Tuesday, 13 January 2015



Makar sankranti

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Contents



1. TITHI

 

         This festival, unlike other Hindu festivals, is not dependent on the tithi (position of the moon) but on position of the sun. On this day, the sun enters the zodiac sign of Capricorn. To compensate for the difference that occurs due to the revolution around the sun, once every eighty years the day of sankrant gets pushed behind by one day.


2. HISTORY OF MAKAR SANKRANTI

         Sankranti is considered a Deity. According to a legend Deity Sankranti killed a demon named Sankarasur.


3. INFORMATION ON DEITY SANKRANTI IS AVAILABLE IN THE PANCHANG

         The panchang provides information on the form, age, clothing, direction of movement etc. of Deity Sankranti. This information is appropriate to the changes taking place in Her according to time. He who is touched by Deity Sankranti gets destroyed.


4. IMPORTANCE OF MAKAR SANKRANTI

         The northward movement of the sun begins on this day. The period from Karka sankrant (the passage of the sun into the zodiac sign of Cancer) till Makar sankranti is called the dakshinayan. A person who dies in the dakshinayan period has a greater chance of going to Yamalok (southward region), than one who dies during uttarayan (northward revolution).

4 A. Importance from the point of view of spiritual practice

         On this day, from sunrise to sunset, the environment has more Chaitanya (Divine Consciousness); hence those doing spiritual practice can benefit from this Chaitanya.


5. METHOD OF CELEBRATION

5 A. Benefit of highest merit acquired by a Holy dip on the day of Makar sankranti

 

         The time from sunrise to sunset on Makar sankranti is auspicious. A Holy dip during this period carries special significance. Those who take a Holy dip in the rivers Ganga, Yamuna, Godavari, Krushna and Kaveri at the Holy places situated on the banks of these rivers acquire the highest merit.

5 B. Makar sankranti Offering

5 B1. Importance of making an offering during an auspicious period
         The period from Makar sankranti to Rathsaptami is an auspicious period. Any donation and meritorious deeds in this period prove more fruitful.

Donating during Makar Sankranti (video)




What items to donate during Makar Sankranti ? (video)


 

5 B2. Substances offered on Makar sankranti
         ‘An offering of new vessels, clothing, food, sesame seeds, pot of sesame seeds, jaggery, a cow, a horse, gold or land should be made depending on the capability. On this day, married women also make some offering. They take things from unmarried girls and give them sesame seeds and jaggery in return.’ Married women organise a ceremony of haldi-kumkum (applying vermillion and turmeric to the forehead) and gift articles to other married women.

Spiritul science of Haldi-kumkum ceremony (video)



1. Importance of giving a gift
Giving gift to another woman on Makar-sankrant
Giving gift to another woman on Makar-sankrant

         Giving a gift to another woman amounts to surrendering to the Divinity in the other, through body, mind and wealth. Since the period of Makar sankranti is favourable for spiritual practice, a gift given during this period results in bestowal of Divine grace and the individual gets the desired fruit.

2. What should be gifted on makar sankranti ?

How to offer 'upayan' during Makar Sankranti ? (video)



Spiritual science behind offering sattvik (note) items as upayan (video)



         Nowadays a wrong trend of gifting inappropriate commodities like soaps and plastic items has started. Instead, substances that are complementary to spiritual practice and are indicators of a married life, for example incense sticks, Ubtan (note) (fragrant powder used during bath), religious texts, Holy texts, pictures of Deities, CDs on spiritual topics etc. should be gifted.

5 B3. Small mud pots
'Sugad'
'Sugad'

         ‘The festival of Makar sankranti requires small mud pots called sugad (in Marathi language). Vermilion and turmeric powder is applied to the pots and a thread is tied to them. They are filled with carrots, jujube fruits, sugarcane pieces, pods, cotton, chickpeas, sesame seeds with jaggery, vermilion, turmeric etc. Five pots are placed on a wooden seat, rangoli is drawn around the seat and worshipped. Of these, three are gifted to married women, one is offered to the Tulsi (note) plant and one is retained.'

Subtle Drawing depicting Benefits of a sattvik (note) gift

 


6. USE OF SESAME SEEDS

'Tilgul'
'Tilgul'

         Maximum use of sesame seeds is made during Makar sankranti festival. For example, bathing with water containing sesame seeds and eating and distributing tilgul (a sweet made from sesame seeds), offering sesame to Brahmans, lighting lamps of sesame oil in a temple of Deity Shiva and performing pitrushraddh (rite for the departed ancestors) in which an offering of sesame seeds is made.

Use of Til (sesame) during Makar Sankranti (video)



Spiritual significance of Til (sesame) (video)


6 A. Importance of sesame seeds

6 A1. Using sesame seeds eliminates sins
         ‘On this day those who apply sesame seed oil and Ubtan (note) to the body, bathe in water mixed with sesame seeds, drink water mixed with sesame seeds, perform a sacrificial fire, make an offering of sesame seeds and make similar use of sesame seeds, are liberated of all sins.’

6 A2. Importance according to Ayurved
         Since Sankrant falls in winter, consuming sesame seeds is beneficial.

6 A3. Importance according to Spirituality
1. Since sesame seeds have a greater ability to absorb and emit sattva frequencies, consuming tilgul helps improve spiritual practice. Distributing tilgul to one another results in an exchange of the Sattva (note) component.

2. Using sesame seeds in shraddha prevents demons from bringing obstacles during the rite.

Subtle-picture of a sesame seed

 


7. FORBIDDEN ACTS

         ‘During the period of Sankrant, brushing teeth, talking harshly, cutting trees or grass and acts provoking sexual urges should be avoided.’


8. DO NOT FLY KITES

         Today, when the Nation and Dharma are in peril, flying kites for the sake of entertainment is akin to, ‘Nero playing the fiddle while Rome burnt’. If the time spent on flying kites is used for the development of the Nation, it will make it progress faster; and if used for spiritual practice and missions related to Dharma, then society and the individual will benefit.


9. KINKRANT OR KARIDIN

         This is the day after Sankrant. On this day a Deity killed the demon Kinkarasur.

Reference : Sanatan's Holy Text 'Holy festivals, Religious festivals and Vowed religious observances'


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