Makara Sankranti (with an interesting event of Western Odisha)

Makara Sankranthi marks the transition of the Sun into Makara rashi (Capricorn) on its celestial path. This is the day when the Sun begins its ascendancy and entry into the Northern Hemisphere.

The period from Karka Sankranti to Makara Sankranti is called the dakshinayan.  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 January.  Makar Sankranti is the Indian festival whose date always falls on the same day every year i.e. on 14th of January.

The movement of the earth from one zodiac sign into another is called Sankranti and as the Sun moves into the Capricorn zodiac known as Makar in Hindi, this occasion is named as Makar Sankranti.

Scientifically, this day marks the beginning of warmer and longer days compared to the nights. Sankranti marks the termination of the winter season and the commencement of the spring season.

Makar Sankranti is one of the most auspicious occasions for the Hindus, and is celebrated in almost all parts of the country in numerous cultural forms and in different names with great devotion, and pomp.

The Ganga sagar Mela - In West Bengal every year a very big Mela is held at Ganga Sagar where the river Ganga is believed to have dived into the posterior region and vivified the ashes of the sixty thousand ancestors of King Bhagirath. This mela is attended by a large number of pilgrims from all over the country.

In Tamil Nadu Makara Sankranti is known by the name of ‘Pongal’, which takes its name from the heaving of rice boiled in a pot of milk. Being a harvest festival, it is very much popular particularly amongst the farmers.

In the temple of Lord Jagannath in Puri this festival is observed as 'Uttarayana Yatra'.

The time from sunrise to sunset on Makar-Sankranti is considered to be very much auspicious. A Holy dip in any of the pious rivers during this period carries special significance. Hence a lot of people take a ritual bathe mainly in the river Ganga.

In western Odisha besides the devotional rites, people also practice another event, which is called ‘Makara Basaa’ for women and ‘Maahaarshad Basaa’ for man. This is a practice to make strong friendship. A special offering called 'makar chaula’ is prepared with uncooked newly harvested rice, banana, coconut and sesame and offered to the God. The two friends who want to enter into the deep relationship bond (by Makara Basaa) exchange the offering, have it and take a vow in the name of God that they will be friends forever. After entering into the relationship they treat the other more than a family member. Even both are restricted from uttering the others name as a token of respect. 

Swargadwara of Jagannath Puri

‘Swargadwara’ is the famous Hindu funeral place in Puri. Swarga means heaven and dwara means gateway. So, swargadwara means the gateway to heaven. The place is of prime mythological importance as it is believed that once any person’s funeral rites are performed in swargadwara, he definitely abodes to the heaven. Here in this article we are revealing the etymology.

Mythology has depicted Puri as the original place of Lord Vishnu. He is present in the name “Jagannath” here today. Hence, the place is of prime importance for which even deities are interested to come for a darshan. In this sequel, once Lord Indra, the King of the devas and the God of rain, had visited the place to have a darshan of his revered Lord Vishnu, i.e. Jagannath. He was in disguise. He visited the Lord and then went to ‘Anand Bazar’, the place where one can get the “Mahaprasad”, the offering to the Lords. It is the divine market inside the temple premises and also has got much importance.

Indra accepted the offering and consumed a full stomach meal from one of the persons in Anand Bazar. Then when tried to leave the place the person asked for money. Indra had not any idea about the human rule of buying even the offering. As per the Godly rule an offering is always free of cost and if he is satisfied he can bless the person who has provided him the offering. Hence Indra left the place.

The person who had provided the offering now chased Indra up to the seashore for the remuneration. Finally when he caught Indra in the seashore, Indra turned in to his original form and explained the person that He is Devraj Indra and he can bless. The person could not believe him and jokingly asked, “If you are really Indra, provide me such a blessing that I can make rain as per my command”. Indra allowed the demand and vanished from that place. The person marked the place wherefrom Indra had vanished.

Later, the person tried that blessing and shockingly found that the blessing is working properly and he is in a position to command where to make a rain. Now only he was convinced that the person was Lord Indra.

The person soon became famous for his amazing quality and rewarded by Gajapati, the King of Puri, whom he described the whole story. The king named the place as swargadwara, from where Lord Indra had set out for heaven and the place became eternal in the hearts of Hindus.