मकर संक्रांति का त्योहार 14 या 15 जनवरी को मनाया जाता है. साल 2024 में यह त्योहार 15 जनवरी को मनाया जाएगा. पंचांग के मुताबिक, इस दिन सूर्य देव सुबह 2 बजकर 54 मिनट पर धनु राशि से निकलकर मकर राशि में प्रवेश करेंगे.

Makar Sankranti, also known as Uttarayana or the Capricorn Festival, is a significant Hindu observance celebrated annually around January 15 (January 14 in a leap year). This festival symbolizes the sun's transition from Sagittarius to Capricorn, coinciding with its movement from south to north. Dedicated to the solar deity, Surya, Makar Sankranti signifies a new beginning. Festivities are held across India, marked by multi-day celebrations.

The diverse names associated with Makar Sankranti include Magh Bihu in Assam, Pongal in Tamil Nadu, Uttarayana in Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh, Ghughuti in Uttarakhand, and various others in different regions. In addition to India, similar celebrations occur in Nepal, Thailand (Songkran), Myanmar (Thingyan), and Cambodia (Mohan Songkran).

On Makar Sankranti, worshippers pay homage to Surya, along with Vishnu and goddess Lakshmi. Social festivities include colorful decorations, children singing for treats, melas (fairs), dances, kite flying, bonfires, and feasts. The Magha Mela, mentioned in the Hindu epic Mahabharata, is a part of these celebrations. Some participants undertake a ceremonial bath in sacred rivers or lakes as a gesture of gratitude to the Sun.

Every twelve years, Makar Sankranti coincides with Kumbha Mela, one of the world's largest mass pilgrimages, drawing millions of attendees. Participants offer prayers to the Sun and bathe at the Prayagaraj confluence of the River Ganga and River Yamuna, a tradition attributed to Adi Shankaracharya. The festival is a time for celebration, gratitude, and is marked by a variety of rituals and traditions.

Nomenclature and Regional Names

Makar Sankranti, a vibrant festival celebrated across the Indian subcontinent, manifests with diverse names and customs in various regions. The following is a compilation of regional variations in nomenclature and celebrations:

- **Sankranti, Makara Sankranti, Makara Sankramanam, Pedda Panduga:** Andhra Pradesh, Telangana

- **Pusna:** West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya

- **Suggi Habba, Makara Sankramana, Makara Sankranti:** Karnataka

- **Makar Sankranti, Uttarayana or Ghughuti:** Uttarakhand

- **Makar Sankranti or Makara Mela and Makara Chaula:** Odisha

- **Makar Sankranti or Sankaranti or Shankaranti:** Kerala

- **Makar Sankranti or Dahi Chura or Til Sankranti:** Mithila Bihar

- **Makar Sankranti, Maghi Sankranti, Haldi Kumkum or Sankranti:** Maharashtra, Jammu, Goa, Nepal

- **Hangrai:** Tripura

- **Pongal or Uzhavar Thirunal:** Tamil Nadu, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia

- **Uttarayana:** Gujarat

- **Maghi:** Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab

- **Magh Bihu or Bhogali Bihu:** Assam

- **Shishur Saenkraat:** Kashmir Valley

- **Sakraat or Khichdi:** Uttar Pradesh and western Bihar

- **Poush Sangkranti:** West Bengal, Bangladesh

- **Tila Sakrait:** Mithila

- **Tirmoori:** Pakistan

In most Indian regions, Sankranti celebrations span two to four days, each day distinguished by specific names and rituals:

- **Day 1 – Maghi (preceded by Lohri), Bhogi Panduga**

 - **Day 2 – Makara Sankranti, Pongal, Pedda Panduga, Uttarayana, Magh Bihu**

 - **Day 3 – Mattu Pongal, Kanuma Panduga**

 - **Day 4 – Kaanum Pongal, Mukkanuma**

These diverse names and rituals reflect the rich cultural tapestry and regional diversity embedded in the celebration of Makar Sankranti across the Indian subcontinent.

Regional Variations and Customs

*This section explores the diverse ways in which Makar Sankranti is celebrated across different regions, each marked by unique customs and traditions.*

### Andhra Pradesh and Telangana

**Day 1 – Bhogi:**

   - Bonfire ritual with discarded household items.

   - Bhogi Pallu ceremony: Fruits, flowers, and money poured over children.

**Day 2 – Sankranti:**

   - Main festival day dedicated to the Sun God.

   - Marks the beginning of Uttarayana.

   - Offering traditional sweet dish Ariselu to the god.

**Day 3 – Kanuma:**

   - Dedicated to cattle and domestic animals.

   - Cattle are decorated and worshipped.

   - Community sport Kodi Pandem, especially in Coastal Andhra.

**Day 4 – Mukkanuma:**

   - Last day of the festival, often celebrated with family reunions.

### Assam

**Magh Bihu:**

   - Celebrates the end of the harvesting season.

   - Feasts, bonfires, and traditional games like tekeli bhonga and buffalo fighting.

### Bihar

**Sakraat or Khichdi:**

   - Celebrated with a meal of Dahi Chura (Flattened Rice) and sweets made of sesame seeds and jaggery.

   - Signifies the harvest of crops like Sesame Seeds and Paddy.

### Goa

**Sankrant:**

   - Distribution of sugar-coated till pulses.

   - Newly married women offer clay pots filled with newly harvested food grains.

### Gujarat

**Uttarayana:**

   - Major festival lasting two days.

   - Kite flying with special lightweight paper kites.

   - Special dishes like Undhiyu and chikkis savored.

### Haryana and Delhi

**Sakraant:**

   - Ritual purification with a holy dip.

   - Preparation of traditional dishes like kheer and churma.

   - Exchange of gifts between brothers and sisters.

### Jammu

**Uttrain or Attrain:**

   - Celebrated as 'Maghi Sangrand.'

  - Tradition of 'Mansana' (charity) with Khichdi of Maah Dal.

   - Holy bath in Devika river and pilgrimages.

### Karnataka

**Suggi:**

   - Harvest festival with the ritual of Ellu Birodhu.

   - Offering plates with sesame seeds, groundnuts, coconut, jaggery, and shaped sugar candy moulds.

   - Display of decorated cows and bulls.

### Maharashtra

   - **Til-gul Exchange:**

      - People exchange sweetmeats made from sesame seeds and jaggery.

      - Famous line: "til gul ghya god god bola" (Eat sesame and jaggery and speak sweet words).

   - **Gulachi Poli:**

      - Flatbread stuffed with jaggery and ground til.

      - Prasad in the Devghar after seeking blessings.

### Odisha

**Makara Sankranti:**

   - Preparation of makara chaula with various traditional dishes.

   - Ritual bath, fasting, and worship of the sun god.

   - Observance of Makara Mela at various locations.

### Punjab

**Maghi Mela:**

   - Celebrated with a major mela at Sri Muktsar Sahib.

   - Religious and cultural festivities.

   - Lamps with sesame oil lit for prosperity.

### Rajasthan and Western Madhya Pradesh

**Makar Sankrati or Sakraat:**

   - Celebrated with Rajasthani delicacies and sweets.

   - Ritual of giving objects to married women.

   - Kite flying is a traditional part of the celebration.

### Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Sri Lanka

**Pongal:**

   - Four-day festival: Bhogi Pandigai, Thai Pongal, Maattu Pongal, Kaanum Pongal.

   - Rituals include discarding old items, cooking Pongal, thanking cattle, and visiting relatives.

   - Jallikattu, a bull-taming contest, is a key event.

### Kerala

**Sankranti or Makara Sankranti:**

   - Celebrated as the victory over a demon.

   - Makaravilakku lit in Sabarimala.

### Tripura

**Hangrai:**

   - Originated as a festival of immersing ancestors' remains.

   - Preparation includes cleaning, decorating, and feasting.

   - Grand celebration with cakes, dishes, and drinks.

### Mythological Origin in Tripura

   - **Hangrai:**

      - Mythical origin involving Lord Siva and the creation of the world.

      - Rituals observed with grand festivities, cleaning, and feasting.

*These diverse celebrations and customs showcase the rich cultural tapestry of Makar Sankranti across different regions, each adding its unique flavor to the festival.*