Bhubaneswar: India is the land of festivals. Makar Sankranti is one of the important festivals of the Hindu religion that they celebrate with great joy and happiness.
Usually, Makar Sankranti falls on January 14 every year. But, this year, this festival is being celebrated today, i.e. January 15.
Meaning of Makar Sankranti:
The word Makar Sankranti derives from two words Makar and Sankranti. Makar means Capricorn and Sankranti means transition, which means Makar Sankranti means the transition of the sun in the Capricorn (Zodiac sign). In addition, this occasion is a very sacred and auspicious occasion according to Hinduism and they celebrate it as a festival.
Importance of Makar Sankranti:
The shift of the sun into Capricorn is of divine importance and we Indians believe that taking a dip in the holy river Ganga washes away all your sins and makes your soul pure and blessed. In addition, it signifies the increase of spiritual light and the reduction of materialized darkness. From the scientific point of view, from Makar Sankranti, the days become longer and the nights become shorter.
Makar Sankranti in Odisha:
Among the many harvest festivals that we celebrate in Odisha, Makar Sankranti is the single most important one as the newly harvested paddy is offered to Lord Jagannath at the Puri temple.
The festival revolves around the celebration of new rice, known as Nabanna; the freshly harvested rice is cleaned, and the first handfuls are offered to deities before being cooked into various dishes.
In Odisha, the act of offering the first fruits of the harvest to the gods is a common tradition. Makara Chaula marks the culmination of the agricultural activities related to the harvest season as it is a time for farmers to celebrate the fruition of their hard work.
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