Makar Sankranti 2023 : Date, Time, Rituals, Astrological Significance & Much More, Why it is Celebrated ?

Across the country, people celebrate Makar Sankranti every year with great pomp. Unlike most Hindu festivals, which depend on the Moon’s changing position and the lunar calendar, Makar Sankranti 2023 date and timing also depend on the solar calendar. Every year, Makar Sankranti marks the movement of the Sun in Makar Rashi or Capricorn zodiac sign. In fact, the literal meaning of the word ‘Sankranti’ is ‘movement’. Hence, such a name.

Also, on the day of the Makar Sankranti festival, the day-night duration is equal. Also, this festival officially marks the beginning of spring or the Indian summer. After this day, the Sun stays up a little longer than on previous days, making the days longer than the nights. Along with this, the festival of Makar Sankranti has great importance in Indian culture. Being a solar phenomenon too, it falls on the same date every year in the Gregorian calendar. In different parts of the country, people know it by different names. It is Pedda Panduga in Andhara Pradesh, Pongal in Tamil Nadu, Magha Bihu in Assam, Uttarayana in Gujrat, and much more.

Makar Sankranti 2023 date & time

Makar Sankranti in Hinduism

The festival has immense religious and cultural significance. According to the Puranas, the festival symbolizes the healthy bond between a father and a son. Also, according to popular beliefs, Makar Sankranti celebrates the victory of Lord Vishnu over the Asuras. The legend further narrates how Lord Vishnu ends the menace caused by the Asuras on the earth by cutting off their heads and burying them under Mount Mandara. Hence, it symbolizes the victory of Dharma over Adharma.

Makar Sankranti 2023 in different parts of India

In some places, it is Pongal, and in some, it is Uttrayana. Here are different versions of Makar Sankranti, which the nation celebrates with joy and happiness.

Thai Pongal/Pongal

Thai Pongal, celebrated in Tamil Nadu, is a four-day festival to pay homage to Lord Indra. The festival is a means of thanking Lord Indra for bountiful rains. Hence fertile land and good harvest. The Thai Pongal 2023 celebration is incomplete without making offerings to Lord Surya and Lord Indra.

On the second day of Thai Pongal, freshly cooked rice is boiled in milk and served in an earthen pot to the Sun God. On the third day, Mattu Pongal, cattle get decorated with bells, garlands of flowers, beads, and paint to honor ‘Basava’ – the bull of Lord Shiva. Speaking of the fourth day after Pongal, Kaanum Pongal is the occasion in which all the women of the house come together to perform various rituals.

Uttarayan

It is another name on this list. Uttarayan is specially celebrated in Gujarat to celebrate the harvest season. Vasi Uttarayan is celebrated on the next day of Uttarayan 2023. It is marked by flying kites, eating jaggery, and peanut chikki. Undhiyu is a spice and roasted vegetable dish made on the occasion of Uttarayan.

Lohri

The next name is Lohri, a harvest festival of Punjab celebrated on January 13. It is known for the bonfires, lit in the evening. People present offerings like peanuts, sesame seeds, gajak, jaggery, and popcorn. As a part of the puja ritual, folks offer these food items to the sacred fire before being eaten.

Magh/Bhogali Bihu

This list also includes Magh or Bhogali Bihu, a week-long harvest festival of Assam. It falls on January 13 and lasts for about a week. The festivities of this festival include a bonfire and a feast of rice cakes called ‘shunga pitha’, ’til pitha’, and coconut sweets called laru. The people of this place also indulge in sports like ‘tekli bhonga,’ which involves breaking utensils and buffalo fights.

Onam

It is a ten-day-long festival to honor the annual journey of the demon Mahabali from Patal Lok to Prithvi Lok to meet his kin. Asura Mahabali is one of the most benevolent and influential kings that humanity has ever seen. Tableaux and processions showcasing the culture of Kerala are also at this festival. During this period, the people of the state and culture engage in traditional dance. The most famous activity during Onam is the boat race, which puts on the most spectacular performances during this period.

Astrological significance behind Sankranti

Makar Sankranti has great importance both from the point of view of astrology. Sun and Saturn have been called enemy planets. However, on this day, Sun enters the house of Shani (lord of Capricorn). It stays in this zodiac sign for a month. During this phase, it forgets its anger towards the planet Saturn, thus showing the importance of relationships. Relationships depend on how your planets align with your partner’s planets.

Moreover, Makar Sankranti also has a divine significance. This period is of the utmost importance for sages and yogis in their spiritual and long time, which is a new beginning. In general, natives consider making a fresh start and letting go of terrible memories and ties from the past. Many aspects of a Yogi’s life depend on the divine bond between the human and the cosmic system. The life of a Yogi develops keeping in mind the universe and all the activities of human life.