Happy Pongal!

Pongal or Makar Sankranthi is the harvest festival in India. It is unique in the sense that it is a solar event unlike all the other Hindu festivals which are celebrated as per the lunar calendar. It marks the beginning of the northward movement of the Sun towards the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere. This movement is called as uttarAyaNa and it lasts for a 6 month period. Actually the northward movement is supposed to begin after the Winter Solstice (the day the sun is directly over the Tropic of Capricorn) on December 21 (as we read in science in school) but due to the earth's revolution and tilt, the actual movement has been postponed over the ages and hence Makar Sankranthi is celebrated now in January.

In astrology, Sankranti means the movement of the sun from one rashi to another. So there are 12 sankrantis in a year but Makar Sankranti is celebrated during the movement of the sun from Dhanus rashi (Sagittarius) to Makara rashi (Capricorn). According to the Puranas, on this day, the sun visits the house of his son Shani who is the lord of the Makar rashi.

This festival is celebrated in all parts of India under different names and in myriad ways but all have the underlying common theme of harvest and worshipping of the sun.

The sun is the source of light for this universe and its northward movement indicates the movement from darkness to light for the Hindus.After this festival, winter starts reducing and it paves way for spring and summer indicating the path to happiness, joy and color after the cold, barren winter. 

Various significances from the scriptures (ref: wikipedia)

• It is believed that from Makar Sankaranti, the daytime starts for the Gods (Gods' 1 day = Our 1 year) so it marks the beginning of an auspicious phase for the Hindus.
• On this day, Maharaja Bhageerath performed the rituals(tarpan) with the Ganga water (which he brought to Earth through severe penance) to liberate his ancestors from a curse and after this, the River Ganga merged with the sea (Bay of Bengal). This place is called Ganga Sagar and is located near Kolkata.
• In the Mahabharatha, Bhishma left for heavenly abode on this day as he had the boon of death at will and he considered this day as death on this day liberates one from rebirth.

Pictures of the Rangoli made outside our flat with efforts put in by all the ladies in the flat (including me)