Til and rice are two important ingredients of this festival. In Gujarat, the pandits consider Sankranti as an auspicious day to grant scholarships and certificates of merit to students who have successfully completed their studies in philosophy. In a Hindu household, new utensils are purchased and used for the first time. Brightly coloured kites dot the skies on this day. One month preceeding Sankranti is called Dhanurmasam and is also an auspicious period.
People wake up early, take bath and go around the streets singing devotional songs.
Houses are whitewashed and farmers clean their warehouses. These artistic floral designs are drawn on the floor with rice flour or fine powder from limestone. These patterns are decorated with marigold placed on cowdung balls. Colorfully dressed young girls go round them singing songs. Deepawali Deepawali is the pan Indian festival of all festivals.