Makar Sankranti Festival Of Harvest
Makar Sankranti Festival of Harvest:
Makar Sankranti is a festival celebrated by Hindus all over the world. The Festival also called Harvest Festival. It comes on the Maga month every year. The day is also believed to mark the arrival of spring in India. It is celebrated on the same day 14th in January every year. Sometimes celebrate on 15th due to Thidi adjustments.
Some Regional variations Sankranthi celebrated by different names. Most of the states called the Festival as Makara Sankranthi. Pongal in Tamilnadu, Uttarayana in Gujrath, Maghi in Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab, Bhogali Bihu in Assam.
Celebrations in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana:
In Andhra Pradesh and the Telangana States, the festival celebrates for 4 days.
The first day is – Bhogi
The Second day is – Makara Sankranti
The third day is – Kanuma
The fourth day is – Mukkanuma
On the first day, people celebrate Bhogi. Bhogi means people light a ‘Bonfire’ with logs of wood, and no longer useful materials. this indicated the Old Habits, Old Attachments to relation and material things are Sacrifice in the Fire of Knowledge of Rudra. Here Rudra is Bonfire’. This activity indicates the people became very pure in thoughts and activities and starts a fresh lease of life. The fire purifies anything, like that the Bonfire purifies the People.
On Festival Day:
On Makara Sankranthi day people wake up very early, the girls draw the beautiful Muggulu in front of their houses and decorate them with beautiful flowers. Girls made the cow dung as Gobbemmalu and kept in the middle of the Muggulu.The women decorate the houses with various colours., After that, all do the head bath, wear new clothes, pray God and offer traditional food to their ancestors who have died. All the family members worship Cow. The farmers decorate their cattle to honour them. These activities indicate the prosperity in the lives of people.
On Kanuma day relatives, friends, neighbours all followed by fun activities. They conduct Ox racing, Kite flying, Goat fightings and Cock fightings. They enjoy the day with great joy.
On the fourth day, Mukkanuma the people worship the Natural Elements. In some areas, people eat non-veg food, but some area on the fourth day does not touch the Non-veg food.
Finally, the Hindus feel this festival brings colourful prosperity into their lives. On this festival occasion houses decorated with various colours, draw the colourful Muggulu before the houses, ‘Cattle’ decoration with colourful Clad. Haridasas roam the streets, singing devotional songs. Everything seems very rich to the eyes of the Spectators. so ‘Hindus‘ celebrate Makara Sankranthi in grand scale.