Makar Sankranti : Know the Special Highlights of this Festival!

Makar Sankranti 2020 : Important Things to know about this Major Festival!

The transit of the royal planet Sun in the zodiac sign Capricorn marks the beginning of Makar Sankranti, the festival of dazzle and warmth. The word Sankranti can literally be translated to Hindi as “movement”. From this day onwards, the Sun starts moving towards the Northern direction. Also known as Uttarayan, this planetary movement causes the days in the northern hemisphere of the Earth become longer and nights in turn become shorter. It is officially the most grand festival of the new year, which is also given a quite celebratory status in the realm of Hindu religion and culture. 

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Planetary movements are always given a primary significance in the field of astrology too. Needless to say, this change of residence of the royal planet will definitely impact the lives of all natives in specific ways. So apart from getting engaged in the celebrations, natives should follow some rites and rituals, which we have addressed in the upcoming sections of this blog. 

      To Read More about the Impact of Sun’s Transit in Capricorn : Click Here 

This particular festival is also known by different names in various parts of the country. For instance, Makar Sankranti festivities are given various names in various states of India. Magh or Bhogali Bihu is celebrated in Assam on this day, Uttarayan in the state of Gujarat. At the same time, Pongal on the day of Makar Sankranti is celebrated in Tamil Nadu, the vibrant South Indian state. Usually, the observance of this festival takes place on the 14th of January every year, but this year this festival will be celebrated on 15 January, 2020 i.e. on Wednesday. Folks from all over the nation get engaged in festivities in various manners on this day. Some take part in kite racing Competitions while the others engage in community feasts and merry making activities. Before moving forward, we will give away the Muhurat for this auspicious day so that you can conduct the necessary rites and rituals, to keep yourself fulfilled with happiness and prosperity. 

                                   Makar Sankranti : Muhurat  

Punya Kaal Muhurat	07:15 to 12:30 on 15 January, 2020
Maha Punya Kaal Muhurat	07:15 to 09:15 on 15 January, 2020
Sankranti Moment	01:53

Note : This time period is valid for New Delhi only. Click Here to get the exact Muhurat for your city. 

Makar Sankranti : Religious and Cultural Significance

Makar Sankranti’s relevance is not unknown to the followers of Hindu religion and culture. It is not only very relevant to the cultural psyche of Hindu religion, but also possesses immense cultural weightage. Culturally, it is celebrated as a harvest festival, observed to give validation to the season’s fresh harvest and also to the ones who have worked hard for this harvest. Astrologically speaking, it is believed that Lord Surya or the Sun enters the zodiac sign of its son, Saturn, which is Capricorn. 

On this note, Makar Sankranti is celebrated to mark the day on which the royal planet pays a visit to his son, which is also mentioned in the Puranas. Legends also state that this day also registers the event when Lord Vishnu, the preserver of our Universe gained victory over the demons or Asuras, who had almost wrecked havoc on the Earth. Vishnu ji ultimately decided to put an end to them and eventually inundated them under the Mandara Parvat. Hence along with being the festival of warmth and dazzle, Makar Sankranti also signifies the prevalence of righteousness over evil, because Lord Vishnu helped saved his devotees and the inhabitants of this earth from the plight of demonic forces. Another set of beliefs state that during the Mahabharata period Bhishma Pitamah had chosen this day of Makar Sankranti to give up his body. 

Makar Sankranti : Rites and Rituals to Follow 

Lord Surya or the Sun is especially worshipped on the day of Makar Sankranti. When the father(Sun) visits his son(Saturn), all of the negativities and clashes come to an end, which also marks the end of a new time slot. To make this day more prosperous, we have listed some Puja rites and rituals, which will help you to obtain the blessings of Lord Surya conveniently. 

• Clean your entire household before commencing any rituals. 
• On the day of Sankranti, wake up early in the morning and take a clean bath. 
• If you are performing the Puja rituals, then you should apply a Tilak of “Roli” and rice flour on your forehead at the very beginning. 
• Next, take an idol of Lord Shani and place it on a pedestal. 
• Make offerings of sweets like ghevar’, ‘Til ladoos’ (made of sesame seeds) along some money on a plate to the Lord to seek his blessings.
• Now, worship Surya Dev and light a lamp in his name. Afterwards, recite the Surya Mantra 12 times. 
• After the Puja rituals are completed, make donations to the poor and needy. 

So, these were the Puja Rituals which should be observed on the day of Makar Sankranti. Observe them with a pure heart and mind to make this festival a joyous one. 

Wish you a very happy and prosperous Makar Sankranti. Thankyou for staying connected with us!!