Makar Sakranti

== Lohri ==
According to the lunar calendar, the sun moves from the Tropic of 
Cancer to the Tropic of Capricorn, or from Dakshinayana to Uttarayana, in 
the month of Poush in mid-January.
This end of the winter solstice also coincides with the harvest season 
and cessation of the northeast monsoon in South India. The movement of 
the earth from one zodiac sign into another is called Sankranti, and is 
celebrated as Makar, or Uttarayana, Sankranti, or Lohri, in the North, 
and as Pongal in the South. 
The word pongal, in both Telugu and Tamil, signifies the boiling over 
of the rice in the cooking pot. Though little is known about the origin 
of Pongal, it is probably a Dravidian harvest festival that has 
survived for millennia.The Sankranti season ends with Ratha Saptami, the 
seventh day of the bright half of Magha, when the sun and his golden chariot 
are honoured. Pongal is a three-day festival. On the first day, Bhogi 
Pongal, celebrations are confined to the house. Evil spirits are driven 
out of the home and burned in bonfires, and the house is whitewashed. 
The second day, Surya Pongal, honours the Sun god. Members of the 
family wear new clothes and cook - on a new stove and in new pots - a dish 
with the newly harvested rice, jaggery and moong dal. Sugarcane stalks 
characterise this festival, as do til, and sweets made from jaggery and 
peanuts.
The third day is Maattu Pongal, honouring cattle. Cows and bullocks are 
washed, decorated, and worshipped for their role in ensuring a good 
harvest. 
Punjab celebrates Lohri by feasting on sweets made of jaggery, peanuts 
and sesame seeds, and making a symbolic bonfire of the departing 
winter. 
In the days leading up to Lohri, children visit homes of neighbours, 
sing traditional Lohri songs, and ask for coins and sweets in return. 
While being Indian in spirit, this custom is similar to the tradition of 
singing Christmas carols.
In Gujarat and other western states, people observe Uttarayana, when 
the winds change, by flying kites. The winter sky bursts into colour with 
thousands of paper kites. The festivities conclude with a winter feast.
In Maharashtra, people dress in new clothes and distribute sesame 
sweets. New brides are welcomed into the family with sugar ornaments and a 
turmeric-and-vermilion ceremony. In rural Maharashtra, feasts of the new 
harvest mark the festival.
Assam celebrates the paddy harvest in winter with Magha or Bhogali 
Bihu. Pavilions with thatched roofs come up in the villages and there is 
feasting in the night. The pavilions are set afire in the morning. The 
festivities continue for a week.
At Ganga Sagar, where the Ganga enters the sea, a grand fair is held.
The festival is also called Til Sankranti or Kichri Sankranti, after 
its main ingredient or preparation.
In Thanjavur, Madurai, and Thiruchirapalli, in Tamil Nadu, Pongal is 
marked by jallikattu, or bull fights. A money bag is tied to the horns of 
a bull, and the man who succeeds in tethering the beast to the tree 
gets the money and a prize. 
Makar Sankranti 2006:
Makar Sankranti will fall on 14th of January on Saturday in 2006.
Category:Indian Food Traditions and Festivals