Makar (Capricorn) Sankranti (Sun’s ingress) is celebrated all over India with grandiose. Sun ingresses into a new zodiac sign every month (West-East motion in our sky); hence there are 12 Sankranti. Of the 12, Makar Sankranti is celebrated all over India as this coincided with winter solstice or northward course of Sun (Uttarayana) about 2000 years ago. Now winter solstice happens around 21st of December. If we followed the originally intent of the celebration (which is Uttarayana), we should be celebrating on Dec 21st. It is important to note that Indian time-keeping accounts for:
- East-West motion of Sun via Sakranti
- North-South motion of Sun via Uttarayana & Dakshinayana (2 solstices)
- Lunation cycles (new moon & full moon) to define the month
- Pachanga (tithi, nakshatra, yoga, karana, vara – 5 qualities to define the day
So when we celebrate these festivals, we need to bring awareness to how it relates to astronomy & cosmology
Even though Uttarayana now happens on Dec 21, Sun’s ingress in Makara is of importance as:
- Sun is the father of Saturn, ruler of Capricorn (Cap). It is like the father visiting his son’s house
- Cap & Aquarius (Aq) are furthest away from Leo, the house Sun rules. When Sun transits thro’ Cap & Aq it’s a time of redistribution of power with others in your life, a time to be in service of society – while being mindful of giving to a point where you feel like a slave. Therefore, Indians celebrate this day by sharing their harvest
Yes that right, Makar Sankranti is now mainly celebrated as a harvest festival – where people share the goodies prepared from the most recent harvest
- Maharashtrians celebrate Makara Sankranti with tilgul (a dessert made of sesame seeds & jaggery)
- South Indians celebrate Pongal (rice & jaggery dessert)
- North Indians celebrate Lohri (dancing around bonfire, and sharing dishes made of jaggery & sugarcane)
Note: the use of sugarcane products in preparations (Dec-March being sugarcane harvest time in India)
Flying kites is also big in India on this day
This time around, Sun will join Saturn & Mercury in Cap. Saturn tends to temper Sun’s vitality while Mercury allows well needed discernment possible. It’s time we come together to celebrate the richness of life. It feels almost criminal to let our differences divide us – just because fueling some half-baked ideas is more important than practicing kindness, compassion & neutrality. It is possible to come together as a community (even with social distancing) to celebrate our diversity. Eastern cultures have done it. The West too can do it. Celebrating festivals, especially Pongal, is one way of doing it
Dheel de dheel de de re bhaiya… (literally)As they say in my hometown, Tilgul ghya goad goad bolaHappy Makar Sankranti
Happy Pongal
Happy Lohri
Love, Light & Blessings,
Malini
