from one zodiac to another, is known as "Sankranti". In a year, there are 12 "Sankranti", and the biggest among them is the one which occurs in January on the 14th. It is known as "Makar Sankranti" or "Til Sankranti".

From this days, the days get longer and the nights become shorter.

On this day, people give "Til Good" (a sweet made from sesame and jaggery rolled into balls - between the size of golf balls and tennis balls) to each other and forgive their past mistakes. After eating "Til Good" one must spend one's life sweetly and in harmoney with one's fellowmen, is the main aim of the festival.

This festival is celebrated in different names throughout India. On this day people participate in kite compitition.

Ojas (boy)

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Uttarayan or Makar Sankranti is celebrated every year on 14th January. Makar Sankranti is mainly kite-flying day. Children and adults celebrate the day by flying kites of various colours and designs in the sky.

Makar Sankranti is also a religious day. We worship the sun on that day, because on 14th January every year the sun enters in the North direction from South direction. From this day, the daytime increases day by day and the night-time decreases day by day.

In Maharashtra, people observe Makar Sankranti by preparing and eating Til (sesame) Ladoo (approx golf-ball to tennis-ball size).

We fly kites on that day because on that day, the sun's rays are good for health and we fly kites from maidans (fields) and terraces (on rooftops) so that our body is exposed to the sun.

Pratik (boy)

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Makarsankranti comes on 14th january. On that day we go to our relatives house and give them sweets of tal and gud [ Jaggery]. This day is also called a kite day. On a kite day children fly kites of different shapes and sizes.Seeing the children flying kites adults also join them.

Avani (girl)

Mrs Bharti Shah is Co-ordinator of the Computer Centre.
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Revised: February 02, 1999.